# Using Link Annotations & Document Links

Link Annotations and Document Links allow you to link to specific content within other documents, to your current document, to other complete documents, or to permalinks. In _Annotate_ mode, Link Annotations are visible within the content of a document in the form of a small link icon and a shaded link area. Click the link icon to view the details. You can also [view link annotations in _View_ mode][1]. Document Links are visible in the Doc Info fields panel. This feature must be <a href="/en/gr/63315/#enabling_link_annotations_document_links">enabled by an Admin</a>
.

## Link Cursor Mode {#link-cursor-mode}

When you enter _Annotate_ mode, you can toggle between tools to create text and image annotations, line annotations, and links. In _Document link_ annotation mode, represented by the link icon, clicking on the document creates a link annotation. The [**Permalink link**][6] option lets you create links to permalinks that persist throughout document versions.

You can also create link annotations by selecting **Create Document Link** or **Create Permalink Link** from the context menu while using the _Select_ cursor.

## View Links Mode {#View_Links_Mode}

When enabled, you can display link annotations in _View Links_ mode as shaded linked annotation placemarks on the document. Click the **View Links** icon in the document viewer to toggle the link annotation view on or off.


### Using Document Link Annotations {#using-document-links}


This video demonstrates how to use document links when annotating documents:
<video controls width=860 height =504 poster="https://platform.veevavault.help/assets/images/posters/2025-using-document-links.png" preload="metadata">
    <source src="https://platform.veevavault.help/108e9b1d-559c-4d48-918b-1e4c5b5a533c/bc1169f1-4276-4165-b496-79f0d54acf95/bc1169f1-4276-4165-b496-79f0d54acf95_source__v.mp4" type="video/mp4" >
    
    <track
    label="English"
    kind="subtitles"
    srclang="en"
    src="/en/gr/assets/captions/24r3-using-document-links.vtt"
    default />
    </video>

<a href="/en/gr/676805/">Details</a>



## How to Create Document Link Annotations {#create-links}

To create a standard link annotation:

  1. From the Doc Info page, use the **Select** cursor to select the area, image, or text for which you are creating a link, then select **Create Document Link** from the context menu. Alternately, you can click **Select tool** and select the **Document link** cursor before placing the link.
  2. In the **Select anchors** dialog, find the link's target documents. To select from a smaller list of documents, you can select a different standard view, search using the search bar and scope options, and apply various filters to the document search. If you know the [persistent ID](#Persistent_ID) of the anchor you want to select, you can enter it into the search bar.
  3. To use existing anchors, find them in the dialog and click the plus (**+**) icon. You can also click **Select or create new anchor in this document** to open a mini-browser and select an existing anchor by clicking the plus (**+**) icon on the anchor's info card.
  4. To [create a new anchor][7], click **Select or create new anchor in this document**. Clicking this link opens the document in a new window. Make sure this window is closed before you close the _Select anchors_ dialog.
  5. To [link to a whole document][8], click the plus (**+**) icon next to the document state.
  6. When you finish adding anchors, click **Close**.
  7. Optional: From the related note, click the ellipsis icon to add a note, <a href="/en/gr/9777/#user_mentions">user mention</a>
, or tags to the link annotation.



### Creating Links to CrossLink Documents

You can create links to <a href="/en/gr/23145/">CrossLink documents</a>
 only when the target Crosslink is bound to a specific version and it has a viewable rendition for which you have _View Content_ permission.

You cannot create links to CrossLink documents that use <a href="/en/gr/23145/#crosslinksourcebinding">dynamic binding (Latest Steady State Version)</a>
. Those documents will not appear in the _Select anchors_ dialog.

## How to Create Anchors {#create_anchors}

You can create new anchors while creating new links or editing existing links. These anchors are available for use in any future links and remain even if the original link is deleted. You must have the necessary <a href="/en/gr/15303/#permissions">document permissions to create anchors</a>
.

To create a new anchor:

  1. Open the **Select anchors** dialog. This dialog opens when you create a new link or click the link icon from an existing link annotation note.
  2. Find the target document using filters, views, and search terms as needed. After you make changes to the filters, Vault saves the filter selection as a user preference and reapplies it the next time you open the _Select anchors_ dialog.
  3. Click **Create new anchor in this document** on the target document. The target document opens in a mini-browser window. Make sure this window is closed before you close the _Select anchors_ dialog.
  4. Within the target document, select text or an area as the anchor location.
  5. Enter an **Anchor Name**, up to 140 characters. This name and the selected text identify the anchor in the _Select anchors_ dialog.
  6. Click **Save**.

You can also create anchors from the Doc Info page for the target document.

To create anchors using the **Create Anchor** tool:

  1. Click **View annotations** to enter _Annotate_ mode.
  2. Click **Select tool** and select **Anchors** to enable the anchor cursor mode.
  3. Select the text, area, or image where you want to create an anchor.
  4. Enter an anchor name and click **Save**.

To create anchors using the **Select** cursor:

  1. Select the text, area, or image where you want to create an anchor.
  2. Select **Create Anchor** from the context menu.
  3. Enter an anchor name and click **Save**.

This creates a new, unused anchor available for selection in the _Select anchors_ dialog.

### About the Anchor Icon

In target documents, links to anchors appear in the document viewer with a small arrow to indicate that they are incoming, rather than outgoing. You can display or hide links to anchors from the **Filter** menu in the document viewer.

### About the Persistent ID {#Persistent_ID}

The persistent ID is a unique identifier that remains the same across all document versions when an anchor is brought forward. You can see this ID in the Anchor's info card and copy it by clicking the **Copy ID** icon. 

Vault uses the persistent ID to prevent the creation of duplicate anchors no matter how many times users bring forward annotations on a document version. You can also search for an anchor in the latest version by entering the persistent ID in the search bar of the _Select Anchors_ dialog. If the anchor has been brought forward, it will have the same persistent ID.

### Anchors from Previous Versions {#redundant}

When creating links before the Enhanced Document Links & Anchors feature, users created a new anchor for each link, resulting in some documents cluttered with redundant anchors. These anchors cannot be reused until you convert them by adding an anchor name. Admins can also clean up redundant anchors, including anchors without names, by <a href="/en/gr/16418/">merging</a>
 them.

### Anchors in the Same Document

When creating link annotations, you can use the **Select anchors** dialog to select existing anchors or create new anchors within your current document. Clicking a link with an anchor in the same document refreshes the browser and navigates you to the anchor. You can also view and select links to anchors within your current document in the [_Linked Documents_ panel][16]. Vault adds links to anchors in the same document to the audit trail and _Where Used_ view.

## How to Link to a Whole Document {#link-to-whole-doc}

When enabled, you can link to a whole document as opposed to anchors within a document. While you can create links to anchors elsewhere within your current document and version, Vault prevents you from creating whole-document links to the current document version.

To link to a document, click the plus (**+**) icon next to the document state in the **Select anchors** dialog. Note that the corresponding plus (**+**) icon for the current document version is disabled in the dialog. If the dialog displays a minus (**-**) icon, the document is already linked. Click the minus (**-**) icon to unlink the document. You can also link to binders, video files, and documents without viewable renditions.


## How to Link to Permalinks {#permalinks}

When enabled, you can create links to permalinks that always direct users to the latest version of the target document. Vault checks for and updates the link each time the Doc Info page loads. You can create link annotations to document, document page, bookmark, and destination permalinks. To create a link annotation to a permalink:

1. From the Doc Info page, use the **Select** cursor to select the area, image, or text for which you are creating a link, then select **Create Permalink Link** from the context menu. Alternately, while in _Annotate_ mode, click **Select tool** and select the _Permalink link_ cursor mode before placing the link.
1. In the _Select target_ dialog, find the link's target documents. You can select a different standard view, search using the search bar and scope options, and apply various filters to the document search.
1. To create a permalink to a document, click the **plus** (**+**) icon next to the document state.
1. To create a permalink to a bookmark, a destination, or a specific document page, click **Select or create permalink in this document**. The mini-browser window opens with the **Bookmarks** panel expanded. Click the **plus** (**+**) icon next to the bookmarks that you want to use as link targets. You can select link targets in the **Destinations** panel. To create a permalink to a specific document page, use the arrows to navigate to the page or enter the correct page number at the top of the window and click the **plus** (**+**) icon. Exit the mini-browser when complete.
1. Optional: Continue adding permalink targets for the new link annotation.
1. Click **Close** to exit the _Select target_ dialog.
1. Vault creates link annotations and adds links to permalinks to the audit trail and the **Where Used** view, including the version of the referenced document at the time the link was created.

Vault doesn't display all existing permalinks in the _Select target_ dialog. Existing permalinks only appear beneath documents in the _Select target_ dialog if that permalink is already selected for the current annotation.

### Link Icons

In the annotation info card and the _Linked Documents_ section, Vault displays different icons for different types of permalinks. Permalinks to specific document pages or bookmarks also include the page number.

### About Linked Document Relationships for Permalinks

In the _Linked Documents_ section, linked document relationships that are created by permalinks do not display a version number. If the same document is referenced by both a permalink and a link to a document version or an anchor, Vault lists the document twice because the relationship for the document or anchor link is version-specific.

### Using Permalinks with Existing Annotations

In the _Linked Documents_ section, you can use the **Link to Content** option on existing version-specific or versionless relationships to:

* Add version-specific links to existing permalink annotations
* Add permalinks to existing version-specific link annotations

Selecting the **Add link to note** option in a permalink annotation's info card only allows you to select additional permalink targets. If you want to change the link annotation type, for example, from a document link annotation to a permalink annotation, delete the existing annotation and create a new one.

## How to View Linked Documents {#view-linked-documents}

Within each link, there may be many anchors. To open a linked document in _Annotate_ mode, expand the anchor description by clicking the name of the target document. Then, click either the anchor name (to open in the same browser window) or the **View Document** pop-out icon (to open in a new pop-up browser window).

You can find the list of documents related by links (relationship portion of a document link) in the **Linked Documents** section of the Doc Info fields panel. This section appears whether there are existing linked document relationships or not. Click on a document name to open the related document.

You can also open linked documents in _View Links_ mode. With the grab tool deselected, hover over a link annotation to display a tooltip containing a link to the anchor or target document for the link. If there are multiple targets, the tooltip displays the first in the list. Click the link to open the target document in a new tab.

## How to Create Document Links without Annotations

You can create new Document Links from the Doc Info fields panel. You can select links to anchors or target documents without creating a link annotation first. This option is not available for permalinks.

  1. Navigate to the Doc Info page in either Mixed View or Fields View.
  2. Click the plus (**+**) icon in the _Linked Documents_ section.
  3. The _Select anchors_ dialog opens. Select one or more anchors or target documents.
  4. After selecting an anchor or target document, the new relationship exists, and the associated link appears under _Linked Documents_.

### Linked Documents Panel {#linked_docs_panel}

Links to anchors have anchor icons, and links to documents have document icons. Links used by link annotations have green icons. Links that are not in use have grey icons.

Each link has an **Actions** menu in the _Linked Documents_ section. The following actions are available for each link:

  * **Link to Content**: Create a link annotation or associate to an existing link annotation. This action is only available when the current document has a viewable rendition.
  * **View in Mini-Browser**: View the target document or anchor in a mini-browser.
  * **Remove Link**: Remove the link to anchor or target document from the relationship. Removing all links to anchors and target documents also removes the _Linked Document_ relationship. This option is not available for permalinks.

## How to Import Document Links

To import _Linked Document_ relationships from other documents (within the same Vault):

  1. In the Doc Info page, select **Import Document Links** from the **Actions** menu.
  2. Select the document from which to import the document links in the **Import from Selected Document** dialog.
  3. Click **Confirm**.
  4. A confirmation dialog opens. Click **Yes**.

All linked documents from the selected document will appear in the _Linked Documents_ section.

Note that you will only see documents in the **Import Document Links** dialog when:

  * You have _View Document_ permission
  * The document version has at least one _Linked Document_ relationship

<div class="note-border alert-info">
  <div class="alert alert-info" role="alert">
    <div><i class="far fa-info-circle"></i></div>
    <div class="alert-text">
      <p><strong>Note</strong>: Some Vault configurations include custom filters on the <em>Linked Documents</em> relationship type. For example, a filter might only allow users to add documents in the <em>Approved</em> state as linked documents. Vault applies these filters when creating link annotations and linked document relationships, but ignores them when importing document links. To learn more about custom filters on document relationship types, contact Veeva Support.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>



## Bringing Forward Annotations

If your configuration allows this, you can <a href="/en/gr/18648/">bring forward link annotations</a>
 from previous document versions, dramatically reducing the effort required to maintain annotations throughout a document's lifecycle

## Components of Link Annotations & Document Links

A document link or link annotation consists of multiple parts:

  * **Annotation** refers to all parts that are attached to the source document: the selected area or text, the note, and selected links to anchors or target documents.
  * **Note** refers to the optional text that a user can enter with a link annotation or any other kind of annotation.
  * The **info card** displays details about an annotation, including the note text, user mentions, and options to edit, move, reply, and add additional link targets. For link annotations, the links to anchors or target documents also appear in the info card. In PromoMats Vaults where Text and Claims Management is enabled, links to _Claims_ records used to generate suggested links also appear in the info card.
  * The **_Linked Document_** relationship is a document relationship that Vault automatically creates between the document with the link annotation and each target document or document with a selected anchor. Users can also create this relationship directly by creating a document link.
  * **Document Links** are composed of the specific document sections that are linked by a _Linked Document_ relationship. These include anchors and target documents, but they can exist separately from any link annotations.
  * **Anchors** are entities that exist on the target documents, entirely separate from a link annotation on the source document.
  * **Links to Anchors** are displayed either on an annotation info card or under a _Linked Document_ relationship in the Doc Info fields panel. The anchor itself continues to exist independently, but by selecting it, the user creates a link between the source and target documents.
  * **Content Linking** is the process of using an anchor or permalink when creating a link annotation. You can create a link annotation either in _Annotate_ mode or by selecting **Link to Content** from the linked document's **Actions** menu in the _Linked Documents_ section.

## Related Permissions {#permissions}

The following list describes actions related to annotations and the permissions required to execute them:

  * **Create Link Annotations**: To create link annotations, you must have the _Annotate_, and _Edit Relationships_ permissions on the document with the link and the _View Document_ permission on the target document. To link to an anchor, you also need the _View Content_ permission on the target document.
  * **Modify Link Annotation**: 
    * To edit the comment or tags of a link annotation, you must be the creator of the annotation and have the _Annotate_ permission.
    * To edit links (add or remove references) within an annotation, you must have the _Annotate_ permission, the _Edit Relationships_ permission, the _Edit Fields_ permission, or be the creator of the annotation.
    * To delete a link annotation, you must have the _Annotate_ permission, the _Edit Relationships_ permission (if one or more references exist in the annotation), be the creator of the annotation, or be the Document Owner with _Document Owner can delete another user's annotation_ enabled in **Admin > Settings > General**.
    * To move a link annotation, you must have the _Annotate_ permission.
  * **Create an Anchor**: To create an anchor, you must have the _View Document_, _View Content,_ and _Create Anchors_ permissions on the target document. Once an anchor exists on the target document, that anchor is available for selection to all users with the _View Document_ and _View Content_ permissions.
  * **Use the Create Anchor Tool**: In order to use the Create Anchor tool, you must have _View Document_, _View Content_, _Annotate_, and _Create Anchors_ permissions on the target document.
  * **Delete an Anchor**: To delete an anchor annotation that is not in use, users must have the _Annotate_ permission and meet one of the following additional criteria:
    * You are the user that created the annotation.
    * You have the _Manage Anchors_ permission.
    * The anchor has been brought forward.
  
You cannot delete anchors that are in-use, or in documents under Legal Hold.

  * **Move Anchors without Inbound References**: To move anchors that do not have inbound references, you must have the _Annotate_ permission on the document and the _Manage Anchors_ permission assigned through your security profile, or you must be the author of the anchor annotation. You can never move anchors that have inbound references.
  * **Merge Anchors**: To merge multiple anchors within the same page, you must have the _Annotate_ permission on the document and the _Merge Anchors_ permission assigned through your security profile. Learn more about <a href="/en/gr/16418/">Merging Document Link Anchors</a>
.

  * **Create Document Links**: To create a document link relationship without creating an annotation, you must have the _Edit Relationships_ permissions on the document on which you're creating the links. You must have the _View Document_ permission on the target document and the _View Content_ permission if you're linking to an anchor.
  * **Import Document Links**: To import document links, you must have the _Edit Relationships_ permission on the document you are importing document links to. You must have the _View Document_ permission on the document you are importing document links from. Vault will only import document links for which you have _View Document_ permissions on all target documents.
  * **Link to Content**: To be able to see the **Link to Content** option for links in the _Linked Documents_ section, you must have the _Annotate_ permission.

## Limitations

The following limitations apply when using link annotations and document links:

* You can create anchor annotations on the latest version of a document only.
* You cannot create anchor annotations on video documents.
 
 [1]: #links-in-view-mode
 [5]: #link-cursor-mode
 [6]: #permalinks
 [7]: #create_anchors
 [8]: #link-to-whole-doc
 [13]: #permissions
 [16]: #linked_docs_panel