A simple approach to provide readers instant access to material on the internet or in another section of a document without having to put that content directly on the page is by adding hyperlinks to your Word document. Let’s look at how to insert, manage, and delete various types of hyperlinks in Word documents.
Table of Contents
Insert Hyperlink to an External Web Page
You may link a word or phrase in your Word document to an external web page, and they function similarly to web links. To begin, open the web page to which you wish to connect in your browser. In a moment, you should copy the URL.
Highlight the text you want to connect in your Word document. This method may also be used to add a link to a picture.
Right-click the chosen text, pick “Link,” and then select the “Insert Link” instruction.
Select “Existing File or Web Page” on the left side of the Insert Hyperlink box.
In the “Address” area, type (or copy and paste) the URL of the web page.
Then click “OK” to save your URL.
And with that, you’ve converted that text into a link.
Insert a Hyperlink to Another Location in the Same Document
If you’re working with a lengthy Word document, you may help readers by connecting to other sections of the text when you reference them. For example, you may tell a reader that they’ll “find more information on the subject in Part 2,” but instead of leaving it up to them to discover Part 2, why not make it a hyperlink? It’s the same thing Word does when you build a table of contents automatically.
To hyperlink to another location inside the same page, you must first create a bookmark to which you will connect.
Put your cursor where you want the bookmark to go.
On the Word Ribbon, navigate to the “Insert” tab.
Click the “Bookmark” button on the Insert tab.
Enter a name for your bookmark in the Bookmark window. The name must begin with a letter, but it may also contain letters and digits (just no spaces).
To insert your bookmark, click “Add.”
Now that you’ve created a bookmark, you may add a link to it. Choose the text to be converted into a link.
Right-click the selected text, choose “Link,” and then click the “Insert Link” instruction.
Click the “Place In This Document” option on the left of the Insert Hyperlink box.
On the right, you’ll see a list of bookmarks in the document. Choose the one you want.
After that, click “OK”.
When you click that link, Word will now take you to the bookmark.
Insert a Hyperlink to an Email Address
You can connect to an email address if you include contact information in your paper.
Right-click the text you wish to make into a link, then select it.
Click the “Insert Link” button after pointing to the “Link” option.
Select the “E-mail Address” option on the left of the Insert Hyperlink window.
Enter the email address to which you want to link. Word inserts the “mailto:” text at the beginning of the address automatically. This allows the reader’s default mail client to open the link.
Click “OK” to insert your email address.
Now, anytime you click the link, a blank message should open in your default email client, already addressed to the specified recipient.
Insert a Hyperlink That Creates a New Document
You may also include a link that, when clicked, opens a new, blank Word document. This is useful for creating a collection of papers.
Right-click the text you wish to make into a link, then select it.
Click the “Insert Link” function after pointing to the “Link” option.
On the left, click “Create New Document.”
Enter the name you desire to use for the new document.
Choose whether you want to update the new document later or immediately. If you choose to edit the new document now, Word will generate and open the new document instantly.
Click “OK” to finish.
Change a Hyperlink
There may be times when you need to modify an existing hyperlink in your document. Right-click the hyperlink and select “Edit Hyperlink” from the context menu.
In the “Address” field, change or write a new hyperlink.
Then press the “OK” button.
Delete a Hyperlink
It is equally simple to remove a hyperlink from your document. Simply right-click the link and select “Remove Hyperlink” from the context menu.
And that’s it! The link is no longer active.
