A WYSIWYG TXT export missing link URLs looks like a broken link, but the link is usually fine. In HTML, the words a reader sees and the destination stored in the anchor’s href attribute are two separate things. The plain-text preview, Copy Text and Download TXT in the WYSIWYG HTML Editor keep the visible wording and do not append the href automatically.
The input here is a link created in the editor, the expected output is a TXT file, and the fix is to confirm the destination in Source, then write the address into the visible content when a text-only reader needs it. This guide reflects the site’s documented behavior as checked on October 28, 2026. I did not run a browser export while writing it, so the before and after examples are illustrative rather than captured output.
Table of Contents
Why a WYSIWYG TXT export missing link URLs does not mean the link broke
The WHATWG HTML Standard describes an a element with an href as a hyperlink labeled by its contents. The contents are the words on screen. The destination is an attribute, so it lives in the markup, not in the text. A plain-text format has no place to store an attribute, and the editor’s text outputs keep the words.
Here is an illustrative example, not a captured export. The HTML fragment in Source might contain this:
<p>Read the <a href="https://example.com/guide">Installation guide</a> first.</p>
In a text-only output, the same sentence reads like this:
Read the Installation guide first.
The words are identical, which is why the gap is easy to miss. The TXT file shows no address, but that tells you only what the text output contains. It does not tell you whether the HTML anchor still has its href. Treat those as two separate questions and answer them in order.
This is the same family of surprise as relative Markdown links lost when copying rich text to Word, where the visible text survives and the destination does not. The cause differs, but the symptom is the same: a link that reads correctly and points nowhere. If you want background on why visual editors keep content and markup apart, read about why a WYSIWYG editor is important before you tune your export workflow.
Check the href in Source before you export
Before you change anything, find out whether the destination exists. Source shows the content’s HTML fragment, not a complete document, so you will see paragraphs, headings and anchors but no html, head or body elements.
- Open Source in the editor and locate the anchor that wraps your link wording.
- Read its
hrefvalue and compare it with the address you intended. - If the value is correct, the destination is present in the HTML and simply absent from the visible wording. Nothing was lost.
- If the value is missing or wrong, fix the link in the visual editor and check Source again. A TXT export cannot recover a destination that no longer exists in the content.
One caution matters here. Source is for reading first. The site says Apply Changes converts the markup back through the visual editor, and that step can remove unsupported markup. Opening Source to inspect a link is safe, but pressing Apply Changes only to have a look can rewrite your content. The guide explaining why applying Source changes can remove class and ID attributes shows how that round trip behaves with a small example, and the same reasoning applies to any markup the visual editor does not represent.
A correct href proves only that the attribute is there. It does not prove the target page exists, loads or says what you expect. Open the address in a browser if that matters for your readers.
Fix a WYSIWYG TXT export missing link URLs by writing the address into the text
When a text-only reader needs the address, put it in the visible content before you export. The address then survives because it is text, not because TXT preserves href metadata. For example, keep the link and add the address after it as ordinary text:
Installation guide (https://example.com/guide)
Use the same wording in the visual editor, then look at the plain-text preview. If the address shows there, Copy Text or Download TXT should carry it, and you should still open the downloaded file to confirm. I would put a long address on its own line if you worry about punctuation sticking to it, because I cannot promise how every TXT reader treats a closing parenthesis or whether it makes the address clickable.
Keep the descriptive words next to the address. Replacing a clear label with a bare URL makes the text harder to scan, and W3C’s Link Purpose (In Context) guidance supports meaningful link wording. That guidance is about link purpose, and it says nothing about how this editor’s TXT export behaves.
Relative href values need a base first
If the anchor’s href is a relative reference such as /guide, do not guess the full address. RFC 3986 defines resolving a relative reference against a base URI, so the same /guide points to different places on different sites. Decide which site address you mean, write the complete URL, and check that it opens.
Copy Text, Download TXT, Copy HTML and Download HTML compared
Pick the export by what the recipient needs. If they need a clickable anchor, a text export is the wrong tool. If they only need to read words, an HTML file may be more than they want.
| Output | Form | Keeps link wording | Keeps the href |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain-text preview | On-screen text | Yes | No, unless you wrote the address into the text |
| Copy Text | Clipboard text | Yes | No, unless written into the text |
| Download TXT | Text file | Yes | No, unless written into the text |
| Copy HTML | Markup on the clipboard | Yes | Yes, in the anchor |
| Download HTML | Fragment saved as content.html | Yes | Yes, in the anchor |
Copy HTML and Download HTML are the choices when the recipient needs the anchor and its href. Remember that content.html is a content fragment, not a full page, so wrap it in your own document if you need one.
The preview is plain text, so it is not a rendered test of an HTML link. If you want to confirm that a link behaves like a link, check the HTML output rather than the preview. For a workflow that stays in markup, the guide on drafting, saving and exporting email markup safely shows how the WYSIWYG HTML Editor fits that kind of job.
A three-step check before you share the export
Run the same short check each time, so a missing address never reaches a reader.
- Verify the href in Source. Confirm the anchor holds the intended destination, without applying changes.
- Verify the address in the wording. If TXT readers need it, confirm the address appears in the visible content and in the plain-text preview.
- Inspect the chosen export. Open the downloaded TXT or HTML file, or paste the clipboard result somewhere neutral, and read the actual output.
That third step matters because the documentation supports this workflow but I did not inspect the export code. I cannot describe the exact text-extraction algorithm, browser-specific differences or any automatic URL insertion, and I would not trust a claim about them without testing your own content. A short sample with one link takes a minute and answers the question for your browser.
These checks also keep different problems apart. Seeing the href in Source checks that the attribute exists. Seeing the address in the TXT file checks that the text export carries it. Opening the address checks that the target works. Passing one of them says nothing about the other two.
Frequently asked questions
Does Download TXT ever include the link href?
Based on the site’s documented behavior, Download TXT keeps the visible link wording and does not append the href automatically. If the address is written into the visible content, it appears because it is text. Test a short sample in your browser to confirm the result for your own content.
How do I confirm my link still has its destination?
Open Source in the WYSIWYG HTML Editor and read the href on the anchor that wraps your wording. If the value is right, the link exists in the HTML. If it is missing, repair the link in the visual editor and check Source again.
Which export keeps the anchor and its href?
Copy HTML puts the markup on the clipboard, and Download HTML saves the content fragment as content.html. Both keep the anchor. Copy Text and Download TXT are meant for text-only content, so they do not carry the href by themselves.
Should I replace the link wording with the bare URL?
I would not. Keep the descriptive words and add the address next to them, for example Installation guide followed by the address in parentheses. A bare address is harder to scan, and meaningful link wording helps readers understand where a link leads.
What if my href is a relative path such as /guide?
A relative reference only makes sense against a base address, as RFC 3986 explains. Decide which site you mean, write the complete URL in the visible content, and open it to confirm it works before you export.
Will a TXT reader make the written address clickable?
That depends on the program that opens the file, so I cannot promise it. The address will be readable text either way. If clickable links matter to the recipient, send the HTML export instead of the TXT file.
Is it safe to click Apply Changes in Source just to look at a link?
Avoid it when you only want to inspect. The site says Apply Changes converts markup back through the visual editor, which can remove unsupported markup. Read the href in Source, and apply changes only when you deliberately edited the markup.
Next steps
A WYSIWYG TXT export missing link URLs is almost always a wording issue, not a lost link. The href stays in the HTML, while Copy Text and Download TXT carry only what is written as text. Your next step is to open your own content in Source, confirm the destination, add the address beside the descriptive wording if text-only readers need it, and then inspect the export you actually plan to send.
Related tools and resources on HTML Editor Online:
- WYSIWYG HTML Editor
- WYSIWYG Source View Removes Class and ID Attributes: Why and What to Do
- Relative Markdown Links Lost When Copying Rich Text to Word: Why It Happens
- HTML Email Editor in the Browser: Draft, Save and Export Markup Safely
