Insert links in word

You can add hyperlinks to your document that give your readers instant access to information in another part of the same document. The hyperlink can be text or graphics. By using hyperlinks, you can provide information to your readers without repeating the same information on different pages.

To add links that jump from one part of a document to another part of the same document, mark the destination and then add a link to it.

Mark the destination

Mark the hyperlink destination with a bookmark or a heading style.

Insert a bookmark

1. Select text or an item, or click where you want to insert a bookmark.

2. Click Insert > Bookmark.
   

3. Under Bookmark name, type a name.
   

   Note: Bookmark names need to begin with a letter. They can include both numbers and letters, but not spaces. If you need to separate words, you can use an underscore ( _ )—for example, First_heading.

4. Click Add.

Apply a heading style

Headings are automatically marked as a destination. All you need to do is apply one of the built-in heading styles.

1. Select the text to which you want to apply a heading style.

2. On the Home tab, click the style you want.
   

Add the link

After you’ve marked the destination, you’re ready to add the link.

1. Select the text or object you want to use as a hyperlink.

2. Right-click and then click Hyperlink .

3. Under Link to, click Place in This Document.

4. In the list, select the heading or bookmark that you want to link to.

   Note: To customize the Screen Tip that appears when you rest the pointer over the hyperlink, click ScreenTip, and then type the text that you want.

See Also

Add or delete bookmarks in a Word document or Outlook message

Add a PDF to your Office file

Use hyperlinks in a table of contents

Create a table of contents

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Word proposes several different ways to insert hyperlinks to the document:

The simplest way to insert a hyperlink in Word

Type the address starting from http:// or https://, www.; and Word automatically turns a web address into a link when you press Spacebar, Enter, or any punctuation sign.

Notes: If you don’t see the hyperlink after inserting the address, check it. If the address is correct, you probably have a problem with AutoCorrect options. See the note of the tip Insert an email hyperlink in a document.

Paste the link using the Clipboard

   1.   Copy the link to the Clipboard:

• Open the link that you would like to insert in the document the browser, select the link, and copy it to the Clipboard (for example, by clicking Ctrl+C),
• Type the URL in the document (or any other application such as Notepad), select the link, and copy or cut it to the Clipboard (for example, by clicking Ctrl+X).

   2.   Type the text for the link in your document and select it. For example, select the name of the company:

   3.   Right-click on the selected text, and select the copied link from the Link list in the popup menu:

Note: If you paste link copied from the Microsoft Edge, you can see the page title instead of the URL:

Instead of .

Pasting formatted links instead of URLs is a new feature of Microsoft Edge that is improved the copy and paste of web URLs. This feature copies and pastes a URL as a hyperlinked title instead of as a web address. Please don’t confuse the article title on the webpage and the web page title — they can be different!

To paste the URL copied from Microsoft Edge, do one of the following:

• On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the Paste drop-down list and then select Keep Text Only:

  

• Right-click where you want to paste the link and choose the Link option in the popup menu:

  

• Turn this feature off in Microsoft Edge:
  • In Microsoft Edge, click the Settings and More (Alt+F) button, then select Settings:

  

  • Under Settings, select Share, Copy & Paste:

  

  • Under Share, Copy & Paste, select the default option you want:
    • Link to paste the URL as a hyperlinked title,
    • Plain text to paste the URL as a web address.

  

Insert the link using the Hyperlink dialog box

   1.   Type the text for the link in your document and select it. For example, select the name of the company.

   2.   On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click the Link button (or click Ctrl+K on the keyboard):

   3.   In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box:

   3.1.   Make sure that the Text to display text box contains the correct text for the link,

   3.2.   Type the hyperlink address in the Address field:

   3.3.   Click OK to insert the hyperlink in the document:

Notes:

1. If you want to change the link, the text of the link, or the link’s screen tip, right-click it and choose Edit Hyperlink… in the popup menu:

   
2. If you want to delete the link, you can delete all the text of the hyperlink or right-click it and choose Remove Hyperlink in the popup menu (it removes hyperlink and leave the text).

Add, Edit or Remove Links or Hyperlinks in Word Documents

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated October 14, 2022

Applies to: Microsoft^® Word^® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)

You can easily add links or hyperlinks in Microsoft Word documents to add interactivity and make it easy for users to click a link to jump to another location in your document, to another file or web page or even to an email. You can also edit hyperlinks and remove individual hyperlinks or all hyperlinks.

Hyperlinks are often used to:

• Take the user to an external website.
• Take the user to another document or file on the same network or another place in the same document.
• Add a layer of text information over a word or phrase.

Hyperlinks can be displayed as full source URLs or internet addresses such as http://abccompany.ca, as descriptive text, as an image or as a drawing object.

Text as a hyperlink appears underlined and in a color (normally blue) and coordinates with the color theme in your document. In Word, the text color changes automatically after you Ctrl – click hyperlink text. Hyperlink objects do not change color.

Recommended article: 3 Microsoft Word Tricks to Keep Text Together

Do you want to learn more about Word? Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom Word courses >

Insert a hyperlink automatically

You can insert hyperlinks to web sites by typing the address of an existing web page (such as https://abccompany.com)  and then pressing Enter or Spacebar. Word will automatically convert the text to a hyperlink using AutoCorrect.

Insert a hyperlink to an existing web page

To insert a hyperlink to an existing file or web page:

1. Click where you want to insert a hyperlink or select the text, shape or image you want to use as a hyperlink.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Links group, click Link or Hyperlink. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box appears.
4. Under Link to, select Existing File or Web Page.
5. If you are using a text hyperlink, enter the descriptive text that will become the link text in the Text to display field.
6. In the Address field, enter or choose the address or location where the link should lead. For external references, enter or copy the URL in the Address field.
7. Click OK.

You can also press Ctrl + K to insert or edit a hyperlink.

Below is the Hyperlink dialog box:

Insert a hyperlink to an existing file

To insert a hyperlink to an existing file:

1. Click where you want to insert a hyperlink or select the text, shape or image you want to use as a hyperlink.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Links group, click Link or Hyperlink. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box appears.
4. Under Link to, select Existing File or Web Page.
5. If you are using a text hyperlink, enter the descriptive text that will become the link text in the Text to display field.
6. In the Look in field, click the down arrow and select the desired location. Navigate to the appropriate drive and folder and then double-click the file.
7. Click OK.

Use relative or absolute hyperlink addresses to external files

If you are creating hyperlinks to external files, it’s important to understand the difference between a relative and absolute address. A relative hyperlink uses the address relative to the address of the containing document whereas an absolute hyperlink uses the full address of the destination document including the drive location.

The following example uses an absolute hyperlink address (full path address):

C:DocumentsJanuaryBudget.docx

The following relative hyperlink contains only the relative address or path to a Budget document.

JanuaryBudget.docx

You may want to use a relative hyperlink address or path if you want to move or to copy your files to another location such as another server.

Create a hyperlink using the context menu

Another method of creating or editing hyperlinks is to right-click and use the context menu (you can also press Shift + F10 to display the context menu).

To insert a hyperlink using the context menu:

1. Click where you want to insert a hyperlink or select the text, shape or image you want to use as a hyperlink.
2. Right-click and choose Link or Hyperlink from the menu. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box appears.
3. Select the appropriate button under Link to. If you are creating an external link to a webpage or another document, select Existing File or Web Page. If you are creating an internal link within the document, select Place in This Document.
4. If you are using a text hyperlink, enter the descriptive text that will become the link text in the Text to display field.
5. In the address field, enter or choose the address or location where the link should lead. For external references, enter or copy the URL in the Address field. For place in the same document, select the appropriate item.
6. Click OK.

Insert a hyperlink to a location in the same document

To create a hyperlink to a bookmarked location in the same Word document:

1. Select the location, text, image or shape that you want to use as the destination for the hyperlink.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon and in the Links group, click Bookmark. A dialog box appears.
3. In the Bookmark name box, type a unique name for the bookmark and then click Add. You may not use spaces in the name of a bookmark.
4. Click where you wish to insert a hyperlink or select the text, shape or image you wish to use as a hyperlink.
5. Right-click and choose Link or Hyperlink from the menu. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box appears.
6. Under Link to, select Place in This Document.
7. Select the bookmark that you want to use as the destination hyperlink. Microsoft Word has a default bookmark to jump to the top of the document.
8. Click OK.

Below is the Bookmark dialog box in Microsoft Word:

To create a hyperlink to a built-in heading style in the same document:

1. Click where you want to insert a hyperlink or select the text, shape or image you want to use as a hyperlink.
2. Right-click and choose Link or Hyperlink from the menu. The Insert Hyperlink dialog appears.
3. Under Link to, select Place in This Document.
4. Select the heading that you want to use as the destination hyperlink. You must have applied built-in heading styles such as Heading 1, Heading 2, etc. in your document (normally through the Styles gallery in the Home tab in the Ribbon).
5. If you are using a text hyperlink, enter the descriptive text that will become the link text in the Text to display field.
6. Click OK.

In the following example, note both the headings and bookmarks that appear in the Hyperlink dialog box in a Word file that uses the built-in heading styles:

If you create a table of contents in Word using built-in heading styles, it normally contains hyperlinks to headings in the document. For more information, check out this article on Creating a Table of Contents in Microsoft Word.

Edit a hyperlink

To edit a hyperlink:

1. Right-click the hyperlink.
2. In the context menu, select Edit Hyperlink or Edit Link. The Edit Hyperlink dialog box appears.
3. Select the desired options.
4. Click OK.

You can also select a hyperlink and press Ctrl + K to edit it.

Add screen tips

You can include screen tip text that appears when you hover your cursor over a hyperlink.

To add screen tip text:

1. Place your cursor over the hyperlink to which you want to add a screen tip.
2. Right-click and select Edit Hyperlink or Edit Link from the drop-down menu. The Edit Hyperlink dialog appears.
3. Click ScreenTip on the top right.
4. Type your text in the ScreenTip text box.
5. Click OK twice.

Below is the Hyperlink ScreenTip dialog box:

Jump to a hyperlink

Hyperlinks become active when you save your document as a PDF (portable document format) or web page (HTML) file and users will be able to simply click them. However, in Microsoft Word, to jump to a hyperlink, you will need to point to the hyperlink then Ctrl-click the link.

Remove a single hyperlink

To remove a hyperlink:

1. Right-click the hyperlink you want to remove.
2. In the context menu, select Remove Hyperlink or Remove Link.

Removing all hyperlinks

To remove all hyperlinks:

1. Press Ctrl + A to select all.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + F9. All hyperlinks (and other fields) will be converted to text.

Hyperlinks can add a new dimension of interactivity to your Microsoft Word documents and when the files are saved in other formats such as PDF, they become active hyperlinks.

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Right-click the selected text, point to the “Link” option, and then click the “Insert Link” command. In the Insert Hyperlink window, select “Existing File or Web Page” on the left. Type (or copy and paste) the URL of the web page into the “Address” field. And then click “Ok” to save your hyperlink.

How do I create a clickable link in a Word document?

Select the text or picture that you want to display as a hyperlink. Press Ctrl+K. You can also right-click the text or picture and click Link on the shortcut menu. In the Insert Hyperlink box, type or paste your link in the Address box.

What is the shortcut key for insert hyperlink in Word document?

Press Ctrl+K to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

How do I create a link to a file?

Hold down Shift on your keyboard and right-click on the file, folder, or library for which you want a link. Then, select “Copy as path” in the contextual menu. If you’re using Windows 10, you can also select the item (file, folder, library) and click or tap on the “Copy as path” button from File Explorer’s Home tab.

How do I copy and paste a link in Word?

Highlight the link, right-click on it, and select “Copy.” Then, place your cursor in the Word document where you want the link to go. Right-click and select “Paste.”

Which keys are used to make a link?

Ctrl+K is used to Insert a hyperlink.

What is Ctrl N in MS Word?

Create a new document: Press Ctrl + N to create a new, untitled document. Save the current document: Press Ctrl + S to save the current document immediately. Open the Save As window: Press F12 to open the Save As dialog box to save the document with a specific filename or in a new folder.

How do you click a link without a mouse?

Just navigate using your keyboard to any cell containing a hyperlink, then use the keystroke to open the link.

Creating a shareable link makes it simple to share a document in an email, document, or IM.

1. Select Share.
2. Select Copy Link.
3. Paste the link wherever you want. Note: If you need to change any permissions for the link, select Link settings.

How do I send a link to a file?

From your email, click on Insert, then Pick HyperLink (or hit Control+K on your Keyboard) – From here you can Pick a file, then a folder and hit ok. Once you hit OK, the link will appear in the email. Be sure the recipient has access to the linked folder.

How do I create a direct link?

How to Create a Direct Link

1. Go to the website that contains the direct link you want to use and copy the web address from the address bar.
2. Open your web page document using an HTML editor and scroll to the area you want add a link to.
3. Follow the remaining steps below.
4. Add the following direct link to your HTML code:

How do I copy a URL and paste as a link?

How do I copy a URL link?

1. Right-click the URL you want to copy.
2. Select ‘copy’ from the popup menu.
3. Navigate to wherever you wish to share the link, right-click then paste.

How do I copy and paste a link?

If you want to copy a link from a webpage or app, tap and hold the link. From the pop-up menu, select “Copy Link Address.” Now, to paste the URL, find a text box somewhere. This can be a messaging app, the address bar in a new tab, a notes app, etc.

Which key is used with Ctrl to insert a hyperlink?

Ctrl-k
Open the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box
Via keyboard shortcut: Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-k . This will let you insert a new link where the cursor is positioned, or edit a link when the cursor is on a link. Via the ribbon: On the ribbon, click the Insert tab, and then, in the “Links” group, click Hyperlink.

What is the shortcut to insert hyperlink in worksheet?

Ctrl+ K: It is the shortcut key is used to insert hyperlinks in MS-Excel.

How do you make a link open in a new tab using the keyboard?

Simply open a link on a new tab by holding Control (Ctrl) and right clicking on the link you want to open. This will open the link to a new tab. This is on Windows.

What does Ctrl k do in Word?

In hypertext environments that use the control key to control the active program, control-K is often used to add, edit, or modify a hyperlink to a Web page. For example, this key combination is used in Windows versions of Microsoft Word and in many browser-based content management systems.

What is Ctrl P?

Alternatively referred to as Control+P and C-p, Ctrl+P is a keyboard shortcut most often used to print a document or page. Tip. On Apple computers, the keyboard shortcut for print is Command + P .

How do I enable Ctrl Shift V in Word?

Choose Macro in the Categories box and choose PasteSpecial in the Macros box. In Press new shortcut key box, enter ctrl + shift + V , then click Assign. Click OK to close the Word Options dialog.

Why are my Ctrl shortcuts not working?

Your keyboard might not be working due to dirt or other corrosion. We suggest shutting down your system, unplug the keyboard if you’re using a desktop, and prepare it for cleaning.Put the keyboard back together, plug it back into your computer, turn it on, and check if your hotkeys are working once more.

What is Ctrl and click?

While in a browser, pressing and holding Ctrl and then clicking any hyperlink opens that link in a new tab. This shortcut is helpful for when you’re reading a web page and are interested in a link, but want to continue reading the current page.