Creating a link in Word takes 30 seconds and works the same way whether you're linking to a website, another document, or an email address

To create a link in Word, select the text you want to turn into a link, then use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac). A dialog box opens where you paste or type the web address. Click OK, and your text is now clickable. The text stays visible in your document, but it's now underlined and colored blue to show it's a link.

This works in Word Online, Word for Windows, Word for Mac, and Word on mobile devices. The process is identical whether you're linking to a website, an email address, a file on your computer, or another page within the same document.

Key Takeaways

  • Select the text you want to link, press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac), and paste the web address into the dialog box that appears.
  • You can link to websites, email addresses, files on your computer, or other sections within the same Word document.
  • Right-click a link and select "Remove Link" to delete it without removing the text itself.
  • Links in Word are blue and underlined by default, but you can change their color by modifying the document's style settings.
  • When you share a Word document with links, the links travel with it — recipients can click them if they have internet access.

Linking to a website or web page

Select the words you want to turn into a link. This could be "click here," a product name, or any phrase. Then press Ctrl+K on Windows or Cmd+K on Mac. The "Insert Hyperlink" dialog box opens.

In the "Address" field, paste or type the full web address. It must start with http:// or https:// — if you paste just "google.com" without the protocol, Word may not recognize it as a web link. Once you've entered the address, click OK. The text is now a clickable link.

If you want the link to open in a new browser tab instead of replacing your current page, right-click the link after you create it, select "Edit Link," then check the box that says "Open link in a new window." Click OK to save the change.

Linking to an email address

Select the text you want to turn into an email link — usually an email address or a phrase like "contact us." Press Ctrl+K or Cmd+K. In the dialog box, look for a button or tab labeled "E-mail Address" on the left side.

Type the email address in the field. Do not include "mailto:" — Word adds that automatically. You can also add a subject line if you want the email to open with a pre-filled subject. Click OK when you're done. Now when someone clicks the link, their default email program opens with that address already filled in.

Linking to another file or document

Select the text you want to link. Press Ctrl+K or Cmd+K. In the dialog box, look for a button labeled "Browse" or a section for "Existing File or Web Page." Click it.

A file browser window opens. Navigate to the file you want to link to — it could be another Word document, a PDF, an Excel spreadsheet, or any other file type. Select the file and click OK twice. The link is now created. When someone clicks it, that file opens (if they have the program that reads it installed on their computer).

If you're sharing the document with others, keep the linked file in the same folder as your Word document, or the link may break when they open it on their computer.

Linking to a different section within the same document

This is useful for long documents with a table of contents. First, you need to mark the destination — the place you want the link to jump to. Click at the beginning of the section you want to link to, then press Ctrl+K or Cmd+K. In the dialog box, look for "Bookmark" or "Place in This Document." Click it.

Type a name for this location — something like "Chapter2" or "Results" with no spaces. Click OK. You've now marked the destination. Now go to the text you want to turn into a link (like an entry in your table of contents), select it, and press Ctrl+K or Cmd+K again. This time, select "Place in This Document" and choose the bookmark you just created. Click OK. The link now jumps to that section when clicked.

Removing or editing a link

To remove a link without deleting the text, right-click the link and select "Remove Link." The text stays in your document, but it's no longer clickable. To edit a link's address, right-click it and select "Edit Link." Change the address in the dialog box and click OK.

If you want to change the text that appears (but keep the link pointing to the same place), right-click the link, select "Edit Link," then look for an "Edit Text" or "Display Text" option. Some versions of Word let you change this directly; others require you to delete the link and recreate it with new text.

Changing the color or style of links

Links in Word are blue and underlined by default. To change this, go to the Design tab (or Design in the ribbon menu), then look for "Colors" or "Styles." Select a different color scheme, and all the links in your document change to match. This affects the entire document at once.

If you want to change only one link's appearance, right-click it and select "Font" or "Character." You can then change the color, underline style, or other formatting. Keep in mind that changing a link's appearance doesn't change where it points — it only changes how it looks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to links when I save the document as a PDF?

Links stay clickable in PDFs. When you save a Word document as a PDF (File > Save As > PDF), all the links transfer over and work the same way. Recipients can click them in any PDF reader.

Can I create a link that opens a file on someone else's computer?

No. Links to files on your computer only work if the recipient has that file in the same location. For sharing, use web links instead, or save the file to a cloud service like OneDrive and link to it there.

Why isn't my link working?

The most common reason is a missing protocol — the address must start with http:// or https://. Also check that you copied the full address correctly. If the link points to a file, make sure the file still exists in that location.

Can I link to a specific page in a PDF?

Yes, but the syntax is different. In the address field, type the full file path followed by #page=X, where X is the page number. For example: C:\Documents\file.pdf#page=5

Do links work in Word Online the same way as in the desktop version?

Yes. Press Ctrl+K in Word Online just as you would in the desktop version. The process and options are nearly identical, though some advanced features (like bookmarks) may be limited in the web version.