Descriptive links like "see the latest report" look far more professional than a long pasted URL. Ctrl+K creates them in seconds, and it works across Microsoft 365.
Step by step
- Select the text you want to turn into a link.
- Press Ctrl+K to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog.
- Paste or type the address.
- Press Enter.
Tips & troubleshooting
- Ctrl+K also inserts hyperlinks in Outlook, PowerPoint and OneNote.
- Give links descriptive text rather than "click here"; it reads better and is more accessible.
Four kinds of link from one dialog
The panel on the left of the Insert Hyperlink dialog decides what the link does.
- Existing File or Web Page: a web address, or a file. For files, link to the copy on SharePoint or OneDrive rather than one on your own computer, or nobody else will be able to open it.
- Place in This Document: jumps to a heading or bookmark in the same file. Ideal for See Section 4 in a long report.
- Create New Document: starts a new file and links to it.
- E-mail Address: opens a new message to the address you enter, with an optional subject line.
Editing and removing links
- Edit: click in the link and press Ctrl+K again to change the address or the text.
- Remove but keep the text: right-click and choose Remove Hyperlink, or press Ctrl+Shift+F9 with the link selected.
- Remove every link: press Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+Shift+F9. This also unlinks other fields such as a table of contents, so use it with care.
- Follow a link: hold Ctrl and click. To follow with a plain click, untick Use CTRL + Click to follow hyperlink under File, Options, Advanced.
Writing good link text
The words of a link should say where it goes: Download the 2026 price list, not Click here. People scanning a page read the links first, and screen reader users often pull up a list of links with no surrounding text. Add a ScreenTip in the dialog if a short explanation on hover would help. If the document will be printed, give the address in full somewhere, because a printed link can't be clicked.
Automatic links
Word turns a typed web address into a link as soon as you press Space or Enter. Press Ctrl+Z straight afterwards to undo just the link. To switch the behaviour off, go to File, Options, Proofing, AutoCorrect Options, AutoFormat As You Type and untick Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.
In Word for Mac the shortcut is Cmd+K.