Creating Simple Links in TextEdit

Question

Creating Simple Links in TextEdit

Can anyone tell me how I create a simple link to a webpage using TextEdit?

I'm not trying to write HTML, all I'm trying to do is write myself a quick note with an active link to a webpage.

If I write a webpage address in a TextEdit document and continue typing, the address appears as a blue underlined link but when I close and reopen the document the address doesn't show as an active link until I put my cursor at the end of the address and type a space or a line return.

I'm sure I'm going to forget that's how I can make it active again so can someone tell me if there's a way to save the document so that when I reopen it the address looks like an active link immediately?

Thanks very much.

Posted on Feb 26, 2020 4:44 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,254 points

Mar 1, 2020 9:05 AM in response to Anthony Shaw1

Links will only work on Rich Text Documents (.rtf). On your TextEdit Format menu : Make Rich Text. Then the TextEdit toolbar will appear, and you will be able to press ⌘+K to add a link to selected text. The document should be saved with the extension .rtf, as it is no longer plain (.txt) text.

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,254 points

Feb 27, 2020 6:44 AM in response to Anthony Shaw1

Select the text that you want to apply the link too, and press ⌘+K to open the Link window where you enter the fully qualified http/https web address. Once entered, press return to close that window. The word will now have blue, underlined text. A single click on that word will launch Safari and open the website.

Here is the before and after appearance. The link word(s) are blue with underline regardless of the Catalina appearance mode.

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Answer 3

QuickPost

Level 10

103,437 points

Feb 26, 2020 5:47 PM in response to Anthony Shaw1

Hello,

When you select some text in TextEdit > Choose Edit menu > Add Link > Type in the link's address. Your selected text will now act as a hyperlink.

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Answer 4

Feb 27, 2020 4:57 AM in response to QuickPost

Hi QuickPost.

Sorry, I didn't meant to post this in El Capitan, I'm using Catalina. The option to Add Link is greyed out, whether I have text selected or don't.

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Answer 5

Mar 1, 2020 8:29 AM in response to VikingOSX

Hi Viking.

I'm not able to to press ⌘ and K, I get the error sound when I try to do that. Is it because my document is saved as a Plain Text Document? Does it have to be in a different format?

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Answer 6

Mar 1, 2020 9:26 AM in response to VikingOSX

Ah, brilliant. Thanks for that Viking.

Hadn't used TextEdit before. Now I get it. Thanks too QuickPost 😊

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Answer 7

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,254 points

Mar 1, 2020 2:15 PM in response to Anthony Shaw1

You are welcome.

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Creating Simple Links in TextEdit

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