Several people have asked how to make an image in their ePortfolio site an active link.

In Google Sites, you can remove the default automatic link to the image and replace it with a new one.

When you add an image to your site, Google automatically makes a default link to the image itself. That is why when you click an image in your site, you are usually taken to a page where the image is enlarged. This is very helpful if you need to see an enlargement of your image. However, it is possible to change that link, so that when it is selected, the viewer can be taken to another page in the same site, an external website, or artifact (i.e., a pdf or presentation). You just need the Web address.

Edit the page and click the image you want to make an active link. An options dialogue box appears.

Click the Change link next to the URL of the image. Here is where you replace the image’s link with another link. In this example, I replaced the image’s link with one that takes the viewer to the National Gardening Association site on tulips. Type a description in the Text to display field.

Notice that I checked the box next to Open this link in a new window. The National Gardening Association is a link external to my site. I want my viewers to go to that site but still have my site open in a separate window. If you do not select “open in a new window,” viewers will be taken directly to the site and will need to use the back button to return to your site. With an external site, you do not know if your user may continue to click on other links in the site or close out of the site when finished.

After making your changes to the create link options click OK. Then make sure you select Save when finished editing the page.

Now when you click the image, you should be taken to the new Web address.

For those of you who are using WordPress, the process is very similar. First edit your page or post. Click the image you want to make into an active link and edit the image. A dialogue box should appear with an Edit Image tab and an Advanced Settings tab.

In the Edit Image tab, click None under the Link URL which will remove the image URL. Then in the blank space next to Link URL, type the URL you want your users taken to when they click the image. Type something in the Alternate Text field.

Before selecting Update, click the Advanced Settings tab and check Open link in a new window. Click Update. Preview the changes and if they are correct, make sure you click Update to make the changes permanent.