How to hyperlink in Slack [standard + Markdown]

Everyone seems to find themselves fumbling with hyperlinks in Slack, but it’s almost magic how easy it is. There are two main ways to do it.

How to hyperlink in Slack with a keyboard shortcut

Copy the URL you want to link to.
Highlight the text you want to hyperlink.
Type command + shift + U on Mac or Ctrl + Shift + U on Windows. (You can also just click the link icon right above the message field, but why do that when you can use a shortcut?)
The hyperlink box will pop up: paste the link in the Link field, and click Save.

How to add a Slack hyperlink with an even shorter keyboard shortcut

Copy the URL you want to link to.
Highlight the text you want to hyperlink.
Type Command + V on Mac or Ctrl + V on Windows.

The text will hyperlink without having to use that Add link pop-up. It seems like a small thing—cutting out one step and a couple keys—but when you spend your day adding links to Slack, it adds up. When Zapier customer champion Michelle Poterek shared this insight in an internal blog post, the people went wild for it.

Slack thread from about the hyperlinking shortcut

Who knew creating a link in Slack would be such a party?

How to add a Slack Markdown link

Until I worked at Zapier, I’d never even heard of Markdown. Now, half the people I work with prefer writing in it—and Slack supports it. To add a link using Markdown:

Make sure you have the setting enabled by going to Preferences > Advanced and checking the box next to Format messages with markup.
Type your hyperlink in Markdown format, which is [anchor text](URL). For example: [I dare you to click this!](https://sketchywebsite.com).
Hit Enter or return (or click the send button). It won’t render as a hyperlink in the text box, but once you send it, it’ll be hyperlinked.

One thing to keep in mind. Once you enable the markup setting, you won’t be able to add hyperlinks (or much else) the normal way. So only check that box if you live and breathe Markdown.

The case for not hyperlinking

Now you know how to create a Slack link—but should you?

I much prefer when people just drop the full URL somewhere in their Slack message. When there’s a hyperlink, I find myself hovering over it to see what I’m about to click on.

So far, I haven’t been trolled by a Slack hyperlink, but it’s worth keeping in mind.

Slack hyperlink FAQs

For something so simple, there are still questions to answer.

Why is my Slack Markdown link not working?

If your Slack Markdown link isn’t working, it’s probably because you don’t have the checkbox checked. Go to Preferences > Advanced, and check the box next to Format messages with markup. Then try again, and it should work. (Just keep in mind that it prevents you from adding hyperlinks the regular way.)

Can you add a Slack hyperlink on mobile?

Yes! You can hyperlink on mobile by typing your anchor text, highlighting it how you normally would on your phone, and then tapping the hyperlink icon. You’ll get a pop-up to add the link—click Save, and you’re done.