How to Link Pages Within PDF
Internal links let readers jump between related sections, figures, appendices, and references inside a PDF without scrolling or searching. This is especially valuable for technical manuals, contracts with cross-references, and research papers that cite figures on distant pages. SublimePDF lets you create clickable hotspots on any text or area that navigate to a target page within the same document.
Follow the step-by-step instructions below, then use the free tool directly — no registration or download required.
Open Tool →How to Link Pages Within PDF — Step by Step
Upload your PDF
Open the Internal Links tool and upload your document. The tool loads all pages with a thumbnail sidebar so you can navigate quickly to both the source and target locations.
Select the link source
Navigate to the page containing the text or area you want to make clickable. Draw a rectangle around the text (e.g., 'See Figure 3 on page 12') to define the clickable hotspot.
Set the link destination
Choose the target page number the link should jump to. Optionally set a vertical position on the target page so the viewer scrolls to the exact section rather than the page top.
Style the link appearance
Choose whether the link has a visible border (useful for draft review) or is invisible (standard for final documents). Set the border color and thickness if visible links are preferred.
Repeat for additional links
Continue adding links for all cross-references, figure callouts, and appendix mentions. The link list panel shows every link you've created with source page, target page, and label.
Save and download
Click 'Apply Links' to embed all internal navigation into the PDF. Download the linked document — every hotspot is now clickable in any PDF reader.
Pro Tips
- 💡 Use invisible link borders for final documents — readers expect blue underlined links in web browsers but not in PDFs, where visible rectangles look out of place.
- 💡 Link every 'See Section X' and 'Refer to Appendix Y' reference in your document. Readers on screens will click rather than flip, and it signals a polished, professional document.
- 💡 Test your links in multiple viewers (Adobe Reader, Chrome, Preview) since some viewers highlight link areas differently on hover.
- 💡 For documents with many cross-references, keep a checklist of all references and check them off as you add links to avoid missing any.
Privacy & Security
All processing happens directly in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to any server — they remain on your device throughout the entire process. SublimePDF uses WebAssembly technology for fast, secure, client-side processing.
Works Everywhere
This tool works on any modern browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — on desktop, tablet, or mobile. No software to install. PDF is an open ISO standard supported by all major platforms.
How to Link Pages Within PDF — FAQ
Do internal links work in all PDF readers?
Can I link to a specific position on a page, not just the page top?
Will the links break if I later add or remove pages?
Can I add links to a scanned PDF?
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