# URL in .md file matter item

**URL:** <https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-in-md-file-matter-item/56643>\
**Category:** Elements\
**Created:** [June 12, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-in-md-file-matter-item/56643 "2026-06-12T20:59:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jwDave](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/jwdave/32/31841_2.png) [@jwDave](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/jwDave)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-in-md-file-matter-item/56643/1 "2026-06-12T20:59:27Z")

</div>

So I used the syntax [Visit OpenAI]([https://www.openai.com](https://www.openai.com)) in an .md file so the {{item.url}} in the CMS would display the linked URL, but this completely breaks the CMS. So clearly this doesn’t work.

So how do I add a linked URL into a matter field in the .md file?

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**Author:** ![dan](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/dan/32/28516_2.png) [@dan](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/dan)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2026, 9:25pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-in-md-file-matter-item/56643/2 "2026-06-12T21:25:45Z")

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It’s really hard to say without seeing your project. If you’re putting it in the frontmatter, you’d do something like this:

```auto
urlTitle: "Visit OpenAI"
urlResource: "https://youtu.be/VK2B5Jmb8V0"

```

Then you could reference it within your site using `{{item.urlTitle}}` and `{{item.urlResource}}`.

Have you watched the [CMS intro video series](https://docs.realmacsoftware.com/elements-docs/cms/getting-started/quickstart#how-to-set-up-the-elements-cms) @ben has been recording? This will help you get up and running with the CMS.

> **[How to Set Up the Elements CMS - Quickstart | CMS | RapidWeaver Elements Docs](https://docs.realmacsoftware.com/elements-docs/cms/getting-started/quickstart#how-to-set-up-the-elements-cms)**
>
> Elements includes a built-in CMS that makes it easy to create a blog or content-driven site using Markdown files. | Learn how to get started with the Elements CMS

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jwDave](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/jwdave/32/31841_2.png) [@jwDave](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/jwDave)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2026, 9:33pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-in-md-file-matter-item/56643/3 "2026-06-12T21:33:35Z")

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Yes Ben’s series on setting up CMS is great but it doesn’t cover this specific issue.

Actually this is how I had it before but the url comes through as just text and not a hyperlink.

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**Author:** ![Pegasus](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/pegasus/32/25035_2.png) [@Pegasus](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Pegasus)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 10:06am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-in-md-file-matter-item/56643/4 "2026-06-13T10:06:02Z")

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You can create URLs as data in the frontmatter, but they will not be output as hyperlinks automatically. The frontmatter is simply a data output, so this behavior is correct.

You’ll need to use the workaround of outputting the hyperlink through the template.

However, if you use `[Visit OpenAI](https://www.openai.com)` in the body text, the output should generate a hyperlink.

This only works for the body text, though, not for the frontmatter.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jwDave](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/jwdave/32/31841_2.png) [@jwDave](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/jwDave)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 10:15am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-in-md-file-matter-item/56643/5 "2026-06-13T10:15:15Z")

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> [@Pegasus](#):
>
> You’ll need to use the workaround of outputting the hyperlink through the template.

Thank you, could you help me understand how to do this?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ercross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@ercross](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/ercross)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 10:34am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-in-md-file-matter-item/56643/6 "2026-06-13T10:34:05Z")

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You need to set the Link property of a Container to {{item.url}} as Plain Text.

 ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/realmacsoftware1/original/3X/4/1/419efd3265effdc6ea12f66657176fb57171591c.png)

Inside the container put a Text component with the hyperlink Title, {{item.urlTitle}}.

url and urlTitle need to be in the frontmatter like Dan said.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jwDave](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/jwdave/32/31841_2.png) [@jwDave](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/jwDave)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 10:37am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-in-md-file-matter-item/56643/7 "2026-06-13T10:37:57Z")

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Thanks everyone, I will give a go later today.

FOLLOW UP:

Great thanks, all good now.