How to drag a file into an email and apply a hyperlink to the file?

Question

How to drag a file into an email and apply a hyperlink to the file?

James Bunch 0

In Outlook Classic I could right click and drag a file into an email and have the option to set a hyperlink to the file. How do I do that in the new Outlook?

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2 answers

Answer 1

Hi @James Bunch,

Thank you for posting your question to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

In the new Outlook, the classic “right‑click and drag to create a hyperlink” option is no longer available. Instead, Microsoft has streamlined the process to use cloud storage for better collaboration and security. Please follow these steps to drag the file and apply hyperlink to the file:

Step 1: Drag the file to the OneDrive upload area

When composing an email, drag your file into the section labeled “Upload to OneDrive and share link.” This action does two things:

Uploads the file to your OneDrive account.
Automatically inserts a hyperlink to the file in your email message.

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This ensures the file is stored securely in the cloud and recipients can access it without large attachments.

Step 2: Edit the hyperlink if needed

Once the link appears in your email:

Right‑click the hyperlink.
Select Edit Hyperlink to change the display text or adjust the URL if necessary.

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This gives you full control over how the link looks in your message, similar to the customization you had in Outlook Classic.

If you prefer a manual approach, you can also:

Copy the OneDrive link for the file.
Use Ctrl + K (or Insert → Link) in the email body to create a custom hyperlink with your preferred text.

I completely understand that losing the classic drag‑and‑drop gesture to create a hyperlink can feel limiting, especially for users who relied on it to quickly share files from Windows Explorer. In the new Outlook, this specific option is no longer supported because the app now focuses on cloud‑based sharing for better security and collaboration. Instead of creating a hyperlink from a local or network path, Outlook uses the “Upload to OneDrive and share link” feature to insert a cloud link. At this time, there is no setting to restore the classic behavior. The recommended alternatives are to upload the file to OneDrive or SharePoint and share it as a link, or copy the file’s cloud URL and use Ctrl + K to turn selected text into a hyperlink.

As a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Outlook (new) · Community portal. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.

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Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility.

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Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern.

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David Weilbacher 0 Reputation points

2026-09-25T02:50:18.8533333+00:00

This new procedure changed the fonts, some of the letters, the margins and forced a complete edit on my work. Disappointing change to original program that actually worked.

Answer 2

In the new Outlook, you can still drag files into an email, but the process for applying a hyperlink to the file differs from the Classic Outlook. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Drag the File into the Email:
- Open a new email message in Outlook.
- Locate the file you want to attach on your computer.
- Click and drag the file into the body of the email. This will attach the file to the email.
Insert a Hyperlink:
- After you have attached the file, you can create a hyperlink in the email body.
- Highlight the text you want to turn into a hyperlink (e.g., "Click here to access the file").
- Right-click on the highlighted text and select Link or Hyperlink from the context menu. Alternatively, you can find the hyperlink option in the toolbar (often represented by a chain link icon).
- In the hyperlink dialog box, enter the URL or the file path you want to link to. If the file is stored online (e.g., in OneDrive or SharePoint), you can use that link. If it's a local file, you may need to ensure that the recipient has access to that file path.
Finish Composing Your Email:
- Once you have inserted the hyperlink, you can continue to compose your email and then send it as usual.

This method allows you to attach files and also provide a clickable link for recipients to access the file, although it may not be as straightforward as the right-click drag-and-drop feature in Classic Outlook.