How to Add a Link to SharePoint Online Document Library

In this SharePoint Online tutorial, we will demonstrate how to add a link to SharePoint Online document library (Both classic and modern document libraries). Also, we will discuss:

• URL of a SharePoint Document Library
• Add a Link to the SharePoint Online Document Library
• How to Link One SharePoint Document Library with Other Document Library
• How to Delete the Link in a SharePoint Document Library
• Link a Document in Classic SharePoint Document Library

URL of a SharePoint Online Document Library

These are some of the points regarding the URL of a SharePoint Online Document Library:

• SharePoint Document Library is a secure place where we can create, update, delete, and store documents as well as collaborate with team members, and access them from any device at any time.
• There is also an option in the SharePoint document library where we can use the link instead of storing it as a folder or file.
• We can link the documents which are stored in different places on SharePoint Site.
• We can also add a link to a file that is located in another document library, sometimes on another external site.
• Here, we are showing you the format of a SharePoint document library URL in the below example:
  • EX: https://tsinfotechnologies.sharepoint.com/sites/MercyHospitals/Financial%20Info%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx
  • Financial%20Info%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx -String at the end of URL
  • Financial%20Info%20Documents – This is the name of the default document library.
• The Space in the name of a SharePoint document library is stored as (%20) as shown above.

Add a Link to SharePoint Online Document Library

Now, let us discuss how to add a link to the SharePoint Online document library. Follow the below steps to add a link to the document library:

• Go to the SharePoint document library where we need to add the link or else Navigate to the URL of a document library (EX: https://.sharepoint.com/sites/MercyHospitals/Financial Info Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx).
• In the top left menu of the SharePoint document library, Click on  New -> and then select Link as shown below :

• It will open Create link to a dialogue box with Recent files as shown in the below figure:

NOTE:

This feature (link) is only available in the SharePoint Online version or Modern version,it isn’t available in classic SharePoint experience or SharePoint 2016 server or earlier.

• Then, it will open Create link to a dialogue box where we can enter the link to the web page or file.
  • For example, we are taking one of the links to a web page that is used in our site i.e.,(https://tsinfotechnologies.sharepoint.com/sites/MitchellBlack/SitePages/Mitchell-Black-Launches-New-textile.aspx)
• Then, it pop-ups a box to add a File name to the Link, enter a name for the link, and then select Create.

• Alternatively, we can also add a link through click on  New -> Select Link and -> Select an item from the Recent list.
• A link is added to the document library automatically without the need to enter the address or filename as shown below screenshot:

NOTE:

When we create a link, “.URL” will be automatically be added to the end of the filename.

• Then at the end, the links which are selected will be displayed in the SharePoint document library as in the below image:

NOTE: In the above image, we can see will be different icons for the different files like Word documents(W icon), images(picture icon), and Links (Globe icon).

This is how to add a link to the SharePoint Online document library.

Link One SharePoint Document Library with Another Document Library

Likewise, here we will go through the process of how to link One SharePoint document library with another document library. For this follow the below-mentioned steps such as:

• Go to the SharePoint document library where we need to add the link or else Navigate to the URL of a document library (EX: https://.sharepoint.com/sites/MercyHospitals/Financial Info Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx).
• Select the file that we need to copy the link -> Click Copy link which is present in the command bar.

• Then it displays the dialogue box with the link which needs to be copied, Click on Copy.

• Open another document library if you want to add the link which is copied from the previous document library.
  • Ex: Here, we are taking another library (Mercy Information Documents)
• In the top left menu of the SharePoint document library, Click on New -> and then select Link. Then, it will open the (Create link to) dialogue box where we can enter the link to the web page or file as shown in the above section [Add a Link to the SharePoint Online Document Library]
• Paste the link in the (Create link to) box, then it pop-ups a box to add a File name to the Link, enter a name for the link, and then select Create as shown below image:

• Then at the end, the link which is pasted and provided name (General Audit Report of Financial Document) will be displayed in the SharePoint document library as in the below image:

This is how to link One SharePoint document library with another document library.

Delete the Link in a SharePoint Online Document Library

Now let us discuss how to delete the link in a SharePoint Online document library. For this follow the below steps such as :

• Open the SharePoint Online document library(Mercy Information Documents), where we want to Delete a link of files.
• Select the link -> Click on three ellipses(…) and then -> Click on the Delete option as shown below figure:

• Here, we can also find another Delete option from the Command bar on the top of the document library, which will be displayed after selecting the link
• Click on the Delete option. Then, it will be deleted from the SharePoint Online document library as shown below image:

Now, we will see, how to Delete multiple links at a time in SharePoint Online document library by using the Delete option.

• Select the links (more than one link) that need to be deleted from the SharePoint Online document library -> Next, click on three ellipses(…) in the command bar and then -> Click on the Delete option as shown below figure:
• Then, the links in the SharePoint document library will be deleted.

This is how to delete a single link or we can delete multiple links from the SharePoint Online document library.

Link a Document in Classic SharePoint Document Library

Similarly in this section, we will explain how to link a document in the classic SharePoint document library. Follow the below procedure to link a document in the on-premise version of SharePoint:

• Go to the SharePoint document library where we need to add the link or else Navigate to the URL of a document library (EX: https://.sharepoint.com/sites/MercyHospitals/MercyInformation Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx).
• Click on the settings or Gear icon -> Select Library settings under the SharePoint section.

• On the Library settings page -> Click on Advanced settings under the General settings section as shown in the below figure:

• In the Advanced Settings page, Select the radio button “Yes” in “Allow management of content types?” and then Scroll down and click on Ok as we can see from the below-displayed figure:

• Now, return to the document library settings page, Scroll down to the “Content Types” section. Here click on “Add from existing site content types” as seen in the below screenshot:

• Then it will be redirected to the Add Content Types page,
  • In the Select site content types from -> Choose “Document Content Types”
  • In the content types to add -> Choose “Link to a Document” as shown below and then click on OK.

• Now Return to the Classic version of the SharePoint document library where we have to link a document. To learn about Classic and Modern Versions you can go through the article(How to Convert SharePoint Classic site to Modern site?)
• Go to the library containing the file that we need to copy -> Select the file (Ex: Hospital Equipment Documents) -> Click three ellipses (E) as shown in the figure:

• Then, it will open a dialogue box with the displaying document, where we can find another ECB menu (select) -> Then finally click copy from the options as shown in the below screenshot :

• Go to the File tab -> Under the files tab we can find New Document -> Click on the icon of New Document to make a drop-down list appear.
• A list of the content types that have been enabled for this Library will be shown
  • Document
  • Link to a Document – Select this option. 

• It will navigate to another window, and provide a name for the linked document. Paste the URL we copied into the Document URL box as shown below and -> Click OK.

• The linked document will display in the document library having a curved arrow to indicate it is a link 

This is all about how to link a document in a classic SharePoint document library.

Conclusion

From this SharePoint tutorial, we have learned how to add a link to a SharePoint Online document library. And also covered the below-mentioned topics such as:

• URL of a SharePoint Document Library
• Add a Link to the SharePoint Online Document Library
• How to Link One SharePoint Document Library with Other Document Library
• How to Delete the Link in a SharePoint Document Library
• Link a Document in Classic SharePoint Document Library

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