How to Add a Link in Markdown

The quick answer: Use square brackets for the link text and parentheses for the URL: link text.

Basic Link Syntax

Visit MarkdownTools

This renders as a clickable hyperlink. The text in [ ] is what the user sees. The URL in ( ) is where they go.

Adding a Title (Tooltip)

Add a quoted title after the URL for a hover tooltip: MarkdownTools

The title appears when the user hovers over the link.

Auto-Links

Wrap a URL in angle brackets to auto-link it without separate link text:

GitHub also auto-links bare https:// URLs without angle brackets.

Reference-Style Links

For cleaner source code, define URLs separately: [MarkdownTools][mdt] [mdt]: https://allmarkdowntools.com

This keeps long URLs out of the prose. Define all references at the bottom of the document.

Linking to Headings (Anchor Links)

Link to a section within the same document using the heading's anchor: [Go to Installation](#installation)

The anchor is the heading text: lowercased, spaces replaced with hyphens, special characters removed.

Opening Links in a New Tab

Standard markdown has no syntax for target="_blank". Use raw HTML if your platform allows it: Link

Common Mistakes

• Space between ] and ( breaks the link: [text] (url) won't work
• Forgetting the protocol: example.com won't link — use https://example.com

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Full reference: Markdown Links.