Buzz
This article provides a step-by-step guide on embedding hyperlinks into Microsoft Word documents. You can add hyperlinks to text or images, enabling readers to navigate to different sections of the document, external websites, files, or even pre-filled email drafts. The links remain functional even when the Word document is converted to a PDF format.
Steps
Create a Link to Another Text or Website
Select the text or image you want to turn into a link. Any text or image in the document can be converted into a hyperlink. Highlight the text or click on the image you wish to transform.
- To insert an image, click on the Insert tab and select "Pictures." You can browse and add image files stored on your computer or use clipart (pre-made graphics) to create hyperlinks.
Press ⌘ Command+K (on Mac) or Ctrl+K (on Windows). The Insert Hyperlink window will immediately appear. You can also access this menu by clicking the Insert tab and selecting the Link button in the toolbar.
Select Existing File or Web Page in the left panel. Additional options will appear in the right panel.
Choose a file or enter a web address.
- To link to a webpage or a file accessible online, enter or paste the full address (including "https://") into the "Address" field near the bottom of the window.
- To link to a file on your computer or local network, select the file from the middle panel. If the file is in the current folder, click Current folder to open it. For recently accessed files, click Recent Files to locate the file. You can also use the menu at the top to navigate to the appropriate folder and select the file.
- To create a new document instead of opening an existing file, click Create a new document in the left menu and choose the folder to save it in.
Set up a ScreenTip (optional). You can customize the text that appears when users hover over the link by clicking the ScreenTip button in the top-right corner and entering new text. If no changes are made, the default display will show the web address or file path.
Click OK to save the link. You can now test the link by holding the Command key (on Mac) or Ctrl key (on Windows) while clicking the link.
Create a Link to a New Email Draft
Select the text or click on the image you want to turn into an email link. You can use any text or image in the document. Once this method is completed, clicking on the selected text or image will open a new email draft window addressed to the email of your choice.
Press ⌘ Command+K (on Mac) or Ctrl+K (on Windows). The Insert Hyperlink window will appear. You can also access this menu by clicking the Insert tab and selecting the Link button in the toolbar.
Click on E-Mail Address in the left panel. This allows you to set up a new email draft.
Enter the email address and subject. This is the address that will receive the email from the reader. What you enter in the "Subject" field will be pre-filled for the reader, but they can modify it if needed.
- If using Outlook, you will see recently used email addresses in the field below the window. Select one of these addresses if desired.
- Some email applications, especially web-based ones, may not recognize the subject line.
Set up a ScreenTip (Optional). You can customize the text displayed when users hover over the link by clicking the ScreenTip button in the top-right corner and entering new text. If no changes are made, the default display will show the email address.
Click OK to save the link. You can now test the link by holding the Command key (on Mac) or Ctrl key (on Windows) while clicking the link. Your default email application will open a new email draft with the address you previously entered.
Create a Link to a Specific Location in the Same Document
Place the cursor at the location where you want to create the link. You can use the Bookmark tool to create links to specific points in the document. This is ideal for tables of contents, footnotes, and citations. Simply highlight a section of text, select an image, or position the cursor where desired.
Click on the Insert tab. This option is located in the menu bar at the top of Word.
Click the Bookmark button. This option is located in the "Links" section of the toolbar at the top of Word.
Enter a name for the bookmark. Make sure to use a specific name for easy identification. This is crucial when using multiple bookmarks or when the document is edited by several people.
- The bookmark name must start with a letter and can include numbers. Spaces are not allowed, but underscores are permitted (e.g., "Chapter_1").
Click Add to insert the bookmark. Bookmarks will appear in brackets. In newer versions of Word, bookmarks are not visible on the page, but in older versions, they are displayed within brackets.
- To make bookmarks visible in brackets, go to the File menu, select Options, and click Advanced in the left pane. Scroll down in the right pane and check the box next to "Show bookmarks" under the "Show document content" section.
Select the text or image you want to turn into a link. Highlight the text or click on the image you wish to convert into a bookmark link.
Press ⌘ Command+K (on Mac) or Ctrl+K (on Windows). The Insert Hyperlink window will appear. You can also access this menu by clicking the Insert tab and selecting the Link button in the toolbar.
Click on Place in This Document in the left pane. This action will display a list of heading styles and bookmarks for you to choose from.
Select the bookmark you wish to link to. Expand the "Bookmarks" dropdown if it isn’t already visible and pick the bookmark you created. Alternatively, you can choose a pre-formatted heading style from the document.
Set up a ScreenTip (Optional). To customize the text that appears when users hover over the link, click the ScreenTip button in the top-right corner. If no changes are made, the default display will show the website address or file path.
Click OK to save the link. You can now test the link by holding down the Command key (on Mac) or Ctrl key (on Windows) while clicking the link. This will take you directly to the bookmarked location.
Advice
- If you enter a URL into the text (for example, https://www.Mytour.com), Word will automatically convert it into a clickable link.
- To remove a hyperlink, simply right-click on it and select Remove Hyperlink.
