Creating and Using Hyperlinks

Autoformat Issues

Whenever you type a complete Internet address (email, web, etc.), Microsoft Word automatically changes the address to a hyperlink (text turns blue, click on it to open your web browser or email program). This is the default setting in Word. If you do not want Word to automatically convert Internet addresses you type to hyperlinks, you must change the default setting:

• choose FORMAT AutoFormat Options
• select the [AutoFormat As You Type] tab
• under [Replace], “uncheck” the option
  • Internet paths with hyperlinks (Word 98, Word 2001)
  • Internet and network paths with hyperlinks (Word 2000)

As stated elsewhere, it is customary to enclose any Internet address within angle brackets when such an address is included in text. Unfortunately, when Word converts an Internet address to a hyperlink, it deletes any angle brackets that you have used! However, you can retype them (and you should).

Turning Off an Active Link

Having Internet addresses converted to hyperlinks can be very helpful when you exchange files with colleagues electronically. For example, when I check your assignments I can simply click on the included hyperlinks to see if your URLs are valid. On the other hand, if you were printing a paper, it may be necessary to “turn off” the hyperlink since blue when printed becomes a light shade of gray and can be difficult to read (unless of course you are using a color printer!). To selectively change a hyperlink back to regular text you can

• select the hyperlink by dragging over it
• choose INSERT Hyperlink …
• click <Remove Link>

Converting Regular Text to a Hyperlink

Sometimes you may wish to have a word, phrase, or an entire sentence act as a hyperlink. For example, suppose you have written the following: 

Information on the Technology Literacy Program at Georgetown College can be reviewed on the program web site.

In this sentence you may wish to have the words “web site” act as a hyperlink. To do this, follow these steps:

1. select the words web site 
2. choose Insert Hyperlink …  (or press Ctrl + K in Windows or press Cmd + K in Macintosh)
3. The parts of this dialog box

   Word 2000
   Word 2001

   1. The box “Text to display:” (Windows) or “Display:” displays web site since these are the words you have selected. Leave this alone. (If you had selected a picture, you could type in words to identify the picture. This text appears when your mouse pointer touches a link.)
   2. Type the web address desired in the box “Type the file or Web page name:” (Windows) or “Link to:” (Macintosh).
   3. Alternatively, you may select a recently visited web site from the “Or select from list:” list (Windows) or by clicking on the two triangles to the right of the “Link to:” (Macintosh) box.
   4. Along the left edge of the Word 2000 dialog box are four buttons. The first one, “Existing File or Web Page:”, is currently selected. You may wish to explore the other buttons to explore the other options in this dialog box. In the Word 2001 dialog box, these features are contained in the three tabs in the bottom half of the box.

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last updated August 12, 2003