diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/boss.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/boss.py
index 24e9305027..0dcb09d8b9 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/boss.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/boss.py
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ class Boss(QObject):
                 self.commit_all_editors_to_container()
                 d = InsertLink(current_container(), edname, initial_text=ed.get_smart_selection(), parent=self.gui)
                 if d.exec_() == d.Accepted:
-                    ed.insert_hyperlink(d.href, d.text)
+                    ed.insert_hyperlink(d.href, d.text, template=d.template)
             elif action[0] == 'insert_tag':
                 d = InsertTag(parent=self.gui)
                 if d.exec_() == d.Accepted:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smarts/html.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smarts/html.py
index 854774587a..1f32354002 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smarts/html.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smarts/html.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ from calibre.utils.icu import utf16_length
 
 get_offset = itemgetter(0)
 PARAGRAPH_SEPARATOR = '\u2029'
+DEFAULT_LINK_TEMPLATE = '<a href="_TARGET_">_TEXT_</a>'
 
 
 class Tag(object):
@@ -407,18 +408,18 @@ class Smarts(NullSmarts):
             editor.setTextCursor(cursor)
         return editor.selected_text_from_cursor(cursor)
 
-    def insert_hyperlink(self, editor, target, text):
+    def insert_hyperlink(self, editor, target, text, template=None):
+        template = template or DEFAULT_LINK_TEMPLATE
+        template = template.replace('_TARGET_', prepare_string_for_xml(target, True))
+        offset = template.find('_TEXT_')
         editor.highlighter.join()
         c = editor.textCursor()
         if c.hasSelection():
             c.insertText('')  # delete any existing selected text
         ensure_not_within_tag_definition(c)
-        c.insertText('<a href="%s">' % prepare_string_for_xml(target, True))
-        p = c.position()
-        c.insertText('</a>')
+        p = c.position() + offset
+        c.insertText(template.replace('_TEXT_', text or ''))
         c.setPosition(p)  # ensure cursor is positioned inside the newly created tag
-        if text:
-            c.insertText(text)
         editor.setTextCursor(c)
 
     def insert_tag(self, editor, name):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
index 084dbbbb49..e4b6deb9bd 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
@@ -869,9 +869,9 @@ version="1.1" width="100%%" height="100%%" viewBox="0 0 {w} {h}" preserveAspectR
             c.setPosition(left + len(text), c.KeepAnchor)
         self.setTextCursor(c)
 
-    def insert_hyperlink(self, target, text):
+    def insert_hyperlink(self, target, text, template=None):
         if hasattr(self.smarts, 'insert_hyperlink'):
-            self.smarts.insert_hyperlink(self, target, text)
+            self.smarts.insert_hyperlink(self, target, text, template=template)
 
     def insert_tag(self, tag):
         if hasattr(self.smarts, 'insert_tag'):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/widget.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/widget.py
index 3db90cebbb..4f5827b632 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/widget.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/widget.py
@@ -234,8 +234,8 @@ class Editor(QMainWindow):
     def insert_image(self, href, fullpage=False, preserve_aspect_ratio=False, width=-1, height=-1):
         self.editor.insert_image(href, fullpage=fullpage, preserve_aspect_ratio=preserve_aspect_ratio, width=width, height=height)
 
-    def insert_hyperlink(self, href, text):
-        self.editor.insert_hyperlink(href, text)
+    def insert_hyperlink(self, href, text, template=None):
+        self.editor.insert_hyperlink(href, text, template=template)
 
     def _build_insert_tag_button_menu(self):
         m = self.insert_tag_menu
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/widgets.py
index bfc7c11bec..e81f70c394 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/widgets.py
@@ -671,8 +671,22 @@ class InsertLink(Dialog):
         t.setText(self.initial_text or '')
         t.setPlaceholderText(_('The (optional) text for the link'))
 
+        self.template_edit = t = QLineEdit(self)
+        tl.addRow(_('Tem&plate:'), t)
+        from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.editor.smarts.html import DEFAULT_LINK_TEMPLATE
+        t.setText(tprefs.get('insert-hyperlink-template', None) or DEFAULT_LINK_TEMPLATE)
+
         l.addWidget(self.bb)
 
+    def accept(self):
+        from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.editor.smarts.html import DEFAULT_LINK_TEMPLATE
+        t = self.template
+        if t:
+            if t == DEFAULT_LINK_TEMPLATE:
+                t = None
+            tprefs.set('insert-hyperlink-template', self.template)
+        return Dialog.accept(self)
+
     def selected_file_changed(self, *args):
         rows = list(self.file_names.selectionModel().selectedRows())
         if not rows:
@@ -722,6 +736,10 @@ class InsertLink(Dialog):
     def text(self):
         return unicode(self.text_edit.text()).strip()
 
+    @property
+    def template(self):
+        return self.template_edit.text().strip() or None
+
     @classmethod
     def test(cls):
         import sys