# How to use link\_to for an external reference?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-link-to-for-an-external-reference/178869>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 12, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-link-to-for-an-external-reference/178869 "2009-11-12T19:04:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![explainer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/bbce88/32.png) [@explainer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/explainer)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-link-to-for-an-external-reference/178869/1 "2009-11-12T19:04:02Z")

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Suppose I wish to have the following link embedded in one of my  
views.

[Ruby on Rails](http://www.rubyonrails.org)

[ 

How can I use the ‘link\_to’ method to generate an external link in  
an .erb file? I have tried various options, but keep getting routing  
errors.

](http://www.rubyonrails.org)

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**Author:** ![explainer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/bbce88/32.png) [@explainer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/explainer)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-link-to-for-an-external-reference/178869/2 "2009-11-12T19:11:05Z")

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On Nov 12, 2009, at 10:02 AM, explainer wrote:

> errors.  
> \<%= link\_to ‘Ruby on Rails’, ‘[http://www.rubyonrails.org](http://www.rubyonrails.org)’, :target =\>  
> ‘\_blank’ %\>

-philip

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![explainer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/bbce88/32.png) [@explainer](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/explainer)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-link-to-for-an-external-reference/178869/3 "2009-11-13T18:02:41Z")

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Thanks Philip, that syntax had eluded me. So simple.