How to Insert Hyperlinks in Microsoft Excel

This updated guide examines How to Insert Hyperlinks in Microsoft Excel and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Method 1

Linking to a New File

1. Open an Excel document. Double-click the Excel document in which you want to insert a hyperlink.
   • You can also open a new document by double-clicking the Excel icon and then clicking Blank Workbook .
2. Select a cell. This should be a cell into which you want to insert your hyperlink.
3. ClickInsert. This tab is in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. Clicking Insert opens a toolbar directly below the green ribbon.
   • If you're on a Mac, don't confuse the Excel Insert tab with the Insert menu item that's in your Mac's menu bar.
4. ClickHyperlink. It's toward the right side of the Insert toolbar in the "Links" section. Doing so opens a window.
5. ClickCreate New Document. This tab is on the left side of the pop-up window.
6. Enter the hyperlink's text. Type the text that you want to see displayed into the "Text to display" field.
   • If you don't do this, your new document's name will be the hyperlink's text.
7. Type in a name for the new document. Do so in the "Name of new document" field.
8. ClickOK. It's at the bottom of the window. By default, this will create and open a new spreadsheet document, then create a link to it in the cell that you selected in the other spreadsheet document.
   • You can also select the "Edit the new document later" option before clicking OK to create the spreadsheet and the link without opening the spreadsheet.

Method 2

Linking to an Existing File or Webpage

1. Open an Excel document. Double-click the Excel document in which you want to insert a hyperlink.
   • You can also open a new document by double-clicking the Excel icon and then clicking Blank Workbook .
2. Select a cell. This should be a cell into which you want to insert your hyperlink.
3. ClickInsert. This tab is in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. Clicking Insert opens a toolbar directly below the green ribbon.
   • If you're on a Mac, don't confuse the Excel Insert tab with the Insert menu item that's in your Mac's menu bar.
4. ClickHyperlink. It's toward the right side of the Insert toolbar in the "Links" section. Doing so opens a window.
5. Click theExisting File or Web Page. It's on the left side of the window.
6. Enter the hyperlink's text. Type the text that you want to see displayed into the "Text to display" field.
   • If you don't do this, your hyperlink's text will just be the folder path to the linked item.
7. Select a destination. Click one of the following tabs:
   • Current Folder - Search for files in your Documents or Desktop folder.
   • Browsed Pages - Search through recently viewed webpages.
   • Recent Files - Search through recently opened Excel files.
8. Select a file or webpage. Click the file, folder, or web address to which you want to link. A path to the folder will appear in the "Address" text box at the bottom of the window.
   • You can also copy a URL from the Internet into the "Address" text box.
9. ClickOK. It's at the bottom of the page. Doing so creates your hyperlink in your specified cell.
   • Note that if you ever move the item to which you linked, the hyperlink will no longer work.

Method 3

Linking Within the Document

1. Open an Excel document. Double-click the Excel document in which you want to insert a hyperlink.
   • You can also open a new document by double-clicking the Excel icon and then clicking Blank Workbook .
2. Select a cell. This should be a cell into which you want to insert your hyperlink.
3. ClickInsert. This tab is in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. Clicking Insert opens a toolbar directly below the green ribbon.
   • If you're on a Mac, don't confuse the Excel Insert tab with the Insert menu item that's in your Mac's menu bar.
4. ClickHyperlink. It's toward the right side of the Insert toolbar in the "Links" section. Doing so opens a window.
5. Click thePlace in This Document. It's on the left side of the window.
6. Enter the hyperlink's text. Type the text that you want to see displayed into the "Text to display" field.
   • If you don't do this, your hyperlink's text will just be the linked cell's name.
7. ClickOK. This will create your link in the selected cell. If you click the hyperlink, Excel will automatically highlight the linked cell.

Method 4

Creating an Email Address Hyperlink

1. Open an Excel document. Double-click the Excel document in which you want to insert a hyperlink.
   • You can also open a new document by double-clicking the Excel icon and then clicking Blank Workbook .
2. Select a cell. This should be a cell into which you want to insert your hyperlink.
3. ClickInsert. This tab is in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. Clicking Insert opens a toolbar directly below the green ribbon.
   • If you're on a Mac, don't confuse the Excel Insert tab with the Insert menu item that's in your Mac's menu bar.
4. ClickHyperlink. It's toward the right side of the Insert toolbar in the "Links" section. Doing so opens a window.
5. Click theE-mail Address. It's on the left side of the window.
6. Enter the hyperlink's text. Type the text that you want to see displayed into the "Text to display" field.
   • If you don't change the hyperlink's text, the email address will display as itself.
7. Enter the email address. Type the email address that you want to hyperlink into the "E-mail address" field.
   • You can also add a pre-determined subject to the "Subject" field, which will cause the hyperlinked email to open a new email message with the subject already filled in.
8. ClickOK. This button is at the bottom of the window.