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Marcos27562808ay6d
Inspiring
August 12, 2025
Answered

Hyperlinks no longer work in Illustrator 2025

  • August 12, 2025
  • 8 replies
  • 2332 views

The ability to add links to shapes to create buttons no longer works in the latest version. When exporting to PDF, the function disappears.
When opening files that previously had them and were working, when exporting with the current version of Illustrator, the hyperlink disappears.
I've checked all the PDF format options, and none of them work.

I'm using version 29.7.1.

Correct answer Ton Frederiks

It is working again in the latest beta versions.

8 replies

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Ton FrederiksCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
October 17, 2025

It is working again in the latest beta versions.

    HARSHIKA_VERMA
    Community Manager
    HARSHIKA_VERMACommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    October 24, 2025

    Awesome. Thank you for confirming, Ton.

     

    Thanks,

    Harshika

    F
    FELICIA26248408h0rw
    Participant
    September 28, 2025

    Illustrator v 29.8.1: Los hipervínculos creados desde el panel de atributos no funcionan al guardar el documento como pdf (con la opción de conservar hipervínculos marcada). Este mismo procedimiento me funcionaba en versiones anteriores.

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 28, 2025

    If there is a layer above the layer with the hyperlinks, they will stop working in the current version.

    See: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/50381577-image-map-url-links-disappear-in-pdf-export

    A
    Community Manager
    Anubhav MCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    September 30, 2025

    Hello everyone,

    Our team has attempted to fix this issue in the latest version of Illustrator (Beta). Would you mind installing it to see if it helps resolve the problem?

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Anubhav

      Abhishek Rao
      Community Manager
      Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      September 9, 2025

      Hi @Marcos27562808ay6d & @fluke-d,

       

      Thanks for sharing the details of what you are seeing. Could you please confirm the OS version you are working on and also share a short screen recording showing the workflow from creating the hyperlink to exporting the PDF where it does not work? This will help me review the behavior more closely with the team and see what might be going on.

       

      Looking forward to your update.

      Abhishek

      F
      fluke-d
      Participating Frequently
      September 10, 2025

      The problem happens on existing documents with image maps – the links work when exported from Illustrator 2024 but not the latest versions of 2025. Creating a new image map in a new document in 2025 seems to work fine. I'm using Mac OS 15.6.1 – M1 Max, Illustrator v 29.8.1

      Abhishek Rao
      Community Manager
      Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      September 11, 2025

      Hi @fluke-d, 

       

      Thanks for sharing your observations and the additional details. I'm checking this with the product team.

       

      I'll update the thread as soon as I hear back from them.

      Abhishek

      M
      Marcos27562808ay6dAuthor
      Inspiring
      September 5, 2025

      I figured it out! If the shape is on any layer other than the top one, the button doesn't work.

        F
        fluke-d
        Participating Frequently
        September 9, 2025

        So – it's not a bug, it's a new feature?

        Ton Frederiks
        Community Expert
        Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        August 19, 2025

        The only way I can create the problem is by creating a new layer above all, drag or create a guide and save as PDF.

        The links from the Attributes panel stop working.

        Delete the layer with the guide and they start working again.

        F
        fluke-d
        Participating Frequently
        August 19, 2025

        I have a similar issue opening existing files – the image map URLs no longer work in the PDF.
        Saving the same file from Illustrator 2024 and they work. Preserve hyperlinks is checked.

         

        Redoing the image map and URL in the existing document doesn't resolve the issue.
        Redoing the image map with a different URL does work.

         

        Creating a new document in 29.7.1 and creating a new image map with URL does work.
        So does cutting and pasting the original into a new document.

         

        This, combined with the font replacement bug has forced me to go back to 2024.

        F
        fluke-d
        Participating Frequently
        August 19, 2025

        Actually, cutting and pasting into a new document doesn't work all the time.

        Brad @ Roaring Mouse
        Community Expert
        Brad @ Roaring MouseCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        August 12, 2025

        Not having the same issue with 29.7.1 on either Win or Mac. It's working as expected.

        What is your exact system?

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