What a clickable link is and why you need one

A clickable link is text or an image that takes you somewhere else when you click it — to another webpage, a different part of the same page, an email address, or a file on your computer. Instead of typing out a long URL, you click the words "click here" or "learn more" and arrive at the destination.

Clickable links make documents easier to read and navigation faster. They also let you hide long, ugly URLs behind readable text. When you share a document with others, clickable links work the same way for them — the link stays active whether they open the file on their computer, in the cloud, or on their phone.

Key Takeaways

  • In most programs, you highlight text, right-click, and choose "Link" or "Insert Link" to turn it into a clickable link.
  • You can link to a webpage (paste the full URL starting with http://), an email address (type mailto: before the address), or a file on your computer (use the file path or browse to select it).
  • In Google Docs and Microsoft Word, the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K (Windows) or Command+K (Mac) opens the link dialog faster than right-clicking.
  • Test every link after you create it by holding Ctrl and clicking it, or by opening the document in a different program to make sure it works.
  • If you move a file that a link points to, the link will break — keep files in the same folder or use cloud storage so links stay active.

Creating a link in Microsoft Word

Open your document and highlight the text you want to turn into a link. Press Ctrl+K on Windows or Command+K on Mac. A dialog box labeled "Insert Hyperlink" will open.

In the "Address" field at the bottom, paste the full URL of the webpage you want to link to — for example, https://www.example.com. If you want to link to a file on your computer instead, click "Browse" next to "Address" and navigate to the file. Click "OK" and the text will turn blue and underlined, showing it is now a clickable link.

To test the link, hold Ctrl and click it. Your browser should open to the webpage, or the file should open in the correct program. If the link does not work, right-click the text, choose "Edit Hyperlink," and check that the address is correct.

Creating a link in Google Docs

Highlight the text you want to link. Press Ctrl+K on Windows or Command+K on Mac. A small popup will appear with a text field.

Paste the full URL into the field — for example, https://www.example.com — and press Enter. The text will turn blue and underlined. Google Docs does not let you link to files on your computer the same way Word does, but you can link to files stored in Google Drive by pasting the sharing link.

To test the link, hold Ctrl and click it. If you need to change where the link points, click the text, press Ctrl+K again, and edit the URL in the popup.

Creating a link to an email address

Highlight the text you want to turn into a link — for example, "contact us" or "email support." Press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Command+K (Mac).

In the address field, type mailto: followed when ready by the email address with no space — for example, mailto:support@example.com. Click OK. When someone clicks this link, their default email program will open with a new message addressed to that email.

If you want the email to have a subject line already filled in, use mailto:support@example.com?subject=Help%20Request. Replace spaces in the subject with %20.

Creating a link in Google Sheets and Excel

Click the cell where you want the link. Right-click and choose "Insert Link" (Google Sheets) or "Link" (Excel). A dialog will open.

Paste the URL into the address field and click OK. The cell will show the link in blue. You can also type text that will display instead of the URL — in Excel, click "Display Text" and type what you want to show; in Google Sheets, the text you want to display goes in the first field and the URL goes in the second.

To click the link without editing the cell, hold Ctrl and click it. If you need to edit the link later, right-click the cell and choose "Edit Link."

Creating a link in web pages and HTML

If you are writing HTML code directly, use the anchor tag. Type <a href="https://www.example.com">click here</a>, replacing the URL with your destination and "click here" with the text you want to display.

For email links, use <a href="mailto:support@example.com">email us</a>. If you are using a website builder like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress, look for a link icon in the editor toolbar — it usually looks like a chain link — highlight your text, click the icon, and paste the URL.

Fixing broken links and keeping them working

A link breaks when the webpage no longer exists, the file you linked to gets moved or deleted, or the URL changes. To avoid this, keep files in the same folder as your document, or use cloud storage like Google Drive or OneDrive so the file path stays the same even if you move your computer.

If you share a document with links to files on your computer, those links will not work for other people — they can only see files on their own computer. Use cloud storage or link to webpages instead. If a webpage link breaks, search for the new URL and update the link by right-clicking it and choosing "Edit Hyperlink" or "Edit Link."

Test links before you share a document. Hold Ctrl and click each one, or open the document in a different program to make sure they still work. In Word, you can also right-click a link and choose "Open Hyperlink" to test it without holding Ctrl.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make an image into a clickable link?

Yes. Right-click the image and choose "Link" or "Insert Link," then paste the URL or file path the same way you would for text. The image will stay visible but will now be clickable.

What if I want the link to open in a new tab or window?

In Word and Google Docs, right-click the link and look for an option like "Open Link in New Tab" or "Open Link in New Window." In HTML, add target="_blank" to the anchor tag: <a href="https://www.example.com" target="_blank">click here</a>.

How do I link to a specific part of a webpage or document?

In Word, you can link to a heading or bookmark in the same document by pressing Ctrl+K, clicking "Place in This Document," and selecting the heading. For webpages, you need the anchor link from the website — ask the website owner or check the page source code for the anchor name, then add a hash and the name to the URL: https://www.example.com#section-name.

Why does my link show the URL instead of the text I chose?

In Google Docs, make sure you put the display text in the first field and the URL in the second. In Word, check that you typed the text you wanted to display before pressing Ctrl+K. If the URL is showing instead, right-click the link, choose "Edit Hyperlink," and make sure the "Display Text" field has the text you want.

Can I change the color of a link?

In Word, right-click the link, choose "Styles," and then "Modify Style" to change the color for all links in the document. In Google Docs, you can change individual link colors by selecting the link and using the text color tool. In HTML, use CSS to style links with the a tag selector.