How to Fix a Computer Hyperlink
Hyperlinks are a fundamental tool in the modern world. They allow anyone to engage interactively with the information superhighway that dominates society. Some hyperlinks interact with desktop publishing documents to extend the reading experience and bring readers to relevant sites. Links also can be sent in email, text messaging, or instant messaging applications to direct someone to a particular page elsewhere. And of course, hyperlinks are the fundamental tool used to navigate directly with the worldwide web. But malfunctioning hyperlinks are common due to the long codes from which they are made. With some experience, you can ensure all hyperlinks work properly.
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Instructions
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Determine the application that will contain the hyperlink. Links from text files, word publishing documents, or other offline sources are more forgiving than hyperlinks intended for placement directly on a web page.
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Verify the link address (URL) is correct. While other formatting considerations are necessary to ensure a functioning hyperlink, the URL should be confirmed before troubleshooting those areas. In a web browser, type or paste the full URL into the address bar and visit the site. If the page loads correctly, the URL is fine. If it does not, locate the desired page and note the correct address. URLs are usually all lowercase. Using capitals for subdirectories of a URL (the address portion after the ".com" or ".edu")often will cause the link to fail unless the site is specifically designed in uppercase.
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Format the link appropriate to the file type in which it appears. For offline sources, such as PDF files and Microsoft Office documents, a URL may format automatically as an interactive link that can be clicked. Sometimes it is necessary to configure the program to recognize the URL as a true hyperlink. In Microsoft Office products this is accomplished by highlighting the URL with the mouse and clicking the "hyperlink" button on the toolbar. This button resembles a small globe with a chain link icon superimposed.
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Code the hyperlink in proper HTML for inclusion on a web page. This applies to anyone making his hyperlink available to the worldwide web audience. The formatting practice for HTML hyperlinks is more detail-oriented and complicated than offline hyperlinks. The URL must be surrounded in quotes and placed into an "href" tag. The title for the link is noted separately from the URL itself. The format is: <a href="URL">TITLE</a>. The key difference for web design hyperlinks is that the URL must include http:// at the beginning of the link address.
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Tips & Warnings
Sometimes the proper functionality of a hyperlink is out of your hands. Hyperlinks sent via email, for example, depend on the end user's software to properly interpret them as links and allow them to be interactive. Most modern email programs handle hyperlinks correctly, but users often have the option to disable hyperlink settings.
