9 Easy Ways to Add Links in Microsoft Excel

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Links to websites, files, and other cells in spreadsheet
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Do you need to add a hyperlink to your Excel spreadsheet? You can easily create links to websites, other documents, or even other cells and sheets within the same spreadsheet. Adding a link to a cell can help users reference other sources and materials for additional information or support. This wikiHow will show you how to create and insert clickable links in your Microsoft Excel spreadsheet using your Windows or Mac computer.

Quick Steps

  1. Select a cell.
  2. Click Insert > Link .
  3. Click Place in This Document .
  4. Enter the linked cell location.
  5. Edit the displayed text.
  6. Click OK .
Method 1
Method 1 of 9:

Link to a Location in a Workbook

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  1. If needed, you can begin a new Spreadsheet .
  2. You can create a shortcut link in any cell in your spreadsheet.
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  3. This is the tab on the top toolbar, between Home and Page Layout . [2]
  4. You can find this in the Links section of the Insert toolbar. [3]
    • If you click the down-arrow instead of the Link icon, you'll need to click Insert Link to proceed.
    • A new window will open.
  5. This will be in the left menu panel, under Existing File or Web Page . You'll be able to add a link to any cell in your workbook. [4]
    • If you want to link to a location in a different workbook, select Existing File or Web Page , select the workbook, and then click Bookmark .
  6. Enter a cell location or select from defined cells or ranges.
    • To type a cell location, select the sheet from under the Cell Reference header. Then, type the specific cell (ex: B35) into the Type the cell reference field.
    • If you want to add a link to a named range , select the name of the range from the Defined Names header. If you select one of these, you won't be able to type a location.
  7. By default, the link's text will be the cell that you are linking to. You can change this by typing anything you'd like into the Text to display field. [5]
    • You can click the "ScreenTip" button to change the text that appears when a user hovers their mouse cursor over the link.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 9:

Link to a Webpage

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  1. To add a link to a webpage, you'll need to find the URL . This can be found in the address bar at the top of your web browser.
    • Highlight the entire URL, right-click the link, then select Copy or Copy address .
    • You can also use a keyboard shortcut.
      • On Windows, highlight the text and press CTRL + C to copy.
      • On Mac, highlight the text and press Command + C to copy.
  2. You can create a shortcut link in any cell in your spreadsheet.
  3. This is the tab on the top toolbar, between Home and Page Layout . [6]
  4. You can find this in the Links section of the Insert toolbar. [7]
    • If you click the down arrow instead of the Link icon, you'll need to click Insert Link to proceed.
  5. This will be the first option in the left panel. [8]
    • If you're using Excel 2011, select Web Page .
  6. You can find this at the bottom of the window. Right-click the field, then click Paste .
    • You can also use a keyboard shortcut.
      • On Windows, click the field and press CTRL + V to paste.
      • On Mac, click the field and press Command + V to paste.
    • If you're using Excel 2011, paste the link into the "Link to" field at the top of the window.
  7. By default, the link will display the full address. You can change this to any text you'd like, such as "Company Website".
    • Enter your new text in the Text to display field.
      • If you're using Excel 2011, this is the "Display" field.
    • You can also click the "ScreenTip" button to change the text that appears when a user hovers their mouse cursor over the link.
  8. Your link will appear in the cell you selected earlier.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 9:

Link to Another File or Folder

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  1. You can add a link to a document or location on your computer or server into any cell in your spreadsheet. [9]
  2. This is the tab on the top toolbar, between Home and Page Layout . [10]
  3. You can find this in the Links section of the Insert toolbar. [11]
    • If you click the down arrow instead of the Link icon, you'll need to click Insert Link to proceed.
    • A new window will open.
  4. This will be the first option in the left panel. This option allows you to add a link to any location or document on your computer (or server) in Excel. [12]
    • In Excel 2011 for OS X, click "Document" and then click "Select" to browse for a file on your computer.
  5. The quickest way to link to a specific file or folder is to use the file browser to navigate to the one you want. You can link to a folder or a specific file.
    • Click the drop-down menu next to Look in to navigate through the folders on your computer.
  6. You can enter the address for the file or folder instead of navigating to it with the browser. This can be especially useful for entering locations on another server. [13]
    • To find the actual address for a local file or folder, open your Explorer window and navigate to the folder. Click the folder path at the top of the Explorer window to reveal the address, which you can then copy and paste .
    • To link to a location on a server, paste the address for the folder or location that will be accessible to the reader.
  7. By default, the link will display the full address to the linked file or folder. You can change this by changing the text in the "Text to display" field.
  8. You'll see your link appear in the cell you had selected. Clicking it will open the file or folder that you specified.
    • Users of your spreadsheet will need to have access to the linked file from the same file location as the one used in your link. It may be more helpful to embed the file .
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Method 4
Method 4 of 9:

Link to a New File

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  1. You can insert a link into any cell in your spreadsheet.
  2. This is the tab on the top toolbar, between Home and Page Layout .
  3. You can find this in the Links section of the Insert toolbar.
    • If you click the down arrow instead of the Link icon, you'll need to click Insert Link to proceed.
    • A new window will open.
  4. This will be in the left menu panel.
  5. This goes in the Name of new document field.
    • To change the display text, enter new text in the Text to display field.
    • If you want to change the location where the file is saved, click Change… next to Full path and select a new path.
  6. You can select Edit the new document later or Edit the new document now . If you choose now, the file will open after the settings are applied.
  7. Your link will be created.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 9:

Link to Send an Email

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  1. You can insert a mail link into any cell in your spreadsheet.
  2. This is the tab on the top toolbar, between Home and Page Layout .
  3. You can find this in the Links section of the Insert toolbar.
    • If you click the down arrow instead of the Link icon, you'll need to click Insert Link to proceed.
    • A new window will open.
  4. This will be in the left menu panel, underneath Create New Document .
  5. Use the Email address field. You'll see the "Text to display" field fill as you add the address. mailto: will be added to the beginning of the address automatically.
    • If you've entered email addresses before, you can select them under the Recently used e-mail addresses header.
  6. You can leave the link as is if you'd like, but you can set a premade subject if you want to make things easier on your users.
  7. By default, the link will display mailto:address@example.com , but you can change this to whatever you'd like (ex: Contact Us).
    • Click the "Text to display" field and change the text.
    • Click the "ScreenTip" button to change the text that appears when the user hovers the mouse cursor over the link.
  8. Your new email link will be created, and clicking it will open your email client or website with a new message addressed to the address you entered.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 9:

Link with HYPERLINK

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  1. You can insert a link into any cell in your spreadsheet.
  2. This will vary depending on where you want to link.
    • The base formula is: HYPERLINK(link_location, link_name) .
    • To link to a website, enter the formula: =HYPERLINK("https://www.google.com/", "Click for Google")
      • To display the contents of a certain cell as the text, such as A5, you would use: =HYPERLINK("https://www.google.com/", A5)
    • To link to a location on a drive, enter the formula: =HYPERLINK("D:\WORK\ExcelFile.xls", "Click for ExcelFile")
      • To display the contents of a certain cell as the text, such as A5, you would use: =HYPERLINK("D:\WORK\ExcelFile.xls", A5)
    • To link to a different sheet in the same workbook, enter the formula: =HYPERLINK("[Workbook]Sheet!Cell", link_name)
      • In a workbook named Recipes linking to cell A5 in a sheet named Vegan, the formula would be: =HYPERLINK("[Recipes]Vegan!A5", "Click for vegan recipes")
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Method 7
Method 7 of 9:

Copy or Move a Link

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  1. This will open the shortcut menu.
  2. If you want to preserve the original link, select Copy . If you want to copy the link and delete the original location, select Cut .
  3. The shortcut menu will open again.
  4. The link will be pasted in the new location.
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Method 8
Method 8 of 9:

Change Link Appearance

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  1. This is on the Home tab.
  2. If you want to change the appearance of links that have been clicked to go to their destinations, right-click Followed Hyperlink instead.
  3. This is underneath the Style name box.
  4. Click the Font tab to select a new font, font style, size, color, and effects.
  5. Click the Fill tab to select a background color, patterns, and/or fill effects.
  6. The changes will be saved.
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Method 9
Method 9 of 9:

Delete a Link

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  1. This will open the shortcut menu.
  2. The link will be deleted.
    • To delete a link and graphic, hold CTRL and click the graphic. Click Delete .
    • To turn off a single link, right-click the link and select Remove Link .
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Can a link be inserted into a jpeg file?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but you wouldn't be able to open it.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 14
  • Question
    How can I create a link that will add all weekly totals together so I have an annual total at the end of the year?
    Community Answer
    A macro would suit you better than a link. Use one to create a formula to add all the weeks.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Tips

      • To edit a link after creating it, right-click the cell that contains the link, then click Edit Link .
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/work-with-links-in-excel-7fc80d8d-68f9-482f-ab01-584c44d72b3e#ID0EBBH=Windows
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/work-with-links-in-excel-7fc80d8d-68f9-482f-ab01-584c44d72b3e
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/work-with-links-in-excel-7fc80d8d-68f9-482f-ab01-584c44d72b3e
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/work-with-links-in-excel-7fc80d8d-68f9-482f-ab01-584c44d72b3e
      5. ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Create-select-edit-or-delete-a-hyperlink-472fce40-c5f0-427e-90d4-12c0366bc06f
      6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/work-with-links-in-excel-7fc80d8d-68f9-482f-ab01-584c44d72b3e
      7. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/work-with-links-in-excel-7fc80d8d-68f9-482f-ab01-584c44d72b3e
      8. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/work-with-links-in-excel-7fc80d8d-68f9-482f-ab01-584c44d72b3e
      9. ↑ https://www.excel-easy.com/examples/hyperlinks.html
      1. ↑ https://www.excel-easy.com/examples/hyperlinks.html
      2. ↑ https://www.excel-easy.com/examples/hyperlinks.html
      3. ↑ https://www.excel-easy.com/examples/hyperlinks.html
      4. ↑ https://www.excel-easy.com/examples/hyperlinks.html

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