Create a hyperlink

Mark the hyperlink location

You can mark the hyperlink location by using either a bookmark (bookmark: A location or selection of text in a file that you name for reference purposes. Bookmarks identify a location within your file that you can later refer or link to.) or a heading style (heading style: Formatting applied to a heading. Microsoft Word has nine different built-in styles: Heading 1 through Heading 9.) in Word.

Insert a bookmark

In the current document, do the following:

1. Select the text or item to which you want to assign a bookmark, or click where you want to insert a bookmark.
2. On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click Bookmark.

3. Under Bookmark name, type a name.

Bookmark names must begin with a letter and can contain numbers. You can't include spaces in a bookmark name. However, you can use the underscore character to separate words — for example, First_heading.

4. Click Add.

Apply a heading style

You can apply one of the built-in heading styles in Word to the text at the location that you want to go to. In the current document, do the following:

1. Select the text to which you want to apply a heading style.
2. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the style that you want.

For example, if you selected text that you want to style as a main heading, click the style called Heading 1 in the Quick Styles gallery.

Add the link

1. Select the text or object that you want to display as the hyperlink.
2. Right-click and then click Hyperlink on the shortcut menu.
3. Under Link to, click Place in This Document.
4. In the list, select the heading or bookmark that you want to link to.

 Note   To customize the ScreenTip that appears when you rest the pointer over the hyperlink, click ScreenTip, and then type the text that you want. If you don't specify a tip, Word uses "Current document" as the tip for links to headings. For links to bookmarks, Word uses the bookmark name.

Create a hyperlink to a specific location in another document or Web page

To link to a location in a document or Web page that you created in Word, you must mark the hyperlink location, or destination, and then add the link to it.

Mark the hyperlink location

1. Insert a bookmark in the destination file or Web page.
2. Open the file that you want to link from, and select the text or object you want to display as the hyperlink.
3. Right-click and then click Hyperlink on the shortcut menu.
4. Under Link to, click Existing File or Web Page.
5. In the Look in box, click the down arrow, and navigate to and select the file that you want to link to.
6. Click Bookmark, select the bookmark that you want, and then click OK.

 Note   To customize the ScreenTip that appears when you rest the pointer over the hyperlink, click ScreenTip and then type the text that you want. If you don't specify a tip, Word uses the path to the file, including the bookmark name, as the tip.

Add the link

1. Select the text or object that you want to display as the hyperlink.
2. Right-click and then click Hyperlink on the shortcut menu.
3. Under Link to, click Place in This Document.
4. In the list, select the heading or bookmark that you want to link to.

 Note   To customize the ScreenTip that appears when you rest the pointer over the hyperlink, click ScreenTip and then type the text that you want. If you don't specify a tip, Word uses "Current document" as the tip for links to headings. For links to bookmarks, Word uses the bookmark name.

 Tip   From Word documents, you can create links to specific locations in files that are saved in the Microsoft Office Excel (.xls) file format or the Microsoft Office PowerPoint (.ppt) file format. To link to a specific location in an Excel workbook, create a defined name in the workbook, and then at the end of the file name in the hyperlink, type # (number sign) followed by the defined name. To link to a specific slide in a PowerPoint presentation, type # followed by the slide number after the file name.

Quickly create a hyperlink to another file

You can create a hyperlink quickly without having to use the Insert Hyperlink dialog box by dragging selected text or pictures from a Word document or by dragging a Web address or hyperlink from some Web browsers (Web browser: Software that interprets HTML files, formats them into Web pages, and displays them. A Web browser, such as Windows Internet Explorer, can follow hyperlinks, transfer files, and play sound or video files that are embedded in Web pages.). You can also copy a selected cell or range in Microsoft Office Excel.
For example, you may want to create a hyperlink to a longer explanation in another document or to a news story on a Web page.
 Important   The text that you copy must come from a file that has already been saved.
 Note   You cannot drag drawing objects, such as Shapes, to create hyperlinks. To create a hyperlink for a drawing object, select the object, right-click, and then click Hyperlink on the shortcut menu.

Create a hyperlink by dragging content from another Word document

1. Save the file that you want to link to. This is the destination document.
2. Open the document where you want to add a hyperlink.
3. Open the destination document and select the text, graphic, or other item you want to go to.

For example, you might want to select the first few words of a section of a document that you want to link to.

4. Right-click the selected item, drag it to the task bar and rest over the icon of the document to which you want to add a hyperlink.
5. Release the right mouse button where you want the hyperlink to appear on the page, and then click Create Hyperlink Here .

 Note   The text, graphic, or other item that you selected is the link to the destination document.

Create a hyperlink by dragging from a Web page

1. Open the document where you want to add a hyperlink.
2. Open a Web page and right-click the item that you want to link to on the Web page.
3. Drag the item to the task bar and rest over the document icon to which you want to add a hyperlink.
4. Release the right mouse button where you want the hyperlink to appear on the page, and then click Create Hyperlink Here .

Create a hyperlink by copying and pasting from an Excel worksheet

1. Open the Excel worksheet that you want to link to, and select a cell or range of cells to link to.
2. Right-click and then click Copy on the shortcut menu.
3. Open the Word document where you want to add a hyperlink.
4. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the Paste arrow, and then click Paste as Hyperlink.