How To Software How to Link to Other Slides or Websites in PowerPoint Share Pin Email Print kumikomini / Getty Images Software Presentations Documents Spreadsheets Desktop Publishing Graphic Design Databases Animation & Video by Wendy Russell Updated February 14, 2018 Note - This tutorial works in PowerPoint versions 97 through 2003. The only difference in the tasks is in formatting the AutoShape. These differences are shown in Step 7 of this tutorial. The remainder of the steps is all the same.What Is an Image Map?An image map is a graphic object that has many hotspots or transparent hyperlinks to other objects or websites. For example—in a photograph showing a variety of women's clothing, if you clicked on the dress, you would be sent to another slide or website containing all the info about the dresses; when you clicked on the hat, you would be sent to the slide or website about hats, and so on. 01 of 10 How Could You Use an Image Map in PowerPoint? Create image maps and hotspots on PowerPoint slides © Wendy Russell In the example pages to follow, the fictitious ABC Shoe Company has a PowerPoint presentation on their previous year's sales figures. Hotspots or invisible links can be placed on areas of the sales chart that is shown in the presentation. These hotspots will link to the specific slide containing the pertinent data. 02 of 10 Use Action Buttons to Make Hotspots on the Image Map Use action buttons to create hotspots on PowerPoint image maps © Wendy Russell To link a specific area—the hotspot—of the image map, you must first let PowerPoint know that this area is going to be the hyperlink to another location.In the example of the ABC Shoe Company, we will link specific areas of the column chart to other slides in the presentation.Choose Slide Show > Action Buttons > Custom. The Custom button is the first button on the top row of buttons. 03 of 10 Draw a Rectangle Around the Area That Will Be the Hotspot on the Image Map Draw a rectangle to create the hotspot link on the image map © Wendy Russell Draw a rectangle around the area on the column chart that will become the first hotspot on the image map. Do not be concerned about the color of the rectangle. The color will later become invisible. 04 of 10 Link the Hotspot on the Image Map to a Specific Slide Hyperlink options on image map - choose Slide from the list © Wendy Russell In the Hyperlink to the area of the Action Settings dialog box, click the drop-down arrow to see the various options.Options include: Various non-titled slides such asNext SlidePrevious SlideLast Slide and so onEnd ShowCustom ShowSpecific slide titleSpecific URL on the webOther fileOther PowerPoint presentationIn this example, choose the option Slide... in order to select a specific slide title. 05 of 10 Select the Slide That the Hotspot Will Link To Hyperlink to specific titled slide © Wendy Russell In the Hyperlink to Slide dialog box, choose the slide title that the hotspot on the image map will link to. Click OK when you have made your selection. 06 of 10 PowerPoint Action Settings Dialog Box Options options for hotspot link © Wendy Russell There are several linking options available in the Action Settings dialog box.Options includeHyperlink to - as shown in Step 4Run Program - this option would start up another program when the hyperlink was clicked.Run Macro - this option would start a macro that was contained within this presentation.Play a Sound - this option will start playing a sound file that you have included in the presentation.Note - All of these hyperlink options are available on Mouse Click or Mouse Over (when the mouse simply hovers over the object). 07 of 10 Format the Image Map AutoShape to Make the Hotspot Transparent Make hotspot invisible using AutoShape dialog box © Wendy Russell Return to the slide containing the newly drawn rectangle on the image map. Now we will make this rectangle invisible, but the link to the specific slide will remain.StepsRight click on the rectangle on the image map.The Format AutoShape dialog box opens.With the Colors and Lines tab selected, drag the slider next to Transparency to 100% and then click on the OK button. 08 of 10 Rectangle Hotspot on the Image Map is Now Transparent Hotspot rectangle is now transparent © Wendy Russell The rectangle you drew earlier is now transparent. If you click on the location where you had drawn it, selection handles will appear to define the hotspot shape. 09 of 10 Check the Hotspot on the Image Map in Slide Show View Hand link icon appears on slide © Wendy Russell Test out your hotspot on the image map by viewing the slide in Slide Show view.Choose Slide Show > View Show or press the F5 key on the keyboard.Advance the slide show to view the slide containing the image map.Hover your mouse over the hotspot. The mouse pointer should change to the hand icon to indicate that this area is a hyperlink to another location. 10 of 10 Test the Hotspot on the Image Map Hotspot link goes to appropriate slide © Wendy Russell Click the hotspot on the image map to see if it links as you intended. In this example, the hotspot linked to the Third Quarter Sales slide successfully.Once this process is complete, you may wish to add other hotspots to this image map which will link to other slides or websites.Related TutorialsAlign Graphic Objects on SlidesHiding PowerPoint Background Images for PrintingHow to Create Macros in PowerPointHow to Add Music or Sounds in PowerPoint. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit Continue Reading