In this tutorial, you will learn how to create and use anchor links on a modern SharePoint Online site page. Anchor links (also called page anchors or in-page links) let users jump directly to a specific section on the same page or even from another page, which is especially useful for long pages with lots of content.
What is a Page Anchor in SharePoint?
A page anchor in SharePoint Online is a special link that points to a specific heading or section on a modern page, rather than just the top of the page.
- SharePoint automatically creates anchors for text formatted as Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3 in the Text web part on modern pages.
- You can use these anchors in hyperlinks, quick links, or navigation to create a table of contents or “jump to section” experience for users.
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Create a Modern Page in SharePoint Online
Before adding anchor links, create a modern page with content and headings.
- Navigate to your SharePoint site (Team site or Communication site) and go to the Home page, then select New > Page from the command bar.
- Choose the Blank layout (or any template you prefer) and then select Create page to open the page in edit mode.
- Enter a Title for the page, for example, Human Resource Administration, and optionally customize the title area layout, alignment, and background image.
- Under the title area, build your page content by adding sections and Text web parts, images, and other web parts as needed.
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Format Headings to Generate Anchors
Anchors are generated automatically for headings, so the key step is to format your important section titles with heading styles.
- Edit the page and place the cursor in the Text web part where you want a section heading, then type the section title, such as About us, Career, or Contact information.
- Select the heading text and, from the formatting toolbar, apply a heading style such as Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3, rather than leaving it as normal text.
- Repeat this for each section that you want to target with an anchor link, and then save and publish the page so that SharePoint generates the anchors.
Copy the Anchor URL for a Section
Once the headings are published, each one will display a link icon representing the page anchor for that section.
- Open the same page in a new browser tab in view (published) mode and scroll to one of the headings you formatted (for example, About us).
- Hover the mouse over the heading, and a small link icon will appear next to it; right-click the icon and select Copy link.
- The copied URL will look like a normal page URL with a hash fragment at the end, for example: https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/HR/sitepages/human-resource-administration.aspx#section-About-us.
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Add an Anchor Hyperlink inside the Same Page
- You can now turn any piece of text at the top or anywhere else on the page into a clickable anchor link that jumps to the section heading you just copied.
- Go back to the page in Edit mode (you can keep it open in another tab), select the text that should act as the link, for example, About us in a “Table of contents” area at the top.
- On the formatting toolbar of the Text web part, choose the Link / Hyperlink option (or press Ctrl + K) to open the insert link dialog.
- Paste the copied anchor URL into the Address or Link field, optionally set the display text if needed, and then choose Save or Insert.
- Repeat the same process for other sections, such as Career, Policies, or FAQ, using their respective anchor URLs.
Use the Quick Links Web Part as an Anchor Menu
- For a more visual in-page navigation or a table-of-contents-style menu, you can use the Quick Links web part and point each link to a page anchor.
- Edit the page, add a new section near the top, and insert the Quick Links web part into that section.
- Configure the Quick Links layout (for example, Buttons, List, or Tiles) and then select Add link to create each navigation item.
- For each Quick Link item, set the Title (for example, About us or Career) and paste the anchor URL you previously copied into the link field, then save the item.
- Add additional Quick Links for each heading on the page and then republish the page; clicking any Quick Link will jump directly to the corresponding section.
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Link to an Anchor from Another Page
- Anchor URLs are regular hyperlinks, so you can use them from other modern pages, hub navigation, or even external locations like emails.
- Copy the anchor URL from the target page heading and then open another SharePoint page in edit mode where you want to place the link.
- Insert a Text web part, navigation link, or Quick Links item, paste the anchor URL, and publish the page; users clicking this link will land directly at the specific section on the original page.
Conclusion
Anchor links on modern SharePoint pages make long pages much easier to navigate and help users quickly jump to the exact information they need. They are simple to set up using headings, hyperlinks, and Quick Links, and can be reused across pages to create a smooth, user-friendly experience.
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