How to Preserve Links to Specific Microsoft Teams Chat Messages in OneNote
Question details
Users need to retain the original source link to a specific Microsoft Teams chat message when copying and pasting the message content into Microsoft OneNote.

- Product
- Microsoft OneNote
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Copying important chat messages from Microsoft Teams into OneNote for documentation and reference.
- Observed behavior
- When pasting content copied from Microsoft Teams into OneNote, the hyperlink back to the original chat message is frequently missing.
Ensure you have the Microsoft OneNote desktop application open (such as OneNote 2016 or OneNote for Microsoft 365) before adjusting these settings.
Enable 'Include Link to Source' in OneNote Options
By activating the link-to-source setting, OneNote will automatically append a hyperlink pointing to the original Microsoft Teams message whenever you paste copied content.
This built-in feature in OneNote tracks where web-based clipboard content originated from, ensuring you never lose context when compiling notes from Teams or web browsers.
Launch the OneNote desktop application. Click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner, and then select 'Options' from the bottom of the left-hand menu.
In the OneNote Options dialog box, click on the 'Advanced' tab on the left side.
Scroll down to find the 'Cut, Copy, and Paste' section. Check the box labeled 'Include link to source when pasting from the web'.
Click 'OK' to save your settings. Go to Microsoft Teams, copy a chat message, and paste it into a OneNote page to verify that the source link appears.

Copy the Direct Message Link from Teams Manually
If you do not want to change your OneNote paste settings, you can manually copy the precise link to any Teams chat message.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't the source link appear even after enabling the OneNote setting?
This issue usually occurs if you paste the text using 'Keep Text Only' or a plain-text shortcut (like Ctrl+Shift+V). Make sure to use standard paste (Ctrl+V) or 'Keep Source Formatting' to ensure the link from Microsoft Teams is appended.
Does this link-to-source setting apply to OneNote for Windows 10?
The 'Include link to source when pasting from the web' setting is primarily available in the desktop application (OneNote 2016 or OneNote for Microsoft 365). OneNote for Windows 10 handles clipboard links differently and lacks this specific toggle.
Can I share a copied Teams message link with users outside the chat?
While you can share the link anywhere, only users who already have permission to view that specific Teams chat or channel will be able to access the message when they click the link.




