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Hyperlinks are one of the most powerful tools in technical documentation. Done well, they reduce friction for readers, keep your content interconnected, and improve how your Knowledge base performs in search. Done poorly, they create dead ends, broken experiences, and frustrated users.
In Document360, you can add hyperlinks to text, images, and files within your articles or category pages, linking to related content, external resources, or specific sections within the same article. For example, if you're writing a software installation guide, a hyperlink to the download page saves your readers from having to search for it themselves.
This article covers everything you need to know about adding, managing, and optimizing hyperlinks in Document360, across both the Markdown and Advanced WYSIWYG editor.
Why hyperlinks matter in a knowledge base
Before diving into the how, it's worth understanding the why.
For readers, hyperlinks mean they never have to leave mid-task to go hunting for related information. If a user is reading your "Getting Started" guide and needs to understand API authentication, a hyperlink takes them there instantly, no searching, no context-switching.
For your knowledge base, a well-linked structure signals to search engines (and AI systems) that your content is authoritative, organized, and comprehensive. This directly impacts SEO (how well your articles rank in Google), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization, how often AI assistants cite your content), and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization, whether tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude use your content as a source).
For your support team, hyperlinks between related articles reduce repetitive questions. Instead of rewriting the same explanation across five articles, you write it once and link to it everywhere.
For content maintainers, anchor links and persistent heading IDs mean you can restructure articles without breaking every link that points into them.
Types of hyperlinks you can create in Document360
Document360 supports four main types of hyperlinks, each serving a different purpose:
Link type | Best used for |
|---|---|
Internal article link | Connecting related topics across your knowledge base |
Heading/anchor link | Deep-linking to a specific section within an article |
External URL link | Pointing to third-party tools, docs, or resources |
Email ( | Making it easy for readers to contact support or a team |
Adding hyperlinks to an article
To add a hyperlink in the Markdown editor, follow these steps:
Select the desired text and click the Insert link () icon at the top of the editor. The Link dialog will appear.
Choose one of the following linking options:
Link to an existing article: Start typing the article name in the Search & link to existing article field. A list of matching articles will appear.
Link to a specific heading in the current article: Use the Link to the current article heading dropdown to select an H2, H3, or H4 heading. The appropriate URL slug will be generated automatically.
Link to an external URL: Paste the desired destination URL into the URL field.
Optionally, select the Open in a new tab checkbox if the link leads outside your knowledge base. This is generally a good practice for external links so readers don't lose their place.
Click Ok to add the hyperlink to your content.
In the Advanced WYSIWYG editor, you can insert a link in three ways:
Quick insert menu: Select the desired text in the Advanced WYSIWYG editor and the Quick insert menu will appear. Then, click the Link () icon in the Quick insert menu.
Slash command: Type
/Linkto use the command.Ctrl + K: Select the desired text and press
Ctrl + K.
The Add link dialog will appear.
There are two options in the Add link dialog:
Article: Select the Article radio button to add a link to an existing article, or to a heading from any article in your knowledge base.
External link: Select the External link radio button to add a hyperlink to a specific URL.
Link to an Article
To add a link to an article in your knowledge base,
Select the Article radio button in the Add link dialog.
In the Text field, update the hyperlink text if needed.
Select the workspace and language of your target article from the Workspace & Language dropdown. This matters in multi-language or multi-version knowledge bases.
To add a link to a specific article, start typing the article name in the Search article field. Select the desired article from the list of matching articles.
NOTE
Once you select an article, a Reset to current article option appears. This is useful when you started from a bookmark link workflow and want to go back to linking within the article you're currently editing.
Optionally select a specific heading from the Link to a heading dropdown.
Select the Open in a new tab checkbox if you wish to open the hyperlink in a new tab.
Click Add.
Link to an External URL
To add a link to a URL,
Select the External link radio button in the Add link dialog.
Enter the display text in the Text field.
Paste the destination URL in the URL field.
Select the Open in a new tab checkbox if you wish to open the hyperlink in a new tab.
Click Add.
Linking to specific headings
When dealing with long articles or category pages, anchor links (also called bookmark links or fragment links) let you point readers to a specific section within an article, not just the top of the page.
Why This Matters
Long articles are common in technical documentation. A reader who arrives at the top of a 3,000-word article looking for the Uninstall section has to scroll past everything else to find it. An anchor link takes them straight there.
This is especially valuable when:
Linking from FAQs - "How do I reset my password?" links directly to the Reset Password section of a longer account management article
Linking from error messages - Your app shows an error with a "Learn more" link that goes straight to the relevant troubleshooting step
Creating a table of contents - A long article opens with a list of sections, each linked to its heading below
Sharing in support tickets - Support agents paste a link that takes customers directly to the relevant step, not the beginning of a page
Adding a Bookmark Link
In the Advanced WYSIWYG editor, follow these steps to bookmark links inside articles or page categories:
Select the desired text and press
Ctrl + K. The Add link dialog will appear.Select the Article radio button. The Text field will auto-populate with your selected text. The Workspace & Language dropdown will display your current workspace and language. The Search article field will default to the current article.
Select a heading within the article from the Link to a heading dropdown. This will create a link directly to that heading.
Select the Open in a new tab checkbox if you wish to open the hyperlink in a new tab.
Click Add.
NOTE
The H3 and H4 headings will only be available in the dropdown if enabled in settings. To enable them, navigate to Settings () > Knowledge base site > Article settings & SEO > Article settings > Article right and ensure H3 and H4 are selected.
Copying heading links from the Knowledge base site
On the published Knowledge base site, a Copy link () icon appears next to every H2, H3, and H4 heading when you hover over it. Clicking it copies the direct URL to that section.
This feature is useful for:
Support teams - Quickly grab and paste a direct section link into a support reply
Internal documentation - Link your internal wiki or Slack messages directly to a specific section
Content reviewers - Share feedback that points to the exact part of an article under discussion
How Document360 Handles Heading IDs
Every headings (H2 to H6) in the Advanced WYSIWYG editor is automatically assigned a unique, persistent ID. The ID is generated based on the default language content as soon as you press Enter after typing a heading, and it remains unchanged, even if you rename the heading later.
You can freely edit heading text without breaking existing links, whether they point to headings within the same article or in another article.
If two headings have identical titles, Document360 appends suffixes (
_1,_2, etc.) to keep IDs unique.IDs are consistent across translations. The same ID is preserved in every language version of an article, so links stay functional regardless of the language viewed in.
Adding an Email link
An email link opens the reader's default email client with the address pre-filled. This reduces the friction of copying and pasting an address.
Common uses in documentation include:
"Questions about this article? Email our technical writers"
"For billing inquiries, contact our finance team"
"Report an inaccuracy in this article, let us know"
To add an email link to an article in the Markdown editor, follow the steps below:
Select the text you want to link and click the Link () icon.
In the Link to an URL field, use the following Markdown format to create an email link:
[Email](mailto:support@yourcompany.com)
For example, if you want to add an email hyperlink to
test@gmail.comwith the link text "Email support", type:
[Email support](mailto:test@gmail.com).Outcome: Email support
To add an email link to an article in the Advanced WYSIWYG editor, follow the steps below:
Select the desired text and press
Ctrl + K(or use/link). The Add Link dialog will appear.Select the External link radio button.
In the URL field, enter the email in the following format:
mailto:email@example.comClick Add.
Linking to Files (PDFs, Images, Word Documents)
Sometimes you want readers to click a link and open a file directly, a downloadable PDF, a spec sheet, a configuration template.
Document360 makes this possible through the Drive:
Upload the file to Document360 Drive.
Click the uploaded file to open the File details pane.
Under Location, click the Copy icon next to the file path. The URL will look something like:
https://cdn.document360.io/abc123/filename.pdf
Go to your article and select the text you want to hyperlink.
Press
Ctrl + Kto open the Add link dialog.Select External link radio button, paste the copied URL, and click Add.
Readers can now click the link to open or download the file directly from the Knowledge Base site.
Editing or unlinking a hyperlink
In the Advanced WYSIWYG editor, clicking on any hyperlinked text reveals a small toolbar with four options, follow these steps to manage a hyperlink:
Click the hyperlinked text. The Link dialog will appear.
To manage the hyperlink:
Open the link: Click the link to visit the URL.
Edit the link: Click the Edit () icon to modify the hyperlink.
Unlink the text: Click the Unlink () icon to remove the hyperlink.
Copy the link: Click the Copy () icon to copy the hyperlink.
NOTE
In the Markdown editor, links are edited manually by modifying the Markdown syntax directly.
How Document360 Handles Internal Link URLs
When you create an internal article link, the generated URL might look slightly different depending on your setup. For example:
https://docs.yourcompany.com/v1/docs/article-name(custom domain with workspace version)https://yourproject.document360.io/docs/article-name(default Document360 domain)
These variations are expected and handled automatically. The /v1/ segment represents the workspace version. The domain format depends on whether you use a custom domain.
A 404 error only occurs when:
The target article has been deleted, unpublished, or hidden
The target heading no longer exists
The link was entered manually with an incorrect URL
FAQ
Can I hyperlink hidden articles or unpublished articles?
Yes, technically you can add the link. However, hidden articles return a 404 Error when readers try to visit them on the Knowledge base site. Linking to a draft or hidden article doesn't make it publicly visible, it will only become accessible once its Workflow status is set to Published.
This can be intentional in some workflows: you might draft an article, add internal links to it from other articles, and only publish everything at once. Just be aware that until it's published, any reader clicking that link will receive a 404 Error.
Will my heading links break if I rename or edit a heading?
No. Document360 uses a unique, persistent ID for each heading, not the heading text, to generate anchor links. This ID is assigned when the heading is first created and never changes, regardless of how many times you edit the heading text afterward.
If two headings share the same title, Document360 automatically appends suffixes ( _1, _2, etc.) to keep every ID unique.
Can I link to images or PDFs hosted in Document360 Drive?
Yes. Upload the file to Document360 Drive, copy its file path URL from the File details pane, and use it as an External link in any article. Readers clicking the link will be taken directly to the file.
What is the difference between a bookmark link and a heading anchor link?
They're the same thing in Document360. Both refer to a link that points to a specific heading (H2, H3, or H4) within an article, rather than the top of the page. The terms are used interchangeably.
Can I link to a replicated article?
No. Articles created using the Replicate feature cannot be added as internal links in other articles. You can still link to the original article. If you need a linkable copy, consider creating a new article from scratch rather than using the replicate feature.
Should internal links open in a new tab?
There's no single right answer, but a common convention is:
Internal article links — Open in the same tab (keeps the reader within your knowledge base flow)
External links — Open in a new tab (keeps your knowledge base open in the background)
File downloads — Open in a new tab (avoids navigating away from the article)
Document360 gives you the option on every link — use your judgment based on where the link leads and what experience you want for the reader.