A hyperlink turns text, a picture, a button, or a spreadsheet cell into something people can click. The destination can be a webpage, file, email address, phone number, slide, sheet, note, or a place inside the same document. Start with the quickest shortcut, then use the exact app steps below when you need cleaner text, a formula link, a page jump, or source-code syntax.
1. Start with the fastest shortcut
The shortcut is best when the destination is already copied and you only need normal clickable text.
- 1.Select the text, cell, object, or picture you want people to click.
- 2.Press Ctrl+K on Windows or Command+K on Mac.
- 3.Paste or enter the destination address.
- 4.Choose the confirmation button shown by your app, such as Apply, OK, or Insert.
Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides on the web support Ctrl+K and Command+K. Excel supports Ctrl+K, and Outlook for Mac supports Command+K. In Microsoft 365 Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook desktop apps, typing a webpage address or email address and pressing Spacebar or Enter creates an automatic hyperlink.
2. Build a clean link in Word
- 1.Select the text or picture you want to make clickable.
- 2.Choose Insert.
- 3.Choose Link, then Insert Link.
- 4.Choose Existing File or Web Page for a webpage or file, then enter the destination in Address.
- 5.Choose E-mail Address for an email link.
- 6.Choose Place in This Document to link to a heading or bookmark inside the file.
- 7.Choose OK.
Use Word's link dialog when you want the reader to see plain words instead of a full URL. You can also select the text or picture, right-click it, and choose Link. To remove the link while keeping the text, right-click the hyperlink and choose Remove Hyperlink.
In Word for the web, link to a heading or bookmark by selecting the text, choosing Insert, then Link, then Insert Link, then Headings and Bookmarks. Choose the heading or bookmark, then choose Insert.
3. Link text in Google Docs and Slides
Google's document editors use the same short path for regular text links.
- 1.Open the document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
- 2.Select the text or object you want to link, or click where the link should appear.
- 3.Choose Insert link, or press Ctrl+K or Command+K.
- 4.Enter or search for the destination.
- 5.Choose Apply.
On mobile, open the file in the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app, then tap Edit in Docs and highlight the text or tap where the link should appear. On Android, tap Create in the top right, tap Link, fill in Text and Link, then tap Done. On iPhone and iPad, tap Insert, tap Link, fill in Text and Link, then tap Done.
Google Docs and Google Sheets also support smart chips. A third-party smart chip works only when the app's developer has enabled it and the matching add-on is installed by you or your admin; then enter the third-party link and press Tab to replace the URL with a smart chip, or click the URL and choose Chip. In Docs, use @ or choose Insert, then Smart chips for built-in chip types.
4. Format hyperlinks in Gmail and Outlook
- 1.In Gmail on a computer, choose Compose.
- 2.Write the message, then highlight the text you want to link.
- 3.Choose Insert link in the bottom toolbar, or press Ctrl+K.
- 4.Paste the URL in the bottom field.
- 5.Choose Apply.
Email links need one extra check: make the visible words clear before you send. For a Gmail signature, choose Settings, then See all settings, then General, then Signature. Create a new signature or edit an existing one, use the signature format bar to add the link, then choose Save Changes.
In classic Outlook for Windows, select the text in your message, right-click it, choose Link, paste the URL in Address, and choose OK. In Outlook for Mac, select the Insert link button or press Command+K, enter the display text and web address, then choose OK. In Legacy Outlook for Mac, choose Message, then Insert Link, or press Command+K, then choose Web Page or File, This Document, or Email Address.
Outlook.com and Outlook on the web add a rich preview when Link Preview is enabled and you type or paste a URL in the message body. To turn previews off, choose Settings, then Mail, then Compose and reply, then Link preview, and clear Preview links in email.
5. Create spreadsheet links in Excel and Sheets
Spreadsheet links split into two jobs: clickable links for people, and formulas or workbook links for spreadsheet logic.
- 1.In Excel, select a cell or object.
- 2.Choose Insert, then Link, or right-click and choose Link.
- 3.Choose Existing File or Web Page, Place in This Document, Create New Document, or E-mail Address.
- 4.Enter the destination and Text to display.
- 5.Choose OK.
To remove an Excel hyperlink while keeping the cell text, right-click the cell and choose Remove Hyperlink. To delete both the link and the text, use Clear Contents.
For an Excel formula link, enter =HYPERLINK(link_location, [friendly_name]), for example =HYPERLINK("https://www.technobezz.com", "Visit Technobezz"). For a Google Sheets formula link, enter HYPERLINK(url, [link_label]), for example HYPERLINK("http://www.google.com/","Google"). Google Sheets supports http://, https://, mailto:, aim:, ftp://, gopher://, telnet://, and news:// in that function.
Google Sheets can also link to a cell range. Click the cell that should contain the link, choose Insert, then Link, then Select a range of cells to link. Select the range, choose OK, then choose Apply.
Excel's Paste Link is different from a clickable web hyperlink. Open the source and destination workbooks, select the source cells, choose Home, then Clipboard, then Copy, switch to the destination workbook, select the destination cell, choose Home, then Paste, then Paste Special, then Paste Link.
6. Add links in slides and Teams
- 1.In PowerPoint for Windows desktop, select the text, shape, or picture.
- 2.Choose Insert, then Link, then Insert Link.
- 3.Choose Existing File or Web Page, Place in This Document, Create New Document, or E-mail Address.
- 4.Fill in Text to display, ScreenTip, and the address or destination.
- 5.Choose OK.
Use these steps when the clickable item is part of a presentation or a Teams message. In PowerPoint for Mac, select the item, choose Insert, then Link, then choose Web Page or File, This Document, or Email Address. In PowerPoint for the web, select the text, choose Insert, then Link, enter Display text and Address, then choose Insert. On PowerPoint mobile, tap where the link goes, choose Insert, then Link, then Insert Link, enter Text to display and Address, then choose Done or Insert.
In Microsoft Teams on desktop or web, open the message box, choose Format, then Insert link, add the display text and address, choose Insert, then choose Send. You can also copy a link, select the text you want to link, and press Ctrl+V.
7. Use Apple link controls on iPhone and Mac
Apple's apps put link commands in different places, so use the path for the app you are editing in.
- In iPhone Mail, copy the webpage URL in Safari or another browser, open a Mail draft, highlight the text you want to link, then tap Paste. To edit the link later, tap the linked text, tap the down arrow, then choose Edit Link, Open Link, or Show Link Preview.
- In iPhone Notes, select text, tap the forward button, choose Add Link, enter the URL, then tap Done. To link to another note by title, type >>, enter the target note title, then choose the note.
- On Mac, choose Edit, then Substitutions, then Smart Links to turn automatic URL links on in supported document apps. To add one manually, select text, choose Edit, then Add Link, or choose Format, then Add Link, then enter the URL.
- In TextEdit on Mac, choose TextEdit, then Settings, then New Document, then select Smart links under Options.
- In Pages on Mac, Control-click an object, text box, or selected text, choose Add Link, choose Webpage, Email, Phone number, Page, or Bookmark, then fill in the destination details.
- In Numbers on Mac, Control-click an object, text box, or selected text, choose Add Link, choose Webpage, Email, Phone Number, or Sheet, then fill in the destination details.
- In Keynote on Mac, Control-click an object, text box, or selected text, choose Add Link, choose Slide, Webpage, Email, or Phone Number, then fill in the destination details.
8. Publish links in WordPress and Wix
On WordPress.com, highlight text in a Paragraph or Heading block, click the link icon in the toolbar, search site content or paste a URL, choose the submit icon, then choose Save. You can also highlight text and paste a copied URL onto it. For internal content, type [[ anywhere in the content and choose a published post or page.
Website builders treat links as part of the block or element you are editing. For a WordPress.com page jump, click the destination block, open Settings, choose Advanced, and type a unique value in HTML Anchor. Then select the text, image, button, or menu item that should jump there, click the link option in the block toolbar, enter # plus the anchor value, and choose Save, Update, or Publish.
For a WordPress.com button link, select the individual Button inside the Buttons block, using List View when needed. Choose the toolbar Link icon, search or type the URL, then choose the submit icon or press Enter or Return. For email and phone links, create a normal text or button link using mailto: before the email address or tel: before the phone number.
In Wix Editor, click the element, click the link icon, select the link type, enter the details, and choose Done. Link targets include a web address, site page, document, email, phone number, and popup. To remove a Wix link, select None under What do you want to link to?, then choose Done.
9. Write links in HTML and Markdown
Use source-code syntax when you are editing HTML or Markdown directly.
In HTML, wrap the clickable text or content in an anchor element with an href attribute: <a href="https://www.technobezz.com">Technobezz</a>. HTML links also use mailto:, tel:, fragment identifiers, file URLs, and relative URLs where the document or editor supports them.
In Markdown, use brackets for the clickable text and parentheses for the destination: [link text](https://www.technobezz.com). For a reference-style link, use [link text][id] in the text, then define it later as [id]: https://www.technobezz.com "optional title". Bare URLs turn into links only on platforms that support automatic linking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a hyperlink with text instead of showing the full URL?
Select the words first, then use the app's link command. In Word, choose Insert > Link > Insert Link. In Google Docs, choose Insert link. In Gmail, use Insert link in the compose toolbar.
How do I stop Microsoft Office from automatically turning URLs into links?
In Windows Office apps, go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type, then clear Internet and network paths with hyperlinks. In Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type and clear the same option.
Can I create more than one hyperlink in a Google Sheets cell?
Yes. Highlight the exact text inside the Google Sheets cell first, then use Insert link or Ctrl+K / Command+K for that selected text.
What is the difference between an Excel hyperlink and Paste Link?
A normal Excel hyperlink creates clickable text, a cell, or an object. Paste Link creates linked workbook references between source and destination cells, not a normal clickable web hyperlink.
