Sometimes you just want to share a particular line or paragraph without the whole page. Modern browsers have got you covered with 'Copy Link to Highlight', making it easy to send someone a precise excerpt in context.
In Chrome or Firefox, highlight some text and right-click. Choose ‘Copy Link to Highlight’—Safari users can use its equivalent feature. A URL is copied to your clipboard that includes the relevant section, which highlights upon being clicked. This ensures the recipient sees exactly what you want them to see without any extraneous info.
The key here is Text fragments—a web standard that’s been quietly integrated into browsers for years. These URLs are smart enough to pinpoint the exact text you’re interested in. For shorter excerpts, the entire highlighted portion might be included, but longer passages use a reference to the start and end points. In every browser, this link works like magic.
But there are some limitations. If the site is paywalled or if the content is within a PDF, you’re out of luck. However, for most cases, sharing text fragments is more useful than sending a screenshot with highlights. It’s a nifty tool that could change how we share information.
