How to Insert Hyperlinks in Microsoft Excel

Link to new file

Open the Excel document. Double-click the Excel document where you want to insert a hyperlink.

You can also open a new document by double-clicking the Excel icon and clicking Blank Workbook .

Select the cell where you want to insert the hyperlink.

Click Insert . This tab is in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. When you click Insert , a toolbar will appear just below the blue ribbon.

If you use a Mac, you need to avoid confusing the Insert tab in Excel with the Insert menu item in your computer's menu bar.

Click Hyperlink . This option is to the right of the Insert toolbar in the "Links" section. A window will open.

Click Create New Document. This card is on the left side of the pop-up window.

Enter text for the hyperlink. Enter the text you want to display in the "Text to display" data field.

If you skip this step, the name of the new document becomes the hyperlink text.

Name the new document in the "Name of new document" field.

Click the OK button at the bottom of the window. By default, this creates and opens a new spreadsheet document, then creates a link to this content in the cell you selected in the previous spreadsheet document.

You can also select "Edit the new document later" before clicking OK to create the spreadsheet and links without opening a new document.

Link to an existing file or web page

Open the Excel document. Double-click the Excel document where you want to insert a hyperlink.

You can also open a new document by double-clicking the Excel icon and clicking Blank Workbook .

Select the cell where you want to insert the hyperlink.

Click Insert . This tab is in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. When you click Insert , a toolbar will appear just below the blue ribbon.

If you use a Mac, you need to avoid confusing the Insert tab in Excel with the Insert menu item in your computer's menu bar.

Click Hyperlink . This option is on the right side of the Insert toolbar in the "Links" section. A window will open.

Click Existing File or Web Page . Options are on the left side of the window.

Enter text for the hyperlink. Enter the text you want to display in the "Text to display" data field.

If you skip this step, the hyperlink text will simply be the directory path to the linked content.

Select destination. Click one of the following cards:

Current Folder - Search for files in the Documents or Desktop folder .

Browsed Pages - Search through recently viewed web pages.

Recent Files - Search through recently opened Excel files.

Select file or website. Click the file, folder, or web address you want to link. The folder path will appear in the "Address" text box at the bottom of the window.

You can also copy the URL from the Internet and paste it into the "Address" text box.

Click the OK button at the bottom of the page. The hyperlink will be created in the specified cell.

Note: if you move content that is already linked, the hyperlink will be disabled.

Links within documents

Open the Excel document. Double-click the Excel document where you want to insert a hyperlink.

You can also open a new document by double-clicking the Excel icon and clicking Blank Workbook .

Select the cell where you want to insert the hyperlink.

Click Insert . This tab is in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. When you click Insert , a toolbar will appear just below the blue ribbon.

If you use a Mac, you need to avoid confusing the Insert tab in Excel with the Insert menu item in your computer's menu bar.

Click Hyperlink . This option is on the right side of the Insert toolbar in the "Links" section. A window will open.

Click Place in This Document . This option is on the left side of the window.

Enter text for the hyperlink. Enter the text you want to display in the "Text to display" data field.

If you skip this step, the hyperlink text will simply be the destination cell name.

Click OK . The link will be created in the selected cell. If you click a hyperlink, Excel automatically highlights the linked cell.

Create hyperlinks to email addresses

Open the Excel document. Double-click the Excel document where you want to insert a hyperlink.

You can also open a new document by double-clicking the Excel icon and clicking Blank Workbook .

Select the cell where you want to insert the hyperlink.

Click Insert . This tab is in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. When you click Insert , a toolbar will appear just below the blue ribbon.

If you use a Mac, you need to avoid confusing the Insert tab in Excel with the Insert menu item in your computer's menu bar.

Click Hyperlink . This option is on the right side of the Insert toolbar in the "Links" section. A window will open.

Click E-mail Address . This option is on the left side of the window.

Enter text for the hyperlink. Enter the text you want to display in the "Text to display" data field.

If you skip this step, the email address will display as hyperlink text.

Enter your email address. Enter the email address you want to link to in the "E-mail address" field.

You can also add a predefined subject to the "Subject" field, the hyperlink will lead to a new email with the subject pre-populated.

Click the OK button at the bottom of the window.

Micah Soto

Update 11 November 2023