Share a Link to a Specific Phrase
▼ Summary
– Modern browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox have a “Copy Link to Highlight” feature for sharing specific text.
– This feature lets users highlight text, right-click, and copy a link that jumps directly to that section.
– The copied URL works like a normal link but scrolls to the highlighted text and displays it highlighted.
– Taking a screenshot of highlighted text is a clumsy alternative because the recipient cannot read more context.
– The feature is useful for sharing a specific line that proves an argument, helps someone, or made you laugh.
Sometimes, a single sentence or paragraph is all someone needs to see. You might be walking a friend through a tricky problem, settling a heated debate with an undeniable piece of evidence, or just sharing a line that made you laugh out loud. In those moments, you don’t need to send an entire page , you need precision.
Sure, you could screenshot the highlighted section. But that approach is clunky. The recipient can’t scroll around for more context if they want it, and the image quality often suffers. Fortunately, there’s a much cleaner solution baked right into your browser.
Chrome, Safari, and Firefox all include a little-known feature called Copy Link to Highlight (or, in Safari’s case, Copy Link with Highlight). It is remarkably straightforward to use.
In Chrome or Firefox, just select the text you want to share, right-click it, and choose Copy Link to Highlight. On Safari, the option reads Copy Link with Highlight, but the result is nearly identical.
The mechanics are the same across all three browsers. A special URL is copied to your clipboard. When someone opens that link, the browser jumps directly to the relevant section and the chosen words are visually highlighted. It turns a vague reference into an exact destination, making your shared information instantly accessible.
(Source: Wired)
