To insert a hyperlink in Microsoft Word, select the text you want to turn into a link, press Ctrl+K (or go to the Insert tab and click Link), paste the web address into the Address box, and click OK. On a Mac, the shortcut is Command+K.
The same dialog box can also link to a heading or bookmark in the same document, an email address, or a file on your computer. Even quicker: type a full web address and press the Spacebar or Enter, and Word turns it into a link automatically.
Quick Answer
- Select the text or picture you want to make clickable.
- Press Ctrl+K on Windows or Command+K on Mac, or go to Insert, then Link.
- Type or paste the web address into the Address box.
- Click OK. The text turns blue and underlined.
- To test it, hold Ctrl and click the link.
In This Guide
- Before you start
- Insert a link to a web page (Windows)
- Link to a place in the same document
- Link to an email address or a file
- Insert a hyperlink in Word for Mac
- Insert a hyperlink in Word for the web
- Edit or remove a hyperlink
- Which type of link should you use?
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Start
A hyperlink is clickable text or an image that takes the reader somewhere else: a website, another part of the document, a new email message or a file. This guide covers Word in Microsoft 365, Word 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows, Word for Mac, and Word for the web, as of September 2026.
- Have the destination ready. For a web link, copy the full address from your browser’s address bar.
- Choose clear link text. “Download the 2026 budget report” tells readers more than “click here” and is easier for screen reader users to understand.
- The Windows steps below follow Microsoft’s Create or edit a hyperlink guide.
Insert a Link to a Web Page (Windows)
- Select the text or picture you want to use as the link.
- Open the link dialog in one of three ways: press Ctrl+K, go to the Insert tab and click Link, or right-click the selection and choose Link. Expected result: The Insert Hyperlink dialog box opens with Existing File or Web Page selected on the left.
- Click in the Address box and paste or type the web address, including https:// if you have it.
- Check the Text to display box. It shows your selected text; change it here if you want different wording.
- Optional: click ScreenTip and type a short note that appears when someone hovers over the link, then click OK.
- Click OK. Expected result: The text turns into a link, usually blue and underlined.
- Hold Ctrl and click the link to test it. Expected result: The web page opens in your default browser.
The automatic way
If you don’t need friendly link text, type the full web address (for example, www.example.com) and press the Spacebar or Enter. Word converts it into a live link automatically. You can then right-click it and choose Edit Hyperlink to change the text that’s shown.
Link to a Place in the Same Document
Internal links let readers jump to another section, which is useful in long reports, manuals and contracts. Word can link to any heading (text formatted with a Heading style) or any bookmark (a named spot you mark yourself). Microsoft explains both in Add hyperlinks to a location within the same document.
Step 1: Mark the destination
Use a heading if the destination is a section title:
- Click in the section title.
- On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click Heading 1, Heading 2 or another heading style.
Use a bookmark for any other spot, such as a table or a paragraph:
- Select the text or click where you want the link to land.
- Go to Insert, then in the Links group click Bookmark.
- Type a name. Bookmark names must start with a letter and can contain letters and numbers but no spaces; use an underscore instead, such as Budget_Table.
- Click Add.
Step 2: Create the link
- Select the text that will become the link.
- Press Ctrl+K or right-click and choose Link.
- Click Place in This Document on the left. Expected result: A list shows your headings and bookmarks.
- Select the heading or bookmark and click OK.
If you need a clickable list of every section, a table of contents or the Navigation pane may be faster; see how to add navigation to a Word document. For references like “see Figure 3” that update automatically, use a cross-reference in Word instead.
Link to an Email Address or a File
Email address
- Select the text, then press Ctrl+K.
- Click E-mail Address on the left.
- Type the address in the E-mail address box. (Word may add mailto: in front of it; that’s normal and tells the computer to open an email program.)
- Optional: type a Subject. Some web browsers and email programs might not recognize the subject line.
- Click OK. Expected result: Clicking the link opens a new message to that address in the reader’s email program.
File on your computer or network
- Select the text, then press Ctrl+K.
- Under Existing File or Web Page, browse to the file and select it.
- Click OK.
Before you share the document, note that a link to a file on your own computer only works for people who can reach that same location. For shared documents, store the file in OneDrive, SharePoint or a shared network folder, and link to it there.
Insert a Hyperlink in Word for Mac
Word for Mac uses slightly different labels in the link dialog. These steps follow Microsoft’s guide to creating hyperlinks in Office for Mac.
- Select the text or picture.
- Press Command+K, or go to the Insert tab and click Link.
- Choose the link type at the top of the dialog: Web Page or File, This Document or Email Address.
- For a web page, type the address in the Address box. For This Document, expand the list and choose a heading or bookmark. For Email Address, type the address and an optional subject.
- Optional: click ScreenTip to add hover text.
- Click OK.
To add a bookmark on a Mac, go to Insert, then Bookmark, type a name without spaces and click Add.
Insert a Hyperlink in Word for the Web
Word for the web, the free browser version, has a simpler link dialog. See Microsoft’s Links in Word for the web page for details.
- Select the text.
- Go to Insert, then Link (if a menu appears, choose Insert Link).
- Type the text you want shown in Display text and the web address in Enter Link.
- To link to an email address, type mailto: followed by the address in Enter Link.
- To link to a heading or bookmark in the document, select Headings and Bookmarks on the right side of the dialog and choose the destination.
- Click Insert.
On a touch screen, tap and hold a link to see its editing commands.
Edit or Remove a Hyperlink
Change a link’s address or text
- Right-click the link and choose Edit Hyperlink (Edit Link in Word for the web).
- Change the Address or Text to display, then click OK.
For more ways to change what a link says, see our guide on how to rename a hyperlink in Word. To change a link’s color or underline, right-click it and choose Font.
Remove one link but keep the text
Right-click the link and choose Remove Hyperlink. The text stays in place as plain text. Selecting the link and pressing Delete removes the text too.
Remove all links in a document
Warning: this shortcut unlinks every field in the document, not just hyperlinks. A table of contents, automatic page numbers, dates and cross-references also become fixed plain text. Save a copy first if your document has those.
- Press Ctrl+A to select everything.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+F9.
Microsoft covers these options in Remove or turn off hyperlinks.
Tips for Clear, Safe Links
- Use descriptive link text. “Download the quarterly report” tells readers and screen-reader users more than a raw URL or “click here”.
- Be careful with links to files on your PC. A link to C:\Users\… only works on your computer. If others need the file, store it in a shared location such as OneDrive or SharePoint and link to that.
- Check links in documents from others. Hover over a link to see its real address before you Ctrl+click it, especially if the file arrived unexpectedly.
Which Type of Link Should You Use?
| You want readers to… | Choose (Windows) | Choose (Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| Open a website | Existing File or Web Page | Web Page or File |
| Jump to another section | Place in This Document | This Document |
| Send you an email | E-mail Address | Email Address |
| Open a shared file | Existing File or Web Page (link to OneDrive or a network path) | Web Page or File |
If the document will be printed or saved as a PDF, write out important web addresses as well, so readers of a paper copy can still find them.
Troubleshooting
Clicking the link doesn’t open it
By default, Word on Windows requires you to hold Ctrl while clicking a link. To follow links with a normal click, go to File, then Options, then Advanced, and under Editing options clear Use CTRL + Click to follow hyperlink.
Word keeps turning web addresses into links
On Windows, go to File, then Options, then Proofing, click AutoCorrect Options, open the AutoFormat As You Type tab and clear Internet and network paths with hyperlinks. On a Mac, go to the Word menu, then Preferences, then AutoCorrect, and clear the same option. To undo a single automatic link right after it appears, try pressing Ctrl+Z (Command+Z on Mac) immediately.
The link goes to the wrong page or shows an error
Right-click the link, choose Edit Hyperlink, and check the Address box for typos or a missing part of the address. Copying the address directly from your browser avoids mistakes.
An internal link doesn’t show my heading
The destination must use a built-in Heading style or a bookmark. Apply a Heading style from the Home tab, or add a bookmark, then create the link again.
A file link stopped working
The file was probably moved, renamed or isn’t accessible from the reader’s computer. Edit the link to point to the file’s current location, ideally a shared cloud or network location.
Related: How to shorten a link in Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut to insert a hyperlink in Word?
Ctrl+K on Windows and Command+K on Mac. Select your text first, then press the shortcut to open the link dialog.
Can I turn a picture into a link?
Yes. Select the picture instead of text, then press Ctrl+K (Command+K on Mac) and add the address the same way.
How do I link to a specific page in Word?
Word links to headings and bookmarks, not page numbers. Put a bookmark on the page you want, then link to that bookmark with Place in This Document.
Why is my link blue and underlined?
That’s Word’s default hyperlink style. You can change it by right-clicking the link and choosing Font, or by modifying the Hyperlink style for the whole document.
Do hyperlinks still work after saving as PDF?
Web links usually carry over when you save the document as a PDF from Word, but open the PDF and click a few links to confirm. Links to files on your own computer won’t work for other people.
How do I add a hover message to a link?
In the link dialog, click ScreenTip, type your message and click OK. It appears when someone points to the link.
Summary
- Select the text or picture you want to make clickable.
- Press Ctrl+K (Command+K on Mac) or use Insert, then Link.
- Enter a web address, or choose Place in This Document, E-mail Address or a file.
- Use headings or bookmarks as destinations for internal links.
- Right-click a link to edit it or choose Remove Hyperlink to delete it and keep the text.
- Hold Ctrl and click to test every link before sharing the document.
Next step: Open your document, add one link with Ctrl+K, and Ctrl+click it to confirm it goes where you expect.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.