Hyperlinks in Excel

This tutorial demonstrates separate ways of adding hyperlinks in Excel. It comprises how to add, edit, and remove hyperlinks in your worksheets and fix dysfunctional ones.

On the internet, hyperlinking is a widespread mechanism that allows us to navigate from one website to another. In the same vein, links can be easily created in Excel worksheets. You can also add links pointing to other cells, sheets, or workbooks; open new Excel files, or start email messages. This training provides a step-by-step guide on how to perform these tasks in Excel.

What is a hyperlink in Excel?

A hyperlink in Excel serves as a reference point to a particular location, document, or web page, allowing users to navigate to that location with a simple click.

Microsoft Excel offers the capability to create hyperlinks for various purposes, such as:

• Navigating to a specific location within the current workbook.
• Opening another document and reaching a particular section within that document, such as a sheet in an Excel file or a bookmark in a Word document.
• Accessing a webpage on the Internet or an intranet.
• Generating a new Excel file.
• I am initiating an email to a designated address.
• Hyperlinks in Excel are easily identifiable, typically appearing as underlined blue text, as illustrated in the screenshot below.

Table above:

• Cell: Represents the cell in your Excel worksheet where the hyperlink is located.
• Hyperlink Address: Specifies the target location, document path, web address, or email address associated with the hyperlink.
• Display Text: Represents the visible text that users will see as the hyperlink. This text can be customized to describe the action associated with the link.
• You should change [Full File Path] and [New Excel File Path] with the original file paths you want to use. You may also modify Display Text according to what you like.

How to change hyperlinks in Excel

To modify a hyperlink in Excel that was initially created using the Insert Hyperlink dialog, follow these steps. Right-click on the cell containing the link and choose “Edit Hyperlink” from the context menu. Alternatively, you can use the Ctrl+K shortcut or click the Hyperlink button on the ribbon.

Whichever method you opt for, the Edit Hyperlink dialog box will appear. Here, you can make the necessary adjustments to the link text, link location, or both. After making the desired changes, click OK.

For hyperlink formulas created using a formula, select the cell containing the Hyperlink formula and modify the formula’s arguments. To facilitate selecting a cell without navigating to the hyperlink location, refer to a helpful tip provided.

When dealing with multiple Hyperlink formulas, consider utilizing Excel’s Replace All feature, as demonstrated in the accompanying tip.

How to change a hyperlink appearance

To alter the default appearance of Excel hyperlinks, which typically feature traditional underlined blue formatting, follow these steps:

• Navigate to the Home tab and locate the Styles group.

• For hyperlinks that have not been clicked yet:
  • Right-click on “Hyperlink” and select “Modify…” to customize the appearance.

• For hyperlinks that have been clicked:
  • Right-click on “Followed Hyperlink” and choose “Modify…” to adjust the formatting.

By executing these actions, you can customize the visual attributes of both unclicked and previously visited hyperlinks in Excel.