4 Simple Ways to Insert a Hyperlink in Microsoft Word

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A user-friendly guide to creating interactive links in Microsoft Word

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: November 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Linking to Another Document or Website
|
• Linking to a Blank Email Message
|
• Linking to a Place in the Same Document
|
• Editing How a Hyperlink Looks
|
• Video
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• Q&A

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Do you want to add a clickable link in your Microsoft Word document? You can easily turn any text or image in your document into a hyperlink. When clicked, a hyperlink can bring readers to another place in the document, an external website, a different file, and even a pre-addressed email message. This wikiHow article will walk you through creating different types of hyperlinks in your Word document.

Adding Hyperlinks in Word

• To link to a website or document, highlight the text. Click the Insert tab, then Link. Find your file or paste your website link. Click OK.
• Click E-mail Address in the Hyperlink menu. Enter an email address and subject, then click OK.
• Click Insert, then Bookmark to save a position in the document. Click Place in This Document in the Hyperlink menu, then click the bookmark.
• Edit a hyperlink by right-clicking on it, then clicking Font…. Change your link's font size, style, and family, then click OK.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Linking to Another Document or Website

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1. 
   1
   Open a project in Microsoft Word. This looks like a W on top of a blue square. Microsoft Word is available to install for Windows and Mac.

   • You must have a subscription to use Office 365.
2. 
   2
   Select the text or image that you want to turn into a link. You can turn any text or image in your document into a link. Highlight the text or click the image that you want to convert into a hyperlink.

   • To insert an image into your document, click the Insert tab and select "Pictures." You'll be able to browse your computer for an image file to add. You can also insert clip art to use as a link.
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3. 
   3
   Press ⌘ Command+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows). This opens the Insert Hyperlink window. You can also get to this menu by clicking the Insert tab and then clicking the Link button in the toolbar.

   • In Word for Mac, click Links in the Insert tab, then select Link.
4. 
   4
   Select Existing File or Web Page from the left panel. More options will appear in the right panel.

   • On a Mac, select the Web Page or File tab at the top of the Insert Hyperlink window.
5. 
   5
   Select a file or enter a web address. You can choose to link to an existing document, a new document, or a website.

   • To link to a website or a file that's accessible on the web, type or paste the full address (including the "https://" at the beginning) into the "Address" field near the bottom of the window.
   • To link to a file on your computer or local network, select that file in the center panel. If it's in the current folder, click Current folder to open its contents. If you opened it recently, click Recent Files to browse those. You can also use the menus at the top to navigate to the correct folder and select the file.
     • On a Mac, click the Select… button next to the “Address” field. Use the Finder window that opens to navigate to the document you want to link.
   • To create a new blank document instead of opening a certain file, click Create a new document in the left menu, then choose a location for the document.
     • This option isn’t available in Word for Mac.
6. 
   6
   Set a ScreenTip (optional). You can change the text that appears when the user hovers the cursor over the link by clicking the ScreenTip button at the top-right corner and specifying your text.

   • If you don't change it, the screen tip will display the website address or file path.
7. 
   7
   Click OK to save your link. To open the link from within the Word document, hold CTRL and click the link (Windows). On a Mac, simply click the link.

   • If you want to remove the hyperlink, right-click the hyperlink (or Ctrl-click, if you’re on a Mac with no right mouse button) and select Remove Hyperlink.
     • On Mac, you’ll need to go to Hyperlink > Remove Hyperlink in the context menu.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Linking to a Blank Email Message

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1. 
   1
   Open a project in Microsoft Word. This looks like a W on top of a blue square.

   • You must have a subscription to use Office 365.
2. 
   2
   Select the text or click the image you want to turn into an email link. You can use any text or image in your document. When you're finished with this method, clicking the selected text or image will bring up a new email message to the address of your choice.
3. 
   3
   Press ⌘ Command+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows). This opens the Insert Hyperlink window. You can also get to this menu by clicking the Insert tab and then clicking the Link button in the toolbar.

   • On a Mac, go to Insert > Links > Link.
4. 
   4
   Click E-Mail Address in the left panel. This allows you to set up the blank message.

   • In Word for Mac, select the Email Address tab at the top of the Insert Hyperlink window.
5. 
   5
   Enter the e-mail address and subject. This will be the address that the reader will be sending the email to. What you enter into the "Subject" field will be automatically filled in for the reader, but they will be able to change it if they want.

   • If you use Outlook, you'll see recently used email addresses in the field at the bottom of the window. Feel free to select one of those.
   • Some mail apps, especially web-based email apps, may not recognize the subject line.
6. 
   6
   Set a ScreenTip (optional). You can change the text that appears when the user hovers the cursor over the link by clicking the ScreenTip button at the top-right corner and specifying your text. If you don't change it, the screen tip will show the email address.
7. 
   7
   Click OK to save your link. To open the link within the Word document, hold CTRL (Windows) and click the link. On a Mac, simply click the link.

   • If you want to remove the hyperlink, right-click the hyperlink and select Remove Hyperlink.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Linking to a Place in the Same Document

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1. 
   1
   Open a project in Microsoft Word. This looks like a W on top of a blue square.

   • You must have a subscription to use Office 365.
2. 
   2
   Place your cursor at the location you want to link to. You can use the Bookmark tool to create links to specific spots in your document. This is great for tables of contents, glossaries, and citations. You can highlight a portion of text, select an image, or just place your cursor in the spot you want.
3. 
   3
   Click the Insert tab. It's in the menu bar at the top of Word, between Home and Draw.
4. 
   4
   Click the Bookmark icon. It's in the toolbar at the top of Word in the "Links" section.

   • In Word for Mac, click the Links button and select Bookmark.
5. 
   5
   Enter a name for the bookmark. Make sure the name is descriptive enough that you'll be able to recognize it. This is especially important if you are using a lot of bookmarks or more than one person is editing the document.

   • Bookmark names have to start with letters but can also contain numbers. You can't use spaces, but you can use underscores instead (e.g. "Chapter_1").
6. 
   6
   Click Add to insert the bookmark. You won't see the bookmark on the page if you're using the current version of Word, but in earlier versions, it may be surrounded by brackets.

   • If you want to see brackets around the bookmark so you don't forget where you placed it, click the File menu, select Options, and click Advanced in the left panel. Then, scroll down the right panel and check the box next to "Show bookmarks" under the "Show document content" header.
     • In Word for Mac, go to Word > Preferences > View and check the box next to “Bookmarks” under the Show in Document header.
7. 
   7
   Select the text or image you want to create the link from. Highlight the text or click the image that you want to turn into a link to your bookmark.
8. 
   8
   Press ⌘ Command+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows). This opens the Insert Hyperlink window. You can also get to this menu by clicking the Insert tab and then clicking the Link button in the toolbar.

   • In Word for Mac, go to Insert > Links > Link.
9. 
   9
   Click Place in This Document in the left panel. This displays a navigation tree with your heading styles and bookmarks.

   • In Word for Mac, select the This Document tab at the top of the Insert Hyperlink window.
10. 
    10
    Select the bookmark you want to link to. Expand the "Bookmarks" tree if it isn't already and select the bookmark you created. You can also select from heading styles you've applied throughout the document.
11. 
    11
    Set a ScreenTip (optional). To change the text that appears when the user rests the cursor over the link, click the Screen Tip button at the top-right corner. If you don't change the text, the screen tip will display the website address or file path.
12. 
    12
    Click OK to save your link. To test the hyperlink, hold CTRL and click the link (Windows), or just click the link (Mac).

    • This will recenter the view to the line on which you placed the bookmark.
    • If you want to remove the hyperlink, right-click the hyperlink and select Remove Hyperlink. On a Mac with no right mouse button, Ctrl-click the link and select Hyperlink > Remove Hyperlink.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Editing How a Hyperlink Looks

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1. 1
   Right-click a hyperlink in your document. If you're on a Mac with no right mouse button, you'll need to hold down Ctrl while clicking.
2. 2
   Click Font…. It's near the bottom of the contextual menu, and it has an icon of a capital "A."
3. 3
   Change the link's font family. Under the "Font" label, you can choose a new font family for the hyperlink. All of the fonts installed on your device will be available here.
4. 4
   Change the link's font style. If you want the link to be bold or italic, you can choose that font style under the "Font style" label.
5. 5
   Change the link's font size. To make the font of the link larger or smaller, choose a font size under the "Size" label.
6. 6
   Change the link's font color. You can do this by clicking the dropdown under the "Font color" label, then by choosing one of the font color options. To pick a custom color, click More Colors… at the bottom of the pop-out window.
7. 7
   Change the link's underline style and color. To change the underline style, click the dropdown under the "Underline style" label, then choose a new underline style. To change the underline color, click the dropdown under the "Underline color" label and pick a color.
8. 8
   Change the link's effects. You can add a strikethrough or double strikethrough, or you can choose to make the font superscript, subscript, small caps, all caps, or hidden.
9. 9
   Click OK at the bottom of the window to save your changes. You'll always be able to see a preview of your link at the bottom of the window, under the "Preview" label. Once you click OK, you'll be able to see your changes live in your document.

   • You can also change most of these elements by highlighting your linked text and using the formatting tools in the Home tab.
10. 10
    Change the default hyperlink and followed hyperlink colors (optional). By default, Word uses certain colors for followed and unfollowed links (e.g., blue for unfollowed and purple for followed). These colors may vary depending on the template or theme you’re using. To change the default link colors for a particular document:

    • In the Home tab, click Styles Pane. The Styles Pane will open on the right side of the document window.
    • Scroll down and click the down arrow icon next to Hyperlink.
    • Click Modify or Modify Style…
    • Under the Formatting header, select your desired hyperlink color. You can also use this section of the menu to make other formatting changes, such as making all hyperlinks bold or italic.
    • Click OK.
    • To change the color of followed hyperlinks (i.e., hyperlinks that have already been clicked), return to the Styles pane. Depending on your version of Word, you might need to take an extra step:
      • In Word for Windows, click Options at the bottom of the Styles pane. Under Select styles to show, use the dropdown menu to select All styles. Click Ok. You should now be able to find a FollowedHyperlink option in the Styles pane. Edit this option the same way you did for the Hyperlink style.
      • In Word for Mac, use the dropdown menu next to “List:” at the bottom of the Styles Pane to select All styles. Click FollowedHyperlink in the Styles Pane, then select your preferred color (and any other formatting changes you want to make).
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  What hyperlinks are inserted into a document by default?

  

  Community Answer

  A link to any website or a file with a url will become a hyperlink automatically after you press the space bar, tab key, or return/enter key.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 4 Helpful 14
• Question

  How can I add hyperlinks to Microsoft Word?

  

  Community Answer

  Edit>Add Hyperlink>add the link. To test the link, Ctrl+Click and it should get you there.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0
• Question

  How can I embed a hyperlink into a word or phrase in a Word document?

  

  Rose

  Community Answer

  Highlight the word/phrase you want to embed a link into, got into the insert tab, press link. A box that says "insert hyperlink" on the top should pop up, copy/type the link you want into the box at the bottom that says "address" and then press "ok" and you are done!

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 7 Helpful 2

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