If Goodnotes hyperlinks are not working, first check the way you open the link, then test the original PDF. Do not delete an annotated planner as your first troubleshooting step. Keep it while you test a separate copy.
Correction, 8 September 2026: we removed unsupported claims that email usually destroys PDF links, that a particular import choice explains most failures, and that Goodnotes cannot create links.
Try the documented way to open a link
Goodnotes' current PDF-link instructions distinguish platforms. On iOS, select the linked text, image or planner element. On Android, Windows and Web, enter Read Only Mode and select it. The documentation also describes pressing and holding a link in Edit Mode and choosing Open Link. Follow the instructions for your platform and version; a visible tab is not necessarily selected the same way as handwriting.
Find out whether the file contains a working link
- Keep your existing notebook. Save the original download separately.
- Open that original in another PDF viewer that supports links, and try the same tab.
- Note whether every tab fails or only one. Record the page number and expected destination.
- Import a separate copy of the original into Goodnotes and try the same tab there.
This comparison helps narrow the problem; it does not prove which app is at fault. If a single tab goes to the wrong page in both viewers, send the creator that exact example. If the original works elsewhere but not in Goodnotes, the app version and platform are useful details for support.
| Result | Useful next step |
|---|---|
| A link opens through the menu but not your usual tap | Check the navigation instructions for your mode and platform |
| The same tab fails in two viewers | Ask the file creator to check its destination |
| A fresh copy works but the annotated copy does not | Keep both and ask support how to preserve your annotations |
| The file is a scan or screenshot of a planner | Locate the original digital PDF; drawn tabs alone are not link annotations |
Re-import without losing your planning
Use the original download rather than a screenshot or print-and-scan copy. Before changing your working notebook, check that your notes are backed up in a format you can reopen and edit. A separate test document is preferable to overwriting the only annotated version. File extensions and a familiar-looking first page do not establish that two copies contain the same links.
Check for app updates through the normal store for your device if the issue persists. We have not reproduced a general link-reliability difference between Goodnotes 5 and 6, so an upgrade is not promised as a fix.
Can you create your own links?
Goodnotes documents creating links from typed text, with support depending on the document type and version. That is a separate task from opening links already embedded in a purchased PDF. Adding your own navigation is possible in supported documents; it is not necessary to claim that every plain planner is irreparable.
What to send when asking for help
Include your device, operating system, Goodnotes version, filename, failing page and tab, expected destination, and the result in another viewer. Share a clean example instead of private handwritten notes. For one of our files, use our contact page.
If you are choosing a new file, our planner setup guide explains what to inspect before committing to a full year. The Digital Notebook is an option for subject-based notes; check its listing for the included layouts.
Questions and answers
Should I delete my planner if its tabs stop working?
Keep the annotated copy. Test the original download in a separate document first and check that your notes are backed up before replacing anything.
Does emailing a PDF necessarily break its links?
No such general conclusion is established here. Compare the actual received file with the original instead of assuming the delivery method caused the problem.
Can a picture of a tab work as a hyperlink?
A picture can have a link placed over it, but its appearance alone does not create a link. Test the element in the original digital PDF.
Sources and checks
Source links checked on 8 September 2026. Examples marked as illustrative are created for this guide; they are not customer results.