# Please help me code links

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-code-links/461694>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [September 2, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-code-links/461694 "2008-09-02T15:52:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-code-links/461694/1 "2008-09-02T15:52:24Z")

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Just linked to a news story, and when I clicked the “insert link” button, I got a prompt for the link, but not for the text I wanted displayed. Can anyone tell me how to do it “by hand?”

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**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-code-links/461694/2 "2008-09-02T16:13:52Z")

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The format for a link is \<URL=“[http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)”\>Straight Dope\</URL\>  
substituting [and] for \< and \>.

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**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-code-links/461694/3 "2008-09-02T17:15:29Z")

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> [@LurkMeister](#):
>
> The format for a link is \<URL=“[http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)”\>Straight Dope\</URL\>  
> substituting [and] for \< and \>.

Thanks, **LurkMeister**! 🙂

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**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-code-links/461694/4 "2008-09-02T17:26:31Z")

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No problem; I learned the coding when another message board I post to was having the same problem. I’m not even sure if they ever fixed it, because typing the link myself when I’m there became a habit.

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-code-links/461694/5 "2008-09-02T18:13:32Z")

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> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> Just linked to a news story, and when I clicked the “insert link” button, I got a prompt for the link, but not for the text I wanted displayed. Can anyone tell me how to do it “by hand?”

You don’t have to do it by hand.

It’s slicker now. Click the “insert link” button, type the url and press enter/click “OK”.

Looking over the coding inserted and figuring out exactly what’s happening is left as an exercise for the reader. 😃

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-code-links/461694/6 "2008-09-02T18:36:40Z")

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After you’ve done that, select some text BEFORE clicking on “insert post”.

And FYI there’s a link to all vB codes near the bottom of the page below the large “post reply” button . It’s currently labeled “BB code is On”. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-code-links/461694/7 "2008-09-02T19:28:52Z")

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Thanks to you, too,\*\* rowrrbazzle\*\*! 🙂