Create PDF Links in Java

Aspose.PDF for Java uses LinkAnnotation together with an action object to define link behavior.

Create a launch-action link

Use this example when a link annotation should launch an external file or target.

1. Open the source PDF Document and select the target page.
2. Create a LinkAnnotation and configure its border and color.
3. Assign a LaunchAction and save the document.

public static void createLinkAnnotationLaunchAction(Path inputFile, Path outputFile) {
    try (Document document = new Document(inputFile.toString())) {
        Page page = document.getPages().get_Item(1);

        LinkAnnotation link = new LinkAnnotation(page, new Rectangle(10, 580, 120, 600, true));
        Border border = new Border(link);
        border.setWidth(5);
        border.setDash(new Dash(1, 1));
        link.setBorder(border);
        link.setColor(Color.getGreen());
        link.setAction(new LaunchAction(document, inputFile.toString()));
        page.getAnnotations().add(link);
        document.save(outputFile.toString());
    }
}

Create a remote go-to link

Use this example when the link should open a page in another PDF document.

1. Open the source PDF Document.
2. Create a LinkAnnotation on the target page.
3. Assign a GoToRemoteAction and save the output file.

public static void createLinkAnnotationGoToRemoteAction(Path inputFile, Path outputFile) {
    try (Document document = new Document(inputFile.toString())) {
        Page page = document.getPages().get_Item(1);

        LinkAnnotation link = new LinkAnnotation(page, new Rectangle(10, 580, 120, 600, true));
        link.setColor(Color.getGreen());
        link.setAction(new GoToRemoteAction(inputFile.toString(), 1));
        page.getAnnotations().add(link);
        document.save(outputFile.toString());
    }
}

Create an internal go-to link

Use this example when the link should navigate to another page inside the same PDF document.

1. Open the source PDF Document.
2. Create a LinkAnnotation and configure its appearance.
3. Assign a GoToAction to the destination page and save the document.

public static void createLinkAnnotationGoToAction(Path inputFile, Path outputFile) {
    try (Document document = new Document(inputFile.toString())) {
        Page page = document.getPages().get_Item(1);

        LinkAnnotation link = new LinkAnnotation(page, new Rectangle(10, 580, 120, 600, true));
        Border border = new Border(link);
        border.setWidth(5);
        border.setDash(new Dash(1, 1));
        link.setBorder(border);
        link.setColor(Color.getGreen());
        if (document.getPages().size() >= 4) {
            link.setAction(new GoToAction(document.getPages().get_Item(4)));
        } else {
            link.setAction(new GoToAction(document.getPages().get_Item(document.getPages().size())));
        }
        page.getAnnotations().add(link);
        document.save(outputFile.toString());
    }
}

Create a URI link

Use this example when the link should open a web resource through a URI action.

1. Open the source PDF Document.
2. Create a LinkAnnotation on the page.
3. Assign a GoToURIAction and save the output file.

public static void createLinkAnnotationGoToUriAction(Path inputFile, Path outputFile) {
    try (Document document = new Document(inputFile.toString())) {
        Page page = document.getPages().get_Item(1);

        LinkAnnotation link = new LinkAnnotation(page, new Rectangle(10, 580, 120, 600, true));
        link.setColor(Color.getGreen());
        link.setAction(new GoToURIAction("https://docs.aspose.com/pdf/python"));
        page.getAnnotations().add(link);
        document.save(outputFile.toString());
    }
}