The two ways to add a link in Word

You can turn text or an image into a clickable link in Word using either the keyboard shortcut or the menu. The keyboard method is faster once you know it; the menu method shows you more options. Both take under a minute.

A link in Word works the same way it does on a webpage — someone reading the document can click it to jump to a website, an email address, or another part of the same document. The link stays active whether you read the document on screen or print it (though printed links won't be clickable).

Key Takeaways

  • The fastest way to add a link is to select your text, press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac), type or paste the web address, and press Enter.
  • If you use the Insert menu instead, you get options to change the link text, add a tooltip, or link to a bookmark within the same document.
  • You can link to a website, an email address, a file on your computer, or a specific heading or bookmark in the current document.
  • To remove a link, right-click it and choose Remove Link, or select it and press Ctrl+Shift+F9.

Using the keyboard shortcut (the fast way)

Select the text you want to turn into a link. Click at the start of the word or phrase, hold down your mouse button, and drag to the end. The text will highlight in blue.

Press Ctrl+K on Windows or Cmd+K on Mac. A small dialog box will appear with a field labeled "Address". Paste or type the full web address — for example, https://www.example.com. Do not leave off the https:// part, or Word may not recognize it as a web link.

Press Enter. The text will turn blue and underlined, and the link is now active. If you hover your cursor over it, a small preview will appear showing the address.

Using the Insert menu (more control)

Select the text you want to link, then go to the Insert tab at the top of the ribbon. Click Link (or Hyperlink depending on your Word version). A larger dialog box opens.

In the field labeled "Address", type or paste the web address. You will see the selected text appears in a field labeled "Display Text" — this is what readers see. You can change it here if you want the link text to say something different from the address itself.

If you want to add a tooltip (text that appears when someone hovers over the link), click the ScreenTip button, type your message, and click OK. Then click OK again to create the link.

Linking to an email address

Select your text and press Ctrl+K (or use Insert > Link). In the dialog, type mailto: followed when ready by the email address with no space — for example, mailto:contact@example.com. Press Enter.

When someone clicks this link in the digital version of your document, their email program will open with a new message addressed to that email. This only works in the on-screen version; printed documents cannot trigger email.

Linking to another part of the same document

First, create a bookmark at the location you want to link to. Click where you want the bookmark, go to Insert > Bookmark, give it a straightforward name (no spaces), and click Add.

Now select the text you want to turn into a link. Press Ctrl+K, and in the dialog box, look for a button labeled Place in This Document or a similar option. Select the bookmark you just created from the list. Click OK.

This is useful in long documents where you want readers to jump from a table of contents to a section, or from one chapter to another without scrolling.

Removing or editing a link

To remove a link entirely, right-click it and select Remove Link. The text stays in your document but is no longer clickable. Alternatively, select the link and press Ctrl+Shift+F9.

To change where the link points, right-click it and select Edit Link. The dialog box opens again and you can type a new address. To change the text that readers see, select the text itself (not the link) and edit it as you would any other text.

Why a link might not work

The most common reason is a missing or incorrect web address. Word does not check whether the address is real — it just creates the link. If you type example.com instead of https://www.example.com, the link may not open correctly.

Links also behave differently depending on how the document is shared. A link to a file on your computer will not work for someone else unless that file is in the exact same folder on their computer. For shared documents, use web addresses instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a link out of an image instead of text?

Yes. Right-click the image and select Link (or go to Insert > Link with the image selected). Type the address the same way you would for text. The image itself becomes clickable.

What if I want the link text to say something different from the web address?

Use the Insert menu method. After you type the address in the Address field, look for the Display Text field and type what you want readers to see. For example, the address could be a long URL but the display text could say "Click here for more information".

Do links work the same way in Word Online as in the desktop version?

Mostly yes. The keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K works in both. Word Online has fewer options in the dialog box, but basic web links and email links work identically. Bookmarks and links to files on your computer work better in the desktop version.

Can I change the color of a link?

Yes, but it requires changing the document's style settings rather than formatting the link itself. Go to Design > Colors and choose a color scheme, or right-click a link, select Styles, and modify the Hyperlink style. This changes all links in the document at once.

What happens to links if I save the document as a PDF?

Links stay active in the PDF. Web links and email links work the same way. Links to other parts of the document or to files on your computer may not work in the PDF depending on how it was converted.