You want to make a word, phrase, or picture clickable in Word, but the steps depend on where you're using it. Start with the Windows or Mac instructions below, or jump to the browser and mobile options. You'll also find the fix for addresses that stay plain text and steps for linking to files, email addresses, and document sections.
Insert a hyperlink in Word for Windows
Select the text or picture you want to link. Choose Insert > Link > Insert Link to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog.
Select Existing File or Web Page. Paste the website URL into Address. For a text link, use Text to display to change the words readers see. Select OK to add the link.
Want a quicker route? Select your text and press Ctrl+K, or right-click the selection and choose Link, to open the same dialog. These instructions apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, and Word 2021 for Windows.
Add a link on a Mac
In Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, or Word 2021 for Mac, follow these steps.
- 1.Select the text or picture you want to link.
- 2.Choose Insert > Link, or press Command+K.
- 3.Select Web Page or File.
- 4.Enter the website URL in Address and adjust Text to display as needed.
- 5.Select OK to add the hyperlink.
Fix a typed address that stays plain text
Word leaves a typed address as plain text when automatic hyperlink formatting is turned off. After typing a website or email address, press Spacebar or Enter on Windows, or Spacebar or Return on Mac. With automatic formatting enabled, Word turns the address into a hyperlink.
To enable it in Windows desktop Word, open File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type. Select Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.
On Mac, open Word > Preferences > AutoCorrect > AutoFormat as You Type. Select Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.
To add the link manually instead, use the Windows or Mac hyperlink dialog described above.
Use Word in your browser
In Word for the web, choose Insert > Link. Enter the words you want readers to see in Display text. Paste the website URL into Enter Link. Select Insert.
There's also a shortcut that keeps your selected words. Copy a URL from your browser. Select a word or phrase in your document.
Press Ctrl+V on Windows or Command+V on Mac. Word for the web attaches the URL to those words.
If pasting does not preserve the selected words as a hyperlink, use Insert > Link and enter the display text and destination separately, as described above.
Create a hyperlink on your phone or tablet
On an Android phone, open the Edit icon > Home > Insert. On an Android tablet, tap Insert directly. Tap Link.
Enter the display text. Enter the destination address. Tap Insert to finish.
On iPhone, open Edit > Home. Open Insert > Link on iPhone or iPad. Enter the address, then enter the display text.
Tap Done on iPhone. On iPad, tap outside the dialog to finish. For a quick link showing the full URL, type the address and tap Return.
Link to email addresses, files, and document sections
Use these options when your destination is an email address, a file, or a heading or bookmark inside your document. Each destination has its own place in the hyperlink dialog.
For an email link in Windows, open Insert > Link > Insert Link > E-mail Address. On Mac, select your text or picture, then choose Insert > Link > Email Address. In either desktop dialog, enter the recipient's email address. Add a subject if you want one, then select OK.
For an email link in Word for the web, open Insert > Link. Enter a label in Display text. Type mailto: followed by the email address in Enter Link. Select Insert.
To link to a file in Windows, select your text or picture. Open Insert > Link > Insert Link > Existing File or Web Page. Locate the file using Look in or Current Folder. Select OK.
On Mac, open Insert > Link > Web Page or File. Choose Select to browse for the file. Select OK.
Recipients need access to the referenced file path. Inserting a link does not grant access.
For a link within the same document, select the link text first. In Windows, open Insert > Link > Insert Link. Select Place in this document, then choose an existing heading or bookmark. Select OK.
On Mac, open Insert > Link > This Document. Expand Headings or Bookmarks, then choose the destination. Select OK.
In Word for the web, open Insert > Link > Insert Link > Headings and Bookmarks. Select the existing heading or bookmark. Select Insert.
Change or remove an existing link
These options let you correct a link or remove it while keeping the text. In Word for the web, right-click the link. Choose Edit Link, then change the destination or display text.
To remove a hyperlink in Windows desktop Word, right-click it. Choose Remove Hyperlink.
On Mac, select the hyperlink. Press Command+K. Choose Remove link.
Enable editing when Word blocks link insertion
An editing restriction prevents you from adding links to a document. Switch Viewing or Reviewing to Editing.
For a document you own that always opens read-only in Windows, open File > Info > Protect document. Clear Always Open Read-Only.
If Editing is unavailable in Word for the web, request edit permission from the owner. For a protected work or school document, ask the owner or administrator to allow editing before you add links.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I paste a URL onto selected words in desktop Word?
Microsoft's rollout starts with Windows Version 2511, Build 19530.20006, and Mac Version 16.104, Build 25120915. Availability depends on the rollout reaching your installation. Microsoft does not confirm availability for perpetual Word 2024 or Word 2021. To insert the URL manually, select your text, press Ctrl+K on Windows or Command+K on Mac, enter the URL in Address, and select OK.
Why does a link in Windows Word require Ctrl+click?
Word has a setting for following hyperlinks with Ctrl+click. To use a normal click, open File > Options > Advanced. Under Editing Options, clear Use CTRL + Click to follow hyperlink.
Can I link to a specific spot that has no heading?
Yes. In desktop Word, select the destination or place your cursor there. Choose Insert > Bookmark, enter a Bookmark name, and select Add. Then choose that bookmark as the destination when inserting an internal link.
Why did pasting a media URL create embedded content in Word for the web?
Word for the web supports automatic embedding for certain media URLs. When a paste creates embedded content, press Ctrl+Z to revert it to a normal hyperlink.