Fix Hyperlink Not Working in Word
Some users have reported that hyperlinks not working or opening in Word on their Windows 11/10 computers. For some users, instead of the actual hyperlink (e.g. https://www.pythonthree.com/) the hyperlink text or hyperlink appears as {hyperlink “https://www.pythonthree.com”} on their Microsoft Word documents. As a result, the hyperlink appears invalid or not working. For some other users, the hyperlink text does not open the URL, the entered URL is not clickable, etc. If you are also facing such an issue, then the fix we have described will help.
Why don’t my hyperlinks work on Word?
There may be several reasons why a hyperlink does not work on Word. This may happen, for example, if the hyperlink is broken, field codes are turned on in Microsoft Word, or Protected View is enabled for security purposes.
How do I fix hyperlink formatting in Word?
If you want to change or customize the font formatting or style, font type, font size, hyperlink color, etc. of a hyperlink in Word, first select the hyperlink or the hyperlink text. This will automatically open the format menu for that particular hyperlink. There you will see all the options available for the hyperlink, including font, style, bold, italic, font color, highlight color, etc.
Fix hyperlinks not working in Word
If hyperlinks not working in Microsoft Word on Windows 11/10, use these solutions:
- Use shortcut keys
- Edit or rename hyperlinks
- Disable showing field codes
- Turn off protected view
- Check automatic formatting for hyperlinks
- Repair Microsoft Word.
Let’s check out these solutions.
1] Use shortcut keys
By default, you can use Ctrl+left mouse button to open hyperlinks in MS Word. However, if this doesn’t work, you can use Alt+Shift+F9 or Alt+Shift+Fn+F9 to open hyperlinks or hyperlink text.
Alternatively, you can also turn off the Ctrl+left mouse button setting to open hyperlinks directly. Go to File > More > Options > Advanced. There, uncheck the Use CTRL + Click to follow hyperlinks option under the Editing Options section and press the OK button. Now you can click on a hyperlink to open it.
2] Edit or rename a hyperlink
The link may be invalid, broken, or incorrect. In this case, you need to edit or rename the hyperlink in Word to cause this problem. Right-click the hyperlink and use the Edit Hyperlink option to correct the URL.
3] Disable display of field codes
This is one of the best options to resolve this issue. If the option to display field codes is enabled in Word, it does not display hyperlinks or hyperlink text, but instead displays all hyperlinks in plain text and displays “{HYPERLINK” at the beginning of all hyperlinks in the Word document. So, this issue can be resolved by disabling the field code display.
To do this, press Alt+F9 (or Alt+Fn+9) or Shift+F9 (or Shift+fn+9). You can also turn off this setting manually. Use right File > More > Options > Advanced. Under the Display document contents section, uncheck the Show field codes instead of their values option and press the OK button.
4] Turn off protected view
If you open a Word document in protected view mode, the shortcuts to open hyperlinks will not work. When you try to open a hyperlink using the right-click menu or Ctrl+click option, you will receive a security notification. If this is the reason why hyperlinks are not working or opening in MS Word, then you should turn off or disable protected view in Microsoft Word. This should resolve the issue.
5] Check the automatic formatting of hyperlinks
If you copy and paste the website URL or type the URL manually in MS Word, it automatically turns into a hyperlink. However, if it is added as plain text and this is the issue you are facing, then you need to check the automatic formatting of hyperlinks.
Navigate to File > More > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options button. In the AutoCorrect box, switch to the AutoFormat As You Type tab. Select the Internet and network paths with hyperlinks option and press OK.
6] Repair Microsoft Word
If the problem persists and you have other Office products (such as Hyperlinks not opening or working in Excel), then you should repair Microsoft Word and Office products. I hope these solutions can help.
