Linking

Linking

Creating links is one of the most common tasks you will perform as a web editor. In Drupal, how you create a link depends on whether you are directing visitors to another page on your university website or to an external site.

Following the correct linking workflows keeps links from breaking when pages move or are renamed.

Inline internal links (within your site)

When linking to a page, profile, event, or file on the same website, never copy and paste the full URL from your browser address bar. Use Drupal’s built-in entity lookup instead. The system stores the underlying Node ID or Media ID, so the link remains valid even if a colleague changes the page title, updates its URL alias, or moves it in the menu.

While it is recommended to use a dedicated paragraph or field for linking, such as Button Groups or Files/Links Lists. If the content you are editing does not have a dedicated Link field, use the rich text editor steps below.

Linking to a page, person, event, other nodes.

  1. Highlight the text you want to turn into a link.

  2. Click the Link icon in the rich text editor toolbar.

  3. In the URL field, begin typing the title of the destination page.

  4. Wait for the autocomplete dropdown, select the correct item, and click Save in the link dialog.

  5. Save the node when you are finished editing.

The field may show a system path such as /node/42. Visitors still see a normal, friendly URL on the published site. If appropriate, you can also style the hyperlinked text with a Button style in the text editor to give it the appearance of a standard button.

Linking to a document (PDF, Word)

Point to the file’s record in the Media Library, not a URL copied from another page:

  1. Highlight your link text and click the Link icon.

  2. Begin typing the internal name of the file as it appears in the Media Library.

  3. Select the document from the autocomplete list (it may display as /media/105) and save the link dialog.

If the content you are editing does not have a dedicated Media picker, the rich text editor linking also populates files to choose from, using the node instructions above.

Inline external links (outside your site)

For destinations on another website (another MSU subdomain, a federal database, an athletic site, a professional organization, etc.):

  1. Copy the full URL from the browser address bar.

  2. Highlight your link text and click the Link icon.

  3. Paste the complete address—including the https:// prefix—into the URL field.

  4. Click Save in the link dialog, then save the node.

If the content you are editing does not have a dedicated Link field, use the rich text editor steps above.

Using dedicated Paragraph link fields

Many content types and Paragraphs—such as Files/Links List, News, and button groups—include a dedicated Link field. These render links as prominent buttons or styled accent links that match university branding.

Dedicated link fields and buttons

A dedicated link field has two parts: the URL (destination) and Link text (visible label). Both must be filled in.

Internal destinations

As in the rich text editor, do not paste a full browser URL for on-site pages.

  1. Click the URL field and type the title of the internal page or media file.

  2. Select the correct item from the autocomplete list.

  3. In Link text, enter a clear, action-oriented phrase (for example, Apply now or View department directory).

External destinations

  1. Paste the complete external address (including https://) into the URL field.

  2. In Link text, describe the destination (for example, Visit the NSF portal).

Keep button text concise: Styled buttons work best with about two to four words. Long sentences may wrap awkwardly and break the component layout.

Accessibility compliance for links

Avoid ambiguous link text

Do not use “click here,” “read more,” “link,” or the raw URL as the only link text. The text should describe where the link goes when read out of context.

  • Incorrect: To download the application packet, [click here].

  • Correct: [Download the 2026 undergraduate application packet (PDF)].

  • Incorrect: Learn more about our faculty at [https://department.msstate.edu/people].

  • Correct: [Explore our department faculty and staff directory].

Checking for broken links

Internal entity links update automatically when content moves. External links can change or disappear without notice. During monthly or semester content reviews, click through external links on high-traffic pages. If an outside organization removes a page, update your link or remove it to keep a professional experience for visitors.