• A URL in a reference should link directly to the referenced web page when possible.
• The link should be written as a hyperlink: http: // or https: //
• You can choose whether you want the link to look like your writing program creates them (usually blue and underlined) or whether the link should look like the rest of the text.
• The link should be clickable as a service to the reader.

Shorten a long URL

If a URL is very long, you can use a special tool to shorten it. However, it is important that you then check that the link still works.

There are several services online that you can use. We recommend TinyURL: