Embedding by simply pasting a link no longer works; instead it is automatically creating a hyperlink

User Guides Forum and Website Feedback
#1

Previously when I pasted a link in a post it would automatically embed, like this:

https://xboxera.com/

But now when I paste a link it creates a hyperlink, like this:

[XboxEra - No.1 Xbox Community](https://xboxera.com/)

XboxEra - No.1 Xbox Community

It is particularly frustrating when I just want to simply paste the link.

When I have lots of hyperlinks in a post (especially relevant in OTs), I usually copy and paste the formula throughout the post and only change the link. But now, when I try to replace a link in a code I have already created, it creates another hyperlink inside my hyperlink, messing up the whole code.

For example, I have created a hyperlink like this:

[Buy here!](https://www.amazon.com/)

Buy here!

Then I’ll copy and paste this same code and only change the link to another store. This is what happens when I paste the link to replace the old one:

[Buy here!]( [Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more](https://www.amazon.com/))

[Buy here!]( Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more)

Can we just go back to how it used to be before this change? :frowning:

#2

As far as I am aware, we didn’t change anything on our side, and last forum update was two weeks ago.

Can you link to topic or post where you have described issues, so we can investigate and see what is going on?

Thanks!

#3

To be fair, I’ve been having this issue for over a week now, but it wasn’t troubling me enough to create a thread until today. It is probably due to the last forum update, then – so I don’t think there is anything the staff can do?

I don’t have a post where I can show the issue since I manually edit the code to be the way it was before. I know it is hard to understand – and believe me, it is even harder to describe since English is not my first language --, but the best examples I could give are in the OP.

Basically, the main problem now is that when we paste a link in the body, the link is automatically turned into a hyperlink.

So if I was to paste XboxEra’s site URL in here, this will happen:

[XboxEra - No.1 Xbox Community](https://xboxera.com/)

While this is what used to happen before the forum update:

https://xboxera.com/

Because of this change I’ve been stumbling into two problems:

  1. I can not automatically embed links anymore. I have to paste the link and manually remove the code that turns it into a hyperlink;
  2. If I try to replace a link inside a hyperlink I previously coded, it will create a hyperlink inside my hyperlink, breaking the code. Again I have to manually remove the code to keep just the link I want to paste.

To replicate this issue, simply copy a URL and try to paste it in a reply. Instead of pasting only the link, you will see that it is automatically creating a hyperlink – which results in the two problems I described above.

Just to be perfectly clear: it is not a bug. It was an intended change made during the last forum update that has made embedding links counterintuitive.

Edit: I’m using the version 87.0.664.47 of the Microsoft Edge browser (64 bits).

#4

So, let’s test:

https://www.amazon.com/Elite-2-Controller-Black-Xbox-One/dp/B07SFKTLZM

And this is how I pasted links:

https://xboxera.com/

https://www.theverge.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Elite-2-Controller-Black-Xbox-One/dp/B07SFKTLZM

https://www.amazon.com/Xbox-X/dp/B08H75RTZ8
#5

Wait, when you paste links it doesn’t create the hyperlink code automatically?

I might have to check my preferences to see if I messed something up.

#6

Yup. It did only for one of the Amazon links. So oneboxing of the links works most of the time, probably just depends on link itself.

#7

I have the same problem. My remedy is pasting the links in WordPad and then putting them here. That seems to embed them instead of making a hyperlink.

1 Like
#8

Oof, glad to hear I’m not the only one!

#9

That sounds like some formatting being stripped by wordpad/notepad and allowing it to work.

Curious.

#10

Youtube embedding doesn’t work anymore.

#11

Thank you for the heads up - we’re investigating.

EDIT: Appears to be a known issue - the Discourse team are investigating: