I realize that understanding the connection between links, permalinks, hyperlinks and PDF files may be difficult to understand. No worries. I understand. It took me 2 1/2 days to word and reword the below article to explain the relationships between links, permalinks, hyperlinks and PDF files. As you read the article and questions come to mind, please ask. All questions are good questions. Thank you.
Introduction
In today’s article, I would like to illustrate a lesson that I learned after publishing my 8th eBook, Living with a Brain Injury and Learning to Take Care of Ourselves eBook. After writing, editing and converting the eBook into a PDF (Portable Document Format) file I completed another project related to the eBook.
The project entailed editing the permalink (URL, Uniform Resource Locator) for the article “Second Chance to Live — 7 eBooks — Free for Download” on Second Chance to Live.
What I did not realize at the time was that the URL or permalink that I created in the Introduction for the PDF file of my 8th eBook was set to 7 not 8 in my eBook. Because the 2 permalinks were now different, the one in the Introduction of my eBook (PDF File) and the one (permalink) for my article on Second Chance to Live, the connection between the hyperlink in my PDF file and the article no longer connected.
Note:
If a permalink is given the wrong URL, the permalink will not open the desired page, because the link connecting both pages no longer work. Consequently, instead of opening the desired page, another page will open with the message — 404: Page Not Found.
What I had done, by changing the URL on Second Chance to Live, is that I broke the hyperlink between the PDF file and the article on Second Chance to Live. A hyperlink or link is a way to connect one page to another page. By clicking on the hyperlink, that page will open at a different location. Hyperlinks work (when clicked upon) to connect one page to another page, such as this link secondchancetolive.org. The permalink is secondchancetolive.org and the hyperlink is secondchancetolive.org.
Clicking on the hyperlink, when it contains the right permalink, will serve to open the correct page.
What I discovered, after clicking on the link in my PDF file, was that by changing the URL (permalink) in my article on Second Chance to Live https://secondchancetolive.org/second-chance-to-live-8-ebooks-free-for-download/ from https://secondchancetolive.org/second-chance-to-live-7-ebooks-free-for-download/ I broke the ability of the link to open the article on Second Chance to Live. Because the link had been “broken” and was no longer working, another page opened with this message 404: Page Not Found error.
For Future Reference
In the event that you click on a hyperlink and the permalink in the hyperlink is different than the permalink in the desired article the article will not open. Instead, you will receive a similar message: 404: Page Not Found error. The error message indicates that either the permalink in the hyperlink is wrong or that the page no longer exists. In the event that you receive 404: Page Not Found Error message, the permalink in either the hyperlink or the permalink for the page may need to be adjusted to fix the connection.
Working Toward a Solution
As I had done with other projects, I decided to do some research. Although I was initially disappointed when I discovered the link was broken. I was disappointed because I did not think that a URL link within the PDF file could be changed. But then I got an idea. As I had done with other projects, I decided to do some research by using YouTube as a tool, as I learn more effectively through watching, listening and following patterns. To begin the process I entered phrases into the search feature on YouTube: “How to change links in PDF files” and “Changing links in PDF files”.
As I did these searches I discovered that there were 2 free options that I could use to change the permalink within my PDF file.
Through examining the “free” options I discovered that using these options would “open a door”. Open a door that would give other people the ability to access and make changes to the PDF file of my 8th eBook. Through my search, I also found that there was another option that I could use to change the permalink within the PDF file of my eBook. BUT, I discovered that this 3rd option would cost money. Money that I did not have to spend money. What became apparent to me was that none of these options would work for me.
So I decided to go about working on different projects. In the process of working on other projects, I remembered that I could edit permalinks to aid in the accessing of my articles. I remembered that I could fix “broken” links. And so I went about fixing the permalink within the article, Second Chance to Live — 7 eBooks — Free for Download, on Second Chance to Live.
Click on the below screenshots to enlarge.
Below is a screenshot of the Edit page that I used to change the permalink of the article.
How to Edit Permalinks in Managed WordPress
With this realization, I let go of trying to figure out how I could change the link in my Introduction within my eBook. After I let go, an answer came to me. I realized that I could change the URL on my website for the hyperlink within my PDF file to work. Although I kept the article title, Second Chance to Live — 8 eBooks — Free for Download, I changed the URL (permalink) of my article on Second Chance to Live from https://secondchancetolive.org/second-chance-to-live-8-ebooks-free-for-download/ to https://secondchancetolive.org/second-chance-to-live-7-ebooks-free-for-download/.
By editing the permalink in my article Second Chance to Live — 8 — eBooks — Free for Download — by exchanging the number 8 with the number 7 — on Second Chance to Live, I restored the connection between the article and the hyperlink Second Chance to Live — 7 eBooks — Free for Download in the Introduction of my 8th eBook: Living with a Brain Injury and Learning to Take Care of Ourselves eBook
Below is a screenshot of the Introduction to my 8th eBook with the hyperlink to the article on Second Chance to Live.
You have my permission to share my articles and or video presentations with anyone you believe could benefit, however, please attribute me as being the author of the article (s) video presentation (s), and provide a link back to the article (s) on Second Chance to Live. In the event that you have questions, please send those questions to me. All questions are good questions. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you. Copyright 2007-2016.
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