![photo of man holding playing card](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1568" height="1045"><rect width="100%" height="100%"><animate attributeName="fill" values="rgba(153,153,153,0.5);rgba(153,153,153,0.1);rgba(153,153,153,0.5)" dur="2s" repeatCount="indefinite" /></rect></svg>)
Learn how to simplify the task of creating text links in the Block Editor with a hidden trick.
Creating text links in the Block Editor is an ordinary and common task. But yet, it is quite tedious. You need to select a text, click the link icon in the toolbar, paste the link, and hit enter.
Luckily, there is a great time-saving trick, which apparently isn’t documented or mentioned anywhere else – you can paste a link directly over the text.
![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="600" height="118"><rect width="100%" height="100%"><animate attributeName="fill" values="rgba(153,153,153,0.5);rgba(153,153,153,0.1);rgba(153,153,153,0.5)" dur="2s" repeatCount="indefinite" /></rect></svg>)
This trick is somewhat counterintuitive, and the only reason I discovered it, by mistake I guess, is because Dropbox Paper has a similar feature.
This is how to easily create text links, step-by-step:
- Type the text for the link
For example, the title of an external article.
![text](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1038" height="461"><rect width="100%" height="100%"><animate attributeName="fill" values="rgba(153,153,153,0.5);rgba(153,153,153,0.1);rgba(153,153,153,0.5)" dur="2s" repeatCount="indefinite" /></rect></svg>)
- Copy the URL for the link
You can copy it from everywhere.
![graphical user interface, text, application, email](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1108" height="605"><rect width="100%" height="100%"><animate attributeName="fill" values="rgba(153,153,153,0.5);rgba(153,153,153,0.1);rgba(153,153,153,0.5)" dur="2s" repeatCount="indefinite" /></rect></svg>)
- Select the text for the link, and paste
Either using right-click or Ctrl+V. Instead of the URL overriding and replacing the text, it will be set as its link
href.![graphical user interface, text, application, email](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1099" height="462"><rect width="100%" height="100%"><animate attributeName="fill" values="rgba(153,153,153,0.5);rgba(153,153,153,0.1);rgba(153,153,153,0.5)" dur="2s" repeatCount="indefinite" /></rect></svg>)
- Your link is ready
![graphical user interface, application, Word](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1039" height="463"><rect width="100%" height="100%"><animate attributeName="fill" values="rgba(153,153,153,0.5);rgba(153,153,153,0.1);rgba(153,153,153,0.5)" dur="2s" repeatCount="indefinite" /></rect></svg>)
That’s it, a couple of steps shaved, and some precious time saved.