How to add and use interactive links in your flipbooks

Overview

Any part of a flipbook page can become a link. Draw one over your design, drop in a link area, or give an element you already have an action. A reader who clicks it goes to a website, jumps to another page, starts an email, opens a gallery, or sees a popup.

👥 Where interactive links are helpful

• Internal communications: link a table of contents to the right pages, so employees can jump straight to the section of the handbook they need.
• Marketing materials: put a Go to URL link on your calls to action, so readers land on the campaign page.
• Sales materials: add phone number and Open SMS actions to a rep's profile, so a prospect can call or text with one tap.
• Training materials: use popup frames to show a video or a quiz without sending anyone away from the page.

How to add links in the Design Studio

There are three ways to make part of a page clickable in the Design Studio.

1. Use the Draw link tool

The quickest way to cover something you have already designed.

• Open your flipbook in the Design Studio.
• Click the Draw link icon in the left panel, or press L.
• Drag on the page to draw the clickable area over what you want to link.

2. Add a Link area element

Use this when you want a box you can resize and line up.

• Click Interactions in the left menu.
• Select Link area to drop a transparent box on the page.
• Drag the handles to size it and move it over your design.

3. Use the Action button on an element you already have

Any text box, image, shape or icon can become a link.

• Select the element on your page.
• Click Action in the Edit panel at the top right.
• Pick an action from the list, then fill in its settings.

Interactive actions available explained

Go to URL

Sends readers to a website. Enter the URL and choose whether it opens in a New tab or the Same tab.

Go to page

Sends readers to another page of the same flipbook. Set a page number, or switch to Content.

Content attaches the link to the content itself, so it still works after you reorder your pages.

Send email

Opens the reader's mail app with the message started for them. You can fill in the Email address, a Subject and a Body. A ready-made subject line tells your team which flipbook or product the message came from.

Phone number and Open SMS

Lets a reader on a phone call or text you with one tap. Enter the Phone number with its country code, and for SMS a Pre-filled message.

Download PDF

Downloads the PDF of your flipbook. Turn Download PDF on in the Customize menu first, or the link does nothing. Useful for a price list or a manual someone will read away from their screen.

Popup frame

Opens another web page inside a popup, such as a map or a form. Paste the URL and readers stay in your flipbook.

Open an overlay

Opens a popup with your own content in it. Set an overlay title and an overlay description, use the position grid to choose where on the screen it appears, and choose whether it opens on click or on hover.

Overlays suit a "More info" button. Specs or legal text show only when a reader asks for them, so your page stays clean.

Spotlight

Opens one image at full resolution in a popup. Good for detail a reader needs to see up close, without giving it space on the page.

Photo slideshow

Opens a gallery of images. Click Add photos to build it, then set the Image size and fit. Use it to show product variants or a portfolio in the space of one link.

Line, Bar, and Pie charts

Adds a chart readers can hover over to read exact values. Set a Title, Value labels and your Data points, and pick a Color palette.

Customizing link appearance and animation

• Color and opacity: select the link and use the Color square and the Opacity slider in the top bar. Set opacity to 0% to make the link invisible, or use a brand color at low opacity to show readers where to click.

• Animate interactions: links glow softly in the player by default. To stop that, go to Customize > Appearance, untick Animate interactions, then press Update.

Additional tips / FAQs

• Group a link with its design: select the Link area and the element under it, then click Group, so they move together.
• Put one link on every page: select a navigation button or a logo link and click Paste on all pages in the Layers panel.
• Catalogs with hundreds of items: you can automate multimedia elements instead of adding each one by hand.

Troubleshooting

Links do not work in the published flipbook

• Check the flipbook is published. Some interactions do not run in a draft.
• Open the Layers panel and move the link to the top of the list, so no image or text box sits over it.
• Check the setting the link depends on, such as Download PDF or Shopping list, is turned on in Customize.

Go to page opens the wrong page

• Check whether the link points at a fixed page number rather than the content.
• Check the target page still exists and has not moved since you set the link.

FAQs

• Can I add links with my keyboard? Yes. Press L in the Design Studio to switch on the Draw link tool.
• Do the links in my PDF carry over? Most of them are detected when you upload. If some are missing, check your PDF was exported as single pages rather than spreads, and that the links worked in the file you exported.

Next steps

• How to add interactions and elements to your flipbooks
• How to add a product tag
• How to add videos and audio to a flipbook
• How to turn your PDFs into shoppable catalogs and automate the process
• How to publish a flipbook
• How to add photo slideshows in your flipbooks
• How to automate multimedia elements in your digital flipbooks

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