6 Ways to Fix Hyperlinks Not Working in Microsoft Word for Windows

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Your first course of action is to check the hyperlink for any typos. If the link you have added is inaccurate or unavailable, Word won’t redirect you to the intended section, document, or web page.

Step 1:Open the Word document you intend to edit, right-click on the hyperlink text, and selectEdit Hyperlinkfrom the list.

Step 2:In theAddressfield, enter the correct file path or website URL. Then, clickOK.

Fix 2: Disable Ctrl + Click to Follow the Hyperlink

By default, Microsoft Word does not automatically follow a link upon clicking. To open a hyperlink, you need to hold down theCtrlkey while clicking on it. If you don’t want that, disable the “Use Ctrl + Click to follow hyperlink” option in Word’s settings. Here’s how.

Step 1:Open Microsoft Word on your PC and click theFilemenu in the upper-left corner.

Step 2:SelectOptionsfrom the left sidebar.

Step 3:In theAdvancedtab, uncheck theUse Ctrl + Click to follow hyperlinkoption, and hitOK.

Fix 3: Prevent Word From Showing Field Codes

Does Microsoft Word show your hyperlinks as normal text? That happens when you have configured Word to show field codes instead of their values. As a result, when you hyperlink text in Word, you see{HYPERLINK “link”}instead of the actual hyperlink.

To make your hyperlinks clickable in Word, press theAlt + F9(orAlt + Fn + F9) keyboard shortcut.

To configure Word to always show your hyperlinks like this, use these steps:

Step 1:In Microsoft Word, head toFile > Options.

Step 2:In theAdvancedtab, clear theShow field codes instead of their valuescheckbox and hitOK.

Microsoft Word may fail to create a hyperlink when you type in a website URL if you have prevented the app from formatting links automatically. This can force you to add your hyperlinks for URLs and network paths manually. Here’s how you can change that.

Step 1:In Microsoft Word, head toFile > Options.

Step 2:In theProofingtab, click theAutoCorrect Optionsbutton.

Step 3:Under theAutoFormat As You Typetab, tick theInternet and network paths with hyperlinkscheckbox. Then, clickOK.

Fix 5: Disable Protected View

Protected View is a security feature inOffice appsthat keeps you from opening malicious links or files on your PC. This feature may be preventing Word from opening any links. However, if you are confident about the legitimacy of a document, you can temporarily disable Protected View in Word and see if that helps.

Step 1:In Microsoft Word, head toFile > Options.

Step 2:In the Word Options window, switch to theTrust Centertab and then click theTrust Center Settingsbutton.

Step 3:Clear all three checkboxes to disable Protected View and clickOKto save changes.

Fix 6: Run the Office Repair Tool

If you encounter similar issues with other Office apps, there may be anissue with the Office installationfiles on your PC. Fortunately, Microsoft includes a repair tool specifically designed to address these problems with Office apps. Here’s how to run it.

Step 1:Right-click on theStart iconand selectInstalled appsfrom the list.

Step 2:Scroll down to locate the Microsoft Office product on the list. Click thethree-dot menuicon next to it and selectModify.

Step 3:Select theOnline Repairoption and clickRepair.

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Last updated on 17 July, 2024

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