LaTeX hyperref: Clickable Links, URLs, References, and Colors

To create clickable links in a LaTeX PDF, load hyperref near the end of the preamble. Use \url to print a URL, \href for custom link text, and ordinary \label/\ref commands for clickable internal references.

Quick answer: add \usepackage{hyperref} near the end of your preamble. Use \url{https://example.com} for a visible URL, \href{https://example.com}{link text} for descriptive text, and \autoref{sec:methods} for a clickable reference that includes its type.

Which hyperlink command should you use?

You need…	Command
A visible web address	`\url{https://example.com}`
Custom clickable text	`\href{https://example.com}{Example site}`
A clickable email address	`\href{mailto:name@example.com}{name@example.com}`
A numbered internal reference	`\ref{sec:methods}`
An automatic name such as “Section 2”	`\autoref{sec:methods}`
A link to a custom anchor	`\hyperlink{results}{Jump to results}`
Clickable links without colored text or boxes	`\usepackage[hidelinks]{hyperref}`

Minimal Setup

hyperref-setup.tex

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage[
  colorlinks=true,
  linkcolor=blue,
  citecolor=teal,
  urlcolor=magenta
]{hyperref}
\hypersetup{
  pdftitle={Project Title},
  pdfauthor={Your Name},
  pdfsubject={Technical Report}
}

\begin{document}
Visit \href{https://www.latex-cloud-studio.com}{LaTeX Cloud Studio}.
\end{document}

Ready to use this syntax? Continue in the browser editor when you want to adapt the example in a real project.Open LaTeX Cloud Studio

Load hyperref after most other packages so it can patch references correctly. Packages that extend its references may have their own order requirements; for example, load cleveref after hyperref. If you want clickable links without colored text or border boxes, use this instead:

hidden-link-style.tex

\usepackage[hidelinks]{hyperref}

External Links

Use \url when you want to print the URL itself, and use \href when you want custom anchor text.

external-links.tex

\url{https://www.latex-cloud-studio.com}
\href{https://www.overleaf.com/learn}{Overleaf Learn}
\href{mailto:team@example.com}{Email the team}

Internal Hyperlinks and Clickable References

Internal links usually come from labels and references:

internal-links.tex

\section{Methods}\label{sec:methods}
\section{Results}\label{sec:results}

See Section~\ref{sec:methods}.
Use \autoref{sec:results} for automatic label text.

If hyperref is loaded, these references become clickable in the final PDF.

Custom anchors and jump links

Use \hypertarget to create a named destination and \hyperlink to jump to it. These commands are useful when the destination is not a numbered section, figure, table, or equation.

custom-anchor.tex

\hyperlink{results-summary}{Jump to the results summary}

% Later in the document:
\hypertarget{results-summary}{%
  \section*{Results summary}
}

Prefer \label with \ref or \autoref when the destination already has a LaTeX number. Those references stay correct when sections or figures move.

Link appearance and PDF metadata

colorlinks=true colors the link text. Without it, many PDF viewers draw colored boxes around links. Use separate colors so readers can distinguish internal references, citations, and external URLs.

hyperlink-options.tex

\usepackage{hyperref}
\hypersetup{
  colorlinks=true,
  linkcolor=blue,  % internal references and table of contents
  citecolor=teal,  % citations
  urlcolor=purple, % external URLs
  pdftitle={Project Title},
  pdfauthor={Your Name},
  pdfkeywords={latex, research, report}
}

For print-oriented documents, hidelinks is often preferable because it keeps links active without changing the visible text style.

Hyperlinks in the Table of Contents and Unnumbered Headings

For unnumbered sections, add a manual anchor before writing the label:

phantomsection.tex

\section*{Appendix Resources}
\phantomsection
\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{Appendix Resources}
\label{sec:appendix-resources}

This ensures the PDF link points to the right place.

Common `hyperref` problems

Problem	Fix
Links are not clickable	Confirm that `\usepackage{hyperref}` is loaded and compile the document again
Link text has boxes around it	Use `hidelinks`, or set `colorlinks=true` and explicit colors
An internal link jumps above or below the intended heading	Put `\phantomsection` immediately before the manual contents entry or label
A reference shows `??`	Compile enough times for labels to resolve and check that the label name matches
PDF bookmarks contain LaTeX warnings	Use plain text in headings or provide a PDF-safe alternative with `\texorpdfstring{LaTeX text}{PDF text}`
Another package breaks references	Load `hyperref` late, then follow the documented order for packages such as `cleveref`
A long URL runs past the margin	Use `\url{...}` rather than typing the address as ordinary text

Getting Started

LaTeX Basics

Text & Formatting

Mathematics

Figures & Tables

Specialized Notation

Bibliography & References

Document Structure

Languages

Advanced Topics

LaTeX hyperref: Clickable Links, URLs, References, and Colors

Which hyperlink command should you use?

Minimal Setup

External Links

Internal Hyperlinks and Clickable References

Custom anchors and jump links

Link appearance and PDF metadata

Hyperlinks in the Table of Contents and Unnumbered Headings

Common `hyperref` problems

Which hyperlink command should you use?

Minimal Setup

External Links

Internal Hyperlinks and Clickable References

Custom anchors and jump links

Link appearance and PDF metadata

Hyperlinks in the Table of Contents and Unnumbered Headings

Common hyperref problems

Related Pages

Common `hyperref` problems