Word automatically converts web addresses and email addresses into clickable links — here's how to stop it

When you type a web address like www.example.com or an email like name@example.com into a Word document, Word converts it to a hyperlink automatically. If you do not want this to happen, you can disable the feature in Word's settings, remove links from individual words, or turn off the automatic linking for a specific document. The method you choose depends on whether you want to stop the behavior permanently or just for one document.

Hyperlinks in Word are useful for sharing documents that need clickable references, but they can get in the way if you are writing something that mentions web addresses or emails without intending them to be interactive. Disabling them takes less than a minute.

Key Takeaways

  • You can disable automatic hyperlinking in Word's AutoCorrect settings, which stops Word from converting web addresses and emails into links as you type.
  • To remove a single hyperlink from a word or phrase, right-click it and select "Remove Hyperlink" from the menu.
  • Disabling the feature in AutoCorrect affects all new documents you create, but does not change links already in existing documents.
  • You can also select all content in a document and remove every hyperlink at once using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+F9.

Disable automatic hyperlinking in AutoCorrect settings

Word's AutoCorrect feature is what turns URLs and email addresses into links as you type. To turn this off, open Word and go to File in the top left corner. Click Options at the bottom of the menu that appears.

In the Word Options window, select Proofing from the left sidebar, then click AutoCorrect Options. A new window will open. Click the AutoFormat As You Type tab at the top. Look for the checkbox labeled Internet and network paths with hyperlinks and uncheck it. Click OK twice to save your changes and close both windows.

From this point forward, Word will not automatically convert web addresses or email addresses into hyperlinks in new documents. This setting applies to all future documents you create in Word, but it does not remove links from documents you have already written.

Remove a single hyperlink from your document

If you only want to remove one or two hyperlinks from a document, you do not need to change your settings. Right-click the hyperlinked word or phrase directly. A menu will appear with several options. Select Remove Hyperlink. The text will stay in your document, but it will no longer be a clickable link.

This method works whether the hyperlink was created automatically or you added it manually. The text itself remains unchanged — only the link formatting is removed.

Remove all hyperlinks from a document at once

If your document contains many hyperlinks and you want to remove them all, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+F9. First, select all the text in your document by pressing Ctrl+A. Then press Ctrl+Shift+F9. Every hyperlink in the document will be removed, but all your text will remain exactly as it was.

This is the fastest way to clean up a document that has accumulated many links. The shortcut works in Word on both Windows and Mac computers.

Turn off hyperlinks for a single document without changing your settings

If you want to keep automatic hyperlinking turned on for future documents but disable it temporarily for one document you are working on now, you can select all the text and remove the links without touching your AutoCorrect settings. Press Ctrl+A to select everything, then Ctrl+Shift+F9 to remove all hyperlinks. Your AutoCorrect settings stay the same, so new documents will still create links automatically.

This approach is useful when you are editing a document that someone else created and sent you with many hyperlinks you do not need, or when you are writing something like a list of URLs that should appear as plain text rather than clickable links.

Understand when you might want hyperlinks on or off

Hyperlinks are helpful when you are sharing a document with others who will read it on a screen and may want to visit the websites or email addresses you mention. They are less useful when you are writing a document meant to be printed, or when you are drafting something internally where clickable links would be distracting.

If you work with both types of documents, you might leave automatic hyperlinking turned on in your settings and straightforward remove links from individual documents as needed. This gives you the most flexibility without requiring you to change your settings back and forth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will removing hyperlinks delete the text?

No. Removing a hyperlink removes only the link formatting and the clickable behavior. The text itself stays in your document exactly as you typed it. You can remove a hyperlink and the words will still be there.

If I disable automatic hyperlinking, will it affect documents I already created?

No. Changing your AutoCorrect settings only affects new documents you create after the change. Any hyperlinks already in existing documents will stay as they are. You will need to remove them manually using the right-click method or the Ctrl+Shift+F9 shortcut if you want them gone.

Can I turn automatic hyperlinking back on after I disable it?

Yes. Go back to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type and check the box for Internet and network paths with hyperlinks again. The setting will take effect when ready for new documents.

Does the Ctrl+Shift+F9 shortcut work on Mac?

Yes, the shortcut works the same way on Mac. Select all text with Cmd+A, then press Ctrl+Shift+F9 to remove all hyperlinks at once.