The fastest way to add a hyperlink in Word

To create a hyperlink in Word, select the text you want to link, then press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Command+K (Mac). A dialog box opens where you paste the web address or file path. Click OK, and the text turns blue and underlined — that's your hyperlink.

You can also right-click the selected text, choose "Link" from the menu, and fill in the address the same way. Both methods take about five seconds once you know where to look.

If you want to link to a file on your computer instead of a website, the dialog box has a "Browse" button that lets you navigate to the file rather than typing a path. This is useful when you're linking to another Word document, a PDF, or a spreadsheet in the same folder.

Key Takeaways

  • Select text first, then press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Command+K (Mac) to open the hyperlink dialog.
  • Paste the full web address (starting with http:// or https://) into the address field and click OK.
  • You can link to files on your computer by clicking Browse instead of typing a web address.
  • Right-click any hyperlink and choose "Remove Link" to delete it without deleting the text itself.
  • Hyperlinks in Word work the same way in .docx files whether you open them in Word, Google Docs, or other editors.

Linking to websites and web pages

When you link to a website, you need the full address starting with http:// or https://. If you copy a link from your browser's address bar, it already has this. Paste it into the address field in the hyperlink dialog and click OK.

The text you selected stays visible in the document — it just becomes clickable. When someone opens the document and clicks that text, their browser opens to the address you entered. The text itself doesn't change to show the address; it stays as whatever you originally typed.

If you want the hyperlink to open a specific part of a webpage (like a section further down), you can add a hash anchor to the end of the address — for example, https://example.com/page#section-name. Not all websites support this, but many do.

Linking to files on your computer or network

To link to another file — like a PDF, spreadsheet, or another Word document — select your text and open the hyperlink dialog with Ctrl+K. Instead of pasting a web address, click the Browse button (or "Browse for File" depending on your Word version).

Navigate to the file you want to link to and click it once to select it, then click OK. Word inserts the file path as the hyperlink. When someone clicks the link, that file opens on their computer — but only if they have the file in the same location or if the file is stored on a shared network drive they can access.

This approach works best when you're sharing documents with people in your organization who all have access to the same shared folder or network location. If you email the document to someone outside your network, the link may break because they won't have access to the file path.

Changing or removing a hyperlink

To edit a hyperlink you've already created, right-click it and choose "Edit Link" (or "Edit Hyperlink" in some Word versions). The dialog opens again, and you can change the address or the display text. Click OK to save your changes.

If you want to remove the hyperlink but keep the text, right-click the hyperlink and choose "Remove Link". The text stays in your document, but it's no longer clickable and no longer appears in blue.

To change just the text that displays (while keeping the same address), right-click the hyperlink, choose "Edit Link", and look for a field labeled "Display Text" or "Text to Display". Change it there and click OK. This is useful when you want the visible text to say something different from the actual web address.

Hyperlinks in different Word formats and versions

Hyperlinks work the same way in Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 2021, and Microsoft 365 (the subscription version). The keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K works in all of them. If you're using an older version like Word 2010, the process is identical.

If you save your document as a .docx file (the standard format), hyperlinks stay intact when you open it in Google Docs, LibreOffice, or other editors. The link still works and still appears blue and underlined. If you save as .pdf, hyperlinks remain clickable in the PDF.

If you save as .doc (the older Word format), hyperlinks still work, but some formatting may shift slightly. For documents you plan to share or store long-term, .docx is the safer choice because it's more widely supported.

Making hyperlinks visible and managing them

By default, hyperlinks appear in blue and underlined so readers know they're clickable. If you want to see all the hyperlinks in your document at once, press Ctrl+A to select all text, then right-click and choose "Edit Links". This shows you every hyperlink in the document and lets you update or remove them in bulk.

If a hyperlink's address changes and you want to update it everywhere it appears, use this bulk edit feature. Select the old address, type the new one, and click "Update" — Word changes it in every place you used it.

If you want hyperlinks to not show as blue underlined text (for example, if you're formatting a document with a specific design), you can change the hyperlink style. Go to the Home tab, right-click the "Hyperlink" style in the Styles panel, choose "Modify", and change the color and formatting. This affects all hyperlinks in the document.

Troubleshooting hyperlinks that don't work

If you click a hyperlink and nothing happens, the most common reason is that Word is in edit mode rather than read mode. Press Ctrl and click the hyperlink instead of just clicking it. In read-only mode or when viewing the document in a browser, a single click works.

If a web address hyperlink doesn't open a browser, check that the address starts with http:// or https://. If you typed just "example.com" without the protocol, Word may not recognize it as a web address. Edit the link and add the protocol at the beginning.

If a file hyperlink doesn't work, the file may have moved or been deleted. Right-click the hyperlink, choose "Edit Link", and use the Browse button to navigate to the file's new location. If the file no longer exists, remove the hyperlink or replace it with a new one pointing to the correct file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a hyperlink to an email address?

Yes. Select your text, press Ctrl+K, and in the address field type mailto:name@example.com. When someone clicks the link, their default email program opens with a new message addressed to that email. This works in Word and in most other editors that support hyperlinks.

What's the difference between a hyperlink and a bookmark?

A hyperlink is a clickable link that takes you somewhere — a website, a file, or an email. A bookmark is a named location within your document. You can create a hyperlink that points to a bookmark, so clicking the link jumps to that spot in the same document. Bookmarks are useful for long documents with a table of contents.

Do hyperlinks work if I save the document as a PDF?

Yes. When you save a Word document as a PDF, all hyperlinks stay clickable. Web address links open in a browser, and file links open the file (if the reader has access to it). The links appear the same way they did in Word.

Can I see the actual web address without clicking the hyperlink?

Yes. Hover your mouse over the hyperlink for a moment, and a tooltip appears showing the full address. You can also right-click the hyperlink, choose "Edit Link", and read the address in the dialog box without changing anything.

What happens if I move a file that a hyperlink points to?

The hyperlink breaks because it's looking for the file at the old location. You'll need to edit the hyperlink and use Browse to point it to the file's new location. To avoid this, store linked files in a shared folder that doesn't move, or use web addresses instead of file paths when possible.