Page Anchor

A page anchor is a bookmark that links to a specific heading part-way down a modern SharePoint page, so a visitor lands on the section they want instead of the top. SharePoint generates them automatically: every Heading 1, 2, and 3 inside a Text web part gets a unique id when the page is published. Hover over the heading, right-click, and choose Copy link to grab the anchor URL - the page address with #heading-id on the end. Reuse it in Quick Links, navigation, or an email to build a table-of-contents experience. The catch is scope: anchors are created only for headings in the standard Text web part, and any other web part needs a manual workaround.

Bookmarks, Collapsible Sections, Copy Link, Page, Page Sections, Web Part

Table of contents: linking a menu at the top of the page to each section below
Long knowledge articles: jumping straight to the relevant policy or answer
FAQ pages: linking each question to its answer further down the page
Quick Links navigation: pointing Quick Links tiles at specific sections
Email and Teams links: sending a colleague to an exact spot on a page
Multi-section landing pages: guiding readers to the part that applies to them

Benefits

Zero setup: anchors are generated automatically on publish, with no code
Better navigation: readers reach the right section without endless scrolling
Cleaner sharing: a single link points to an exact place on the page
Reusable anywhere: the anchor URL works in Quick Links, menus, and emails
Accessibility help: clear headings and jump links aid keyboard and screen-reader users
Out-of-the-box: it is native SharePoint, so nothing extra to install or maintain

Details

Feature Category: Pages & Publishing

How It Works

Add headings: apply Heading 1, 2, or 3 styles inside a Text web part
Publish the page: SharePoint assigns each heading a unique id on publish
Hover or tab: a small link icon appears next to the heading
Copy the link: right-click the heading and choose Copy link to get the anchor URL
The URL format: the page address followed by #heading-id
Reuse it: paste the anchor into a Quick Links tile, menu, or message

Key Considerations

Text web part only: anchors come from headings in the standard Text web part
Heading styles matter: only Heading 1 to 3 get ids, not bold body text
Publish first: anchors do not appear until the page is published
Stable heading text: changing a heading can change its generated id
Unique headings help: duplicate heading text can produce awkward or clashing ids
Test the link: always click the copied anchor to confirm it lands correctly

Limits and Nuances

No other web parts: images, quick links, and other parts get no automatic anchor
No manual naming: you cannot set a custom, friendly anchor id in the UI
Ids can shift: editing or reordering headings may break existing links
Not in edit mode: the link icon shows on the published page, not while editing
Manual workaround needed: anchoring a non-Text web part requires custom effort
Same-page focus: anchors are for in-page jumps, not cross-page structure

Common Questions About Page Anchors

What is a page anchor in SharePoint?

A page anchor is a bookmark that links to a specific heading on a modern SharePoint page, so a click takes the visitor straight to that section instead of the top of the page. SharePoint creates them automatically for every Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 inside a Text web part. The anchor is just the page URL with #heading-id added to the end, and you can reuse it anywhere a link is allowed.

How do I find and copy a page anchor link?

Open the published page, then hover or tab over a heading in a Text web part until a small link icon appears next to it. Right-click the heading and choose Copy link, and SharePoint places the full anchor URL on your clipboard. That URL is the page address followed by #heading-id. You can then paste it into a Quick Links tile, page navigation, an email, or a Teams message to send people to that exact section.

Why do my headings not have anchor links?

Anchors are generated only for true Heading 1, 2, and 3 styles inside the standard Text web part, and only after the page is published. If your text is just bold or a larger font rather than an actual heading style, no id is created. Likewise, headings inside other web parts do not get automatic anchors. Apply a real heading style in a Text web part, publish, and the link icon will appear.

Can I create an anchor for an image or other web part?

Not automatically. SharePoint only assigns anchor ids to headings in the standard Text web part, so images, Quick Links, and other web parts have no built-in anchor to link to. Reaching one of those spots requires a manual workaround, typically custom code or a script that injects an id. For most pages, placing a Text web part heading just above the target section is the simplest reliable approach.

Do page anchors break if I edit the page?

They can. Because the anchor id is generated from the heading text, renaming a heading, or in some cases reordering or deleting headings, can change or remove the id that an existing link points to. A previously shared anchor may then land at the top of the page instead of the section. After editing headings on a page others link to, re-copy and re-test the anchors to make sure they still resolve.

When should I get help building navigation for a long page?

Page anchors are easy to copy, but a genuinely usable long page needs a deliberate structure – a clear heading hierarchy, a table of contents, and links that survive future edits. When a page is long, heavily linked, or central to your intranet, ad-hoc anchors get brittle fast. Greg Zelfond, the consultant behind LookBook 365, designs page layout and navigation as a system, so readers find what they need and the links keep working.