Inserting an external link in Xd

[2Pop]

Hello,

I'm trying to insert an external link to a button in Xd (a web site URL or an e-mail adres) and can't find the function. Is there an option to do that in Xd?

Please help!!

[defaultbz119nih9zg2]

I'm after this feature as well. Using it to create a full-fledged website is a no-worry because even with external links what XD exports online is completely unsuitable to serve as a website and I'm surprised anyone would seriously think it was. What I need it for is a document that features screenshots of key templates of a website we're redesigning and I simply need to add a couple of buttons to each - one to a current live version of the page and one to our internal work in progress version of it. I tried Anima and it worked in preview but never managed to sync so I couldn't share it with my colleagues. It looks like I'll need to export it as a PDF and add links to it. This feels like such a basic feature and one that's been asked for for 4 years.

[Fraitz]

I have trouble with the VERY BIG FILE SIZE of my prototypes. If I build one entire software prototype in just one XD file it will become very big, I'll start having trouble with my hardware witch get very slow on doing simple tasks. If I build 1 file for each feature or screen of my software and link them with a external link, this problem is solved. My files would become smaller and my computer would work fine without slowing on simple tasks like create a button our a card. 

I thnik nobody wanna build a software or a website in a PROTOTYPING tool, but the PROTOTYPING tool need solve simple questions like the need of build a BIG PROTOTYPE. 

[haligaliharun]

First, consider linking between different prototypes (different xd prototype urls). For example, adding a prototype ID as a destination value of a link.
Second, please consider enabling Add-ons to customise links, if you do not want to develop this as an official feature, let plugins care about that. 
 

[HARSHIKA_VERMA]

Thank you for sharing your ideas and feedback. I hope you have already upvoted the request and submitted your feedback and ideas to the UserVoice link.

I will also make sure to share your feedback with the team. I can see the status of the request is under review. Please stay tuned to the UserVoice page for updates.

Thanks,

Harshika

[Fraitz]

This is a very good way of thinking!

[Fraitz]

I have trouble with the VERY BIG FILE SIZE of my prototypes. If I build one entire software prototype in just one XD file it will become very big, I'll start having trouble with my hardware witch get very slow on doing simple tasks. If I build 1 file for each feature or screen of my software and link them with a external link, this problem is solved. My files would become smaller and my computer would work fine without slowing on simple tasks like create a button or a card. 

I thnik nobody wanna build a software or a website in a PROTOTYPING tool, but the PROTOTYPING tool need solve simple questions like the need of build a BIG PROTOTYPE. 

And look ... this is so easy! You already have something like that in Adobe AC

[robert5E78]

Hi there, 

I thought of a simple way to make it seem like a link has been added. I used social media icons as jpg images (for example Pinterest) and linked from the social media icon to an external page by simply taking a screenshot of the external page (in this instance, my Pinterest page) and copy + pasted it to another artboard in xd. I found that if doing this, it is best to place the 'external link artboard' underneath your main work as this doesn't seem to interfere with the main body of work. 

Hope this helps 😊

[Rule72]

Bump. I'm surprised this isn't a feature already... and also sadly unsurprised that this isn't implemented when there are 3 pages of requests already lol.

[Timothy5F95]

I am frankly baffled as to why this is wasn't an MVP feature for a PROTOTYPING application. It would be like selling a phone which is capable of dialing numbers 2-9 but if you need 1 or 0... sorry you'll need a plugin for that.

I like Adobe products in general and I am not trying to come off as crass or rude. However, core feature holes such as this one, multi year response times, and the fact that components are still completely broken and unusable in a heavily marketed production build of XD are why Figma is going to eat your lunch in this vertical Adobe.

[badeggdesign]

This is top of my search results, and according to commenters, clearly isn't fixed.  The "correct answer" is linking to a feature request from FIVE years ago, still not implemented.  Sorry Adobe, I'm moving onto your competitors, as this is not the first lack of basic features I have come across, but it is the most obvious. Hyperlinking is literally the first and foremost element that made up the internet, and if you cannot see how important it is within a wireframing tool, you are missing out.

[Timothy5DEE]

Figma is so much more useful, open, and intuitive to use. Plus you can do basic things such as hyperlinking. There is literally no reason at all to use XD. I would even go so far as to say that using XD is a career risk due to lack of basic features, broken features etc. One could ask the XD product teams to explain themselves but it is clear that no one on the XD team reads the support threads. 

[drivestl]

I don't get why this isn't something we can use.

I'm not talking about using external links to mimic a live site for users, this is about an easy way to communicate with devs where links need to go.

[johannesh46220053]

I wish I never switched to xd from figma. It's such a disappointment.
Everytime I google for not so complicated feature that already exist elsewhere i end up on the page 
"Please vote for it and it will come in a next decade"

[Timothy5DEE]

Our team lead recently left to join Adobe. I sent him a link to this thread. I would want to know about this in watched support issue if it were me building a product like this.

[Bishusal]

Adobe is literally getting behind.

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Hi there,

We're so sorry for the delay. Let me assure you that our Engineering team is working on this feature and you'll surely see an improvement in future releases.

Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions or feedback.

Regards

Rishabh

[Kage5E60]

Hey Rishabh, 

Can you please give us an update on timing. We are a huge Enterprise company and are also about to switch from XD due to these limitations. We want to know whether it's time to pull the plug on XD or if this is actually coming in the next couple of months. 

[Timothy5DEE]

Definitely time to pull the plug. As other have said, it will likely never be added. Figma is light years ahead.

[Marcus5E5B]

Rishabh, why are you lying to us? How long do you need? This thread starts in 2018. Adobe is a joke and is taking the p*ss out of its subscribers.

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Hi Marcus,

I am so sorry for the delay. I am afraid, I still don't have a time frame by when this feature would be available, however as per the UserVoice request it shows that the feature has started so you'll surely see an improvement in future releases.

Regards

Rishabh

[creativeinflux]

The answer to the question is to switch to a professional tool like figma or sketch and uninstall XD. XD can't even create lists and MANY other BASIC text content let alone add interactive components to your layout. XD is a joke of an application and is so far behind other alternatives. XD reminds me of when Adobe couldn't compete with Macromedia for web design and editing tools, so they just bought them. Adobe should do the same now because XD is not cutting it.  

[Timothy5DEE]

Adobe! Please take this product off of the market! it is time wasting garbage for this industry. We all love Photoshop and illustrator for historical reasons but please stop marketing this crap! 

[Timothy5DEE]

If you are using Adobe tools you are doing it wrong. Says someone who has used said tools for 20yrs.

[Marcus5E5B]

After effects is pretty cool though. Agreed about XD. Im using Figma.

[Kage5E60]

Hi there, 

We are using XD as a replacement for traditional presentation tools like PPT or Google Slides. Without the ability to link to external URLs, we are severely limited in our usage. I'm just so curious why such an easy feature has not been enabled. Especially knowing that more and more people are using this tool to create design presentations. Please advise when we can expect this capability? Also, Anima is totally useless for adding these links in presentations. It makes the sharing process way too combersom and limits the audience.