The quickest way to add a link in Word
To add a link in Microsoft Word, select the text you want to turn into a link, then press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Command+K (Mac). A dialog box opens where you paste or type the web address. Click OK, and Word turns that text into a clickable link.
That keyboard shortcut works the same way in Word Online, Word on Mac, and Word on Windows. If you forget the shortcut, you can also go to the Insert tab at the top, find the Link button, and click it — but the keyboard shortcut is faster once you use it a few times.
The link appears underlined and in blue. When someone opens your document and clicks that link, it takes them to the web address you entered. If you share the document as a PDF or print it, the link still works in the PDF but not on paper.
Key Takeaways
- Select text, press Ctrl+K (or Command+K on Mac), paste the web address, and click OK to create a link in seconds.
- You can link to a website, an email address, or another place within the same document by choosing the right option in the dialog box.
- To change or remove a link later, right-click it and choose Edit Link or Remove Link from the menu.
- Links stay active when you save the document as .docx or convert it to PDF, but they do not work on printed pages.
Linking to a website or web page
When you open the link dialog with Ctrl+K, you see a field labeled Address. Paste the full web address there — it should start with http:// or https://. If you copy a link from your browser's address bar, it already has this, so just paste it directly.
Word automatically adds https:// if you type only the domain name (like example.com), so you do not have to type the whole thing. The Display Text field shows what the reader sees — usually the text you selected. You can change this to anything you want; the actual link address stays hidden underneath.
If you want the link to open in a new tab or window when someone clicks it, look for an option called Open link in a new window or similar, depending on your Word version. Check that box before you click OK.
Linking to an email address
To create a link that opens someone's email program when clicked, select your text and press Ctrl+K. In the dialog box, look for a button or option that says Email Address or E-mail Link. Click it, and the address field changes to ask for an email instead of a web address.
Type or paste the email address — just the address itself, without mailto: at the start. Word adds that automatically. You can also add a subject line in the Subject field if you want the email to open with a pre-filled subject line.
When someone clicks this link in Word, their default email program opens with a new message addressed to that person. This only works if they have an email program set up on their computer; it does not work in Word Online unless they have Outlook installed.
Linking to another part of the same document
You can link to a heading, a bookmark, or a specific page elsewhere in the same document. Select your text and press Ctrl+K. In the dialog, look for an option called Place in This Document or Bookmark. Click it, and Word shows you a list of all the headings and bookmarks in your document.
If you have used the Heading 1, Heading 2, or other heading styles on your document, they appear in this list automatically. Click the heading you want to link to, and Word creates a link that jumps straight to that section when clicked. This is useful for a table of contents or for jumping between chapters in a long document.
If you want to link to a spot that is not a heading, you can create a bookmark first. Go to the location you want to link to, click the Insert tab, find Bookmark, give it a name, and click Add. Then create your link as usual and choose that bookmark from the list.
Editing or removing a link you already made
To change a link after you create it, right-click the blue underlined text. A menu appears with options including Edit Link or Edit Hyperlink. Click that, and the same dialog opens where you can change the address or the display text.
To remove a link entirely, right-click it and choose Remove Link or Remove Hyperlink. The text stays in your document but is no longer blue or clickable. You can also select the link and press Ctrl+Shift+F9 to remove all links at once, though this is less common.
If you want to see all the links in your document at once, press Ctrl+A to select everything, then right-click and look for an option to show or edit all links. This is helpful if you need to update many links or check that they all still work.
Why links sometimes do not work the way you expect
Links in Word Online work differently than links in the desktop version. In Word Online, you can create and click links, but some advanced options (like linking to a bookmark) may not be available. If you need full link control, use the desktop version of Word instead.
If you share a Word document with someone and they cannot click the links, they may need to hold Ctrl while clicking (Windows) or Command while clicking (Mac) to follow the link. This is a safety feature to prevent accidental clicks while editing. In a PDF version of the same document, links work with a single click.
Links do not work in documents saved as .doc (the older Word format). If your document is in .doc format and links are not working, save it as .docx instead. You can do this by going to File > Save As and choosing Word Document (.docx) from the format list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the color of a link so it does not look blue?
Yes. Select the link text, then use the font color tool in the toolbar to change its color. The link still works even if it is not blue — the underline is what tells readers it is clickable. You can also remove the underline by selecting the link and pressing Ctrl+U, though this makes it harder for readers to spot.
What happens to links when I convert a Word document to PDF?
Links stay active in a PDF. When someone opens the PDF and clicks a link to a website, it opens in their browser. Links to email addresses and links to other pages in the same document also work. The only links that break are those pointing to other Word documents or files on your computer.
Can I link to a specific page in a PDF or another Word document?
You can link to another Word document, but linking to a specific page in a PDF is not straightforward in Word. The simplest approach is to link to the whole PDF file and let the reader navigate to the page they need. If you need to link to a specific PDF page, you may need to use a PDF editor or create the link manually by adding a page number to the PDF link.
How do I know if a link is broken?
Word does not automatically check links, so a broken link may not show any sign until someone clicks it. To check links manually, hold Ctrl and click each one to see if it still works. If you share documents regularly, checking links before sending them out prevents frustration for the reader.