How to Create Hyperlinks in Excel

In this article, learn how to create hyperlinks pointing to different Excel destinations using different methods, including useful tips and examples.

If you need quick access to a file outside of Excel, you can insert or create excel hyperlinks in Excel worksheets on a web page or in another file. Excel also allows you to insert excel hyperlinks in specific chart elements.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create hyperlinks pointing to different destinations in Excel using different methods (including some useful tips and examples). As a bonus, you’ll also learn how to add hyperlinks in Google Sheets.

create hyperlinks in excel

 


Table of Contents

Here are four ways to create an Excel hyperlink: 

These methods can help you create a link in Excel that points to different destinations, including:

  • Link to a new file.
  • Link to an existing file or web page.
  • Link to a specific location in a workbook.
  • Create a custom link using the HYPERLINK function.
  • Link to an email address.
  • Create an external reference link to worksheet data on the web.
  • Link without activating the ling

Note: Excel also allows you to change a hyperlink, change the appearance of a link in a text, change the graphic or text in a link, copy or move a link and set the base address of the links in a workbook.


1] Type the URL

You can create a hyperlink that points to a particular website, document or image, etc., on the web. 

If you type a valid website address in a Worksheet cell and press Enter, Excel will automatically create a hyperlink

For example,

  1. In cell B3 below, type the address of the Contextures website: https://www.softwarekeep.com.
  2. Press Enter
    type url to create hyperlins in excel

You typed changes to a hyperlink, and you can click the link to go to the Softwarekeep website.

2] Use the Insert Hyperlink command

Excel has the built-in ‘Insert hyperlink’ command that allows you to insert hyperlinks as you please. Use the following steps to insert a hyperlink using this command: 

  1. On a worksheet, select the cell where you want to create a hyperlink.
  2. In the Excel ribbon, click the Insert tab, then select Link or Hyperlink command.
     
    use the insert hyperlink command   or   use the insert hyperlink command

Alternatively, you can also right-click the cell and then select Link/hyperlink on the shortcut menu or use the Ctrl+K shortcut. 

  1. Under the Display Text box, type the text that you want to use to represent the link.
  2. Now, in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, choose the link type on the left pane, i.e.
    1. Existing file or Web Page
    2. Place in This Document
    3. Create New Document
    4. E-mail Address
      create hyperlink in excel

Create a hyperlink to the Existing File or Web Page

You will use this option to create a hyperlink that connects to another Excel file or directs you to a web page. Use the following steps:

  1. In the Link To list, click on an Existing File or Web Page on your PC (use the Look in the drop-down list, if necessary).
    create hyperlink to the existing file or web page

    1. Use the folder navigation to find and select the existing file you need to link to.
      create hyperink in excel

    2. OR, type a URL in the address box to link to a web page.
      create hyperlink in excel

  2. The result will look like this:
    create hyperlink in excel:vresult

Create a hyperlink: Place in this Document.

The ‘Place in this document option allows you to link to a cell in the same spreadsheet.

In a large spreadsheet, it can be essential to have a table of contents or create a link to find a quick way to get from one section to another. To do this, link a cell to another in the same spreadsheet.

To do that:

  1. Press Ctrl + K to bring up the Insert Hyperlink dialog.
    create hyperlink in excel place in this document

  2. In the left pane, select Place in This Document:
    place in this document

  3. Select a sheet/place in the Or select a place in this document field.
  4. Type the cell reference:
    place in this document

  5. Click Ok.

Link to a different workbook

You can easily link to a different spreadsheet as you can link within one.

  1. Press Ctrl + K to open up the links dialog.
  2. Select the Existing File or Web Page on the left pane. 
  3. Use the file explorer to find the file you want to link to:
    link to a differnt workbook

  4. Click Ok.

Create a Link to a new file: Create New Document 

Use the following steps to create a link on a new file. You will use the create New Document option to do this. 

  1. On a worksheet, click the cell where you want to create a link.

    • You can also select an object, such as a picture or an element in a chart, that you want to use to represent the link.
  2. Go to the Insert tab in the Links group, click the Link/Hyperlink button.
    • Or right-click the cell or graphic and then click Link/Hyperlink on the shortcut menu.
    • Or press Ctrl+K.
  3. Under Link/Hyperlink, click Create New Document.
    create a new document

  4. In the Name of new document box, type a name for the new file.

    Tip: To specify a location other than the one shown under Full path, you can type the new location preceding the name in the Name of new document box, or you can click Change to select the location that you want and then click OK.

  5. Under When to edit, click Edit the new document later or Edit the new document now to specify when you want to open the new file for editing.
  6. In the Text to display box, type the text that you want to use to represent the link.

Note: You can choose to add/display helpful information when you rest the pointer on the link. For this, click the ScreenTip then type the text that you want in the ScreenTip text box, and then click OK.

Create hyperlink to an email address

Excel allows you to create a link to an email address. 

When you click a link to an email address, your email program automatically starts and creates an email message with the correct address in the To box, provided that you have an email program installed.

  1. On a worksheet, click the cell where you want to create a link.
    • You can also select an object, such as a picture or an element in a chart, that you want to use to represent the link.
  2. Go to the Insert tab > then the Links group > click the Link/Hyperlink button.
    create hyperlink on email adress

    • Or right-click the cell or object and then click Hyperlink/Link on the shortcut menu.
    • Or press Ctrl+K.
  3. Now, under Link to, click Email Address.
    create hyperlink in email adress

  4. Type the email address that you want in the E-mail address box.
    create hyperlink in email adress

  5. Type the subject of the email message in the Subject box.
    create hyperlink in email adress

    Note: Some web browsers and email programs may not recognize the subject line.

  6. Type the email text you want to represent the link in the Text to display box.
    create hyperlink in email adress

  7. If you want to display helpful information when you rest the pointer on the link, click ScreenTip, type the text that you want in the ScreenTip text box
  8. Click OK.

3] Create Hyperlinks with Drag and Drop

The drag and drop method is the quickest way to create hyperlinks within an Excel file. 

For instance, you can create a table of contents sheet (TOC), in a workbook, with links to other sections of the document (or sheets).

Follow these steps to create drag and drop hyperlinks: 

  1. Make sure your workbook is saved. This technique won’t work in a new workbook, that hasn't been saved.
  2. Click on a cell that you want to link to. This is the cell you're going to drag to another sheet, where you want to create a hyperlink.
  3. Point to the cell's border, and press the right mouse button.
  4. To drag the cell to another sheet, press the Alt key, and drag the cell onto the other sheet's tab.
    create hyperlink with drag and drop

  5. Once the other sheet is activated, release the Alt key.
  6. Now, drag to the cell where you want the hyperlink.
  7. Release the right mouse button.
  8. In the popup menu, click Create Hyperlink Here.
    create hyperlink with drag and drop

  9. Now, you will see a hyperlink in the cell, with the text from the original cell.

4] Use the Excel HYPERLINK function

Another way to insert a link or create hyperlink in Excel is through the Excel HYPERLINK Function.

Through the HYPERLINK function, you can create a link that opens a document that is stored on a network server, an intranet, or the Internet. When you click the cell that contains the HYPERLINK function, Excel opens the file that is stored at the location of the link.

Here’s the syntax of the Excel HYPERLINK function 

=HYPERLINK(link_location, [friendly_name])

Where: 

  • link_location: can be a path to a file or folder, the URL of a web page, or a place in a document (such as a specific cell or named range in an Excel worksheet or workbook).
  • [friendly_name]: is an optional argument. This is the text that you want in the cell that has the hyperlink. In case you omit this argument, it will use the link_location text string as the friendly name.

Here are HYPERLINK Function examples:

Link to cells in external spreadsheets

You can use the HYPERLINK function to link to specific cells in external spreadsheets. Here’s how that looks:

=HYPERLINK(“[name of the spreadsheet]cell reference”, “friendly name”)

Link to Worksheet in a Shared Internet

This example (below) opens a worksheet named Budget Report.xls, which is stored on the Internet at the location named example.softwarekeep.com/report and displays the text "Click for report":

=HYPERLINK("http://example.softwarekeep.com/report/budget report.xls", "Click for report")

In the next example, you can create a link to cell F10 on the worksheet named SoftwareKeep.Windows in the workbook Budget Report.xls, which is stored on the Internet at the location named example.softwarekeep.com/report. 

The cell on the worksheet that contains the link displays the contents of cell D1 as the jump text. Here’s how it appears: 

=HYPERLINK("[http://example.softwarekeep.com/report/budget report.xls]SoftwareKeep.Windows!F10", D1)

Link Within the Same File

Use the HYPERLINK function to create a link to a cell or range somewhere within the current workbook. When doing this, the trick is to add a pound sign (#) at the start of the address.

Here are examples of HYPERLINK formulas within the same workbook:

Type the Address

Start with a #, then type the sheet name and cell reference.

Optional - Type a friendly name, such as "Budget" to appear in the cell:

=HYPERLINK("#Sheet2!B2","Budget")

Use Cell References

Use the & operator to create a link location.

In this example, the sheet name is in cell B3, the cell address is in C9, and the friendly name is in cell D7.

=HYPERLINK("#"&"'" & B3 & "'!" & C9,D7)

Type a Range Name

For a link to a workbook-level named range in the same workbook, you will use the range name as the link location. Here’s how to do it: 

=HYPERLINK("#StartCell","StartCell")

Final Thoughts 

Creating hyperlinks in Excel documents is a very useful skill to know. And when you can tweak the link creation using different methods, you can not only make your work look nice, but provide useful links that point to more resources for your users. This is a skill that really comes in handy!

One more thing

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