diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/importer/util/FileFieldParser.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/importer/util/FileFieldParser.java
index cdbb1818807..9c51c7468fc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/importer/util/FileFieldParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/importer/util/FileFieldParser.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package org.jabref.logic.importer.util;
 
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -65,7 +67,20 @@ private static LinkedFile convert(List<String> entry) {
         while (entry.size() < 3) {
             entry.add("");
         }
-        LinkedFile field = new LinkedFile(entry.get(0), Path.of(entry.get(1)), entry.get(2));
+
+        LinkedFile field = null;
+        if (LinkedFile.isOnlineLink(entry.get(1))) {
+            try {
+                field = new LinkedFile(new URL(entry.get(1)), entry.get(2));
+            } catch (MalformedURLException ignored) {
+                // ignored
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (field == null) {
+            field = new LinkedFile(entry.get(0), Path.of(entry.get(1)), entry.get(2));
+        }
+
         // link is only mandatory field
         if (field.getDescription().isEmpty() && field.getLink().isEmpty() && !field.getFileType().isEmpty()) {
             field = new LinkedFile("", Path.of(field.getFileType()), "");
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/model/entry/LinkedFile.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/model/entry/LinkedFile.java
index d06e4d956e2..ba98a8ba14e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/model/entry/LinkedFile.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/model/entry/LinkedFile.java
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ private void readObject(ObjectInputStream in) throws IOException {
      * @param toCheck The String to check
      * @return <code>true</code>, if it starts with "http://", "https://" or contains "www."; <code>false</code> otherwise
      */
-    private boolean isOnlineLink(String toCheck) {
+    public static boolean isOnlineLink(String toCheck) {
         String normalizedFilePath = toCheck.trim().toLowerCase();
         return normalizedFilePath.startsWith("http://") || normalizedFilePath.startsWith("https://") || normalizedFilePath.contains("www.");
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/bibtex/FileFieldWriterTest.java b/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/bibtex/FileFieldWriterTest.java
index 38fdbc465ff..7305ebbcfb3 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/bibtex/FileFieldWriterTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/bibtex/FileFieldWriterTest.java
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 package org.jabref.logic.bibtex;
 
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
 
 import org.jabref.logic.importer.util.FileFieldParser;
 import org.jabref.model.entry.LinkedFile;
@@ -31,6 +34,24 @@ public void parseCorrectInput() {
                 FileFieldParser.parse(input));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void parseCorrectOnlineInput() throws MalformedURLException {
+        String input = ":http\\://arxiv.org/pdf/2010.08497v1:PDF";
+        String inputURL = "http://arxiv.org/pdf/2010.08497v1";
+        List<LinkedFile> expected = Collections.singletonList(new LinkedFile(new URL(inputURL), "PDF"));
+
+        assertEquals(expected, FileFieldParser.parse(input));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void parseFaultyOnlineInput() {
+        String input = ":htt\\://arxiv.org/pdf/2010.08497v1:PDF";
+        String inputURL = "htt://arxiv.org/pdf/2010.08497v1";
+        List<LinkedFile> expected = Collections.singletonList(new LinkedFile("", Path.of(inputURL), "PDF"));
+
+        assertEquals(expected, FileFieldParser.parse(input));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void ingoreMissingDescription() {
         String input = ":wei2005ahp.pdf:PDF";