How to Add, Remove or Turn Off Hyperlinks in Microsoft Word

Hyperlinks allow you to connect your Microsoft Word documents to other files, webpages, or locations within the same document. They make documents more interactive and useful for readers.

However, sometimes hyperlinks get inserted automatically when you don’t want them or they make your documents look messy. Fortunately, Word provides easy ways to insert hyperlinks manually and remove any unwanted ones.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn:

• How to insert hyperlinks in Word
• How to remove individual hyperlinks
• How to remove all hyperlinks at once
• How to disable automatic hyperlinks

Follow the instructions below based on your Word version and needs.

How to Insert a Hyperlink in Word

Inserting a hyperlink in Word is simple. Follow these steps:

1. Select the text or image you want to make into a hyperlink.
2. On the “Insert” tab, click the “Link” button.
3. In the Address field, enter the destination URL, like a website or file location.
4. Click “OK” when done.

The selected text or image now links to the specified URL. Clicking it will open the linked page.

To link to a place within the same Word document, click the “Place in This Document” button instead of entering a URL. Then select the heading or bookmark to link to.

How to Remove a Single Hyperlink

To remove a hyperlink but keep its text or image, right-click the link and select “Remove Hyperlink.” This breaks the link but retains the content.

To delete the hyperlinked content completely, select it and press “Delete.”

How to Remove All Hyperlinks at Once

If you want to strip links from an entire document, use these keyboard shortcuts:

Windows:

1. Press Ctrl+A to select all content.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+F9 to remove all hyperlinks.

Mac:

1. Press Command+A to select all content.
2. Press Command+Option+Shift+F9 to remove all hyperlinks. All links will vanish instantly while preserving text formatting.

How to Disable Automatic Hyperlinks

By default, Word creates hyperlinks automatically when you type web addresses. To stop this:

1. Click the “File” tab > “Options” > “Proofing.”
2. Click “AutoCorrect Options” > “AutoFormat As You Type” tab.
3. Uncheck the box for “Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.”
4. Click “OK.”

Now you can type web URLs without Word turning them into links.

Recap and Best Practices

In summary:

• Insert manual hyperlinks using the “Link” button on the “Insert” tab
• Remove individual links by right-clicking and selecting “Remove Hyperlink”
• Delete all hyperlinks at once with the keyboard shortcuts for your platform
• Disable automatic hyperlinks in AutoCorrect settings

When working with hyperlinks in Word:

• Link relevant terms to appropriate external resources
• Ensure links work and point to credible sites
• Remove unnecessary or problematic links
• Disable automatic links for better control

Using hyperlinks judiciously will make your Word documents more useful and professionally polished.