Add hyperlinks to PDF files

The following example shows how you can use GemBox.Pdf to add link annotations with various actions to a PDF page in your C# or VB.NET application.

C#
VB.NET

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using GemBox.Pdf;
using GemBox.Pdf.Content;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        using (var document = new PdfDocument())
        {
            var page = document.Pages.Add();

            var secondPage = document.Pages.Add();

            var pageWidth = page.Size.Width;

            using (var formattedText = new PdfFormattedText())
            {
                formattedText.FontSize = 24;
                formattedText.Append("First page");
                double y = 700;
                var origin = new PdfPoint((pageWidth - formattedText.Width) / 2, y);
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, origin);

                var image = PdfImage.Load("%#GemBox.png%");
                y -= image.Size.Height + 100;
                origin = new PdfPoint((pageWidth - image.Size.Width) / 2, y);
                page.Content.DrawImage(image, origin);

                // Add a link annotation over the drawn image that opens a website.
                var link = page.Annotations.AddLink(origin.X, origin.Y, image.Size.Width, image.Size.Height);
                link.Actions.AddOpenWebLink("https://www.gemboxsoftware.com/");

                formattedText.Clear();
                formattedText.Append("Open file");
                y -= formattedText.Height + 100;
                origin = new PdfPoint((pageWidth - formattedText.Width) / 2, y);
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, origin);

                // Add a link annotation over the drawn text that opens a file.
                link = page.Annotations.AddLink(origin.X, origin.Y, formattedText.Width, formattedText.Height);
                link.Actions.AddOpenFile("%#Reading.pdf%");

                formattedText.Clear();
                formattedText.Append("Go to second page");
                y -= formattedText.Height + 100;
                origin = new PdfPoint((pageWidth - formattedText.Width) / 2, y);
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, origin);

                // Add a link annotation over the drawn text that goes to the second page.
                link = page.Annotations.AddLink(origin.X, origin.Y, formattedText.Width, formattedText.Height);
                link.Actions.AddGoToPageView(secondPage, PdfDestinationViewType.FitPage);

                formattedText.Clear();
                formattedText.Append("Second page");
                origin = new PdfPoint((pageWidth - formattedText.Width) / 2, 700);
                secondPage.Content.DrawText(formattedText, origin);
            }

            document.Save("Hyperlinks.pdf");
        }
    }
}

Imports GemBox.Pdf
Imports GemBox.Pdf.Content

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Using document = New PdfDocument()

            Dim page = document.Pages.Add()

            Dim secondPage = document.Pages.Add()

            Dim pageWidth = page.Size.Width

            Using formattedText = New PdfFormattedText()

                formattedText.FontSize = 24
                formattedText.Append("First page")
                Dim y As Double = 700
                Dim origin = New PdfPoint((pageWidth - formattedText.Width) / 2, y)
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, origin)

                Dim image = PdfImage.Load("%#GemBox.png%")
                y -= image.Size.Height + 100
                origin = New PdfPoint((pageWidth - image.Size.Width) / 2, y)
                page.Content.DrawImage(image, origin)

                ' Add a link annotation over the drawn image that opens a website.
                Dim link = page.Annotations.AddLink(origin.X, origin.Y, image.Size.Width, image.Size.Height)
                link.Actions.AddOpenWebLink("https://www.gemboxsoftware.com/")

                formattedText.Clear()
                formattedText.Append("Open file")
                y -= formattedText.Height + 100
                origin = New PdfPoint((pageWidth - formattedText.Width) / 2, y)
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, origin)

                ' Add a link annotation over the drawn text that opens a file.
                link = page.Annotations.AddLink(origin.X, origin.Y, formattedText.Width, formattedText.Height)
                link.Actions.AddOpenFile("%#Reading.pdf%")

                formattedText.Clear()
                formattedText.Append("Go to second page")
                y -= formattedText.Height + 100
                origin = New PdfPoint((pageWidth - formattedText.Width) / 2, y)
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, origin)

                ' Add a link annotation over the drawn text that goes to the second page.
                link = page.Annotations.AddLink(origin.X, origin.Y, formattedText.Width, formattedText.Height)
                link.Actions.AddGoToPageView(secondPage, PdfDestinationViewType.FitPage)

                formattedText.Clear()
                formattedText.Append("Second page")
                origin = New PdfPoint((pageWidth - formattedText.Width) / 2, 700)
                secondPage.Content.DrawText(formattedText, origin)
            End Using

            document.Save("Hyperlinks.pdf")
        End Using
    End Sub
End Module

PDF link annotations created with the GemBox.Pdf C#/VB.NET library — Screenshot of PDF link annotations created with the GemBox.Pdf library

Next steps

GemBox.Pdf is a .NET component that enables developers to read, merge and split PDF files or execute low-level object manipulations from .NET applications in a simple and efficient way.

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Add hyperlinks to PDF files

See also

Next steps