- Removing a hyperlink in Word while keeping the words
- Stripping every hyperlink from a Word document in one go
- Stopping Word turning web addresses into links
- Turning off automatic hyperlinks in Word for Mac
- Changing the Ctrl+Click rule for Word hyperlinks
- Editing a Word hyperlink instead of removing it
- If Word hyperlinks keep coming back
- Tidy Word documents for writing and research
- Frequently asked questions
To remove hyperlinks in Word, right-click a link and select Remove Hyperlink to keep the text. To clear every link at once, press Ctrl + A, then Ctrl + Shift + F9. To stop new links appearing, clear Internet and network paths with hyperlinks in AutoFormat As You Type.
Paste a chunk of text from a website into Word and you'll often drag a dozen blue underlined links along with it. Type a web address and Word turns it into a link the second you press the spacebar. For a printed handout, a CV or a document going into a design tool, all that blue gets in the way.
The good news is you can strip one link, every link at once, or stop Word making them in the first place. The bit people miss is that removing a link and deleting it aren't the same thing, so I'll start there.
Removing a hyperlink in Word while keeping the words
Most of the time you want the text to stay and just lose the link. Microsoft's help gives a two-click method:
- Right-click the linked text.
- Select Remove Hyperlink.
The text stays where it is, in normal colour, with no underline. If you'd rather get rid of the words and the link together, select the linked text and press Delete instead.
Stripping every hyperlink from a Word document in one go
When a whole document's peppered with links, doing them one by one is painful. Microsoft lists a keyboard shortcut that clears them all on Windows:
- Press Ctrl + A to select all the text.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + F9.
Every link turns into plain text in one move. I'd save a copy of the document first. Microsoft's shortcut list describes Ctrl + Shift + F9 as unlinking a field, so other fields in your selection, such as a table of contents, may turn into plain text too. If you only want links gone from one section, select just that section before pressing Ctrl + Shift + F9.
Stopping Word turning web addresses into links
Word creates a link automatically when you press Enter or the spacebar after typing a web address. To switch that off on Windows, Microsoft's steps are:
- Go to File, then Options.
- Select Proofing.
- Select AutoCorrect Options.
- Open the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
- Clear the Internet and network paths with hyperlinks check box.
- Select OK, then OK again.
From now on, typed addresses stay as plain text. Links you've already got in the document aren't affected, so use the removal steps above for those.
Turning off automatic hyperlinks in Word for Mac
On a Mac the setting lives in Word's preferences rather than a File menu. According to Microsoft:
- Open the Word menu and select Preferences.
- Choose AutoCorrect.
- Select AutoFormat as You Type.
- Clear the Internet and network paths with hyperlinks check box.
To work on an existing link on a Mac, hold down the Control key and select it. Microsoft's Mac page lists Edit Hyperlink in that menu. Menus vary by version, so look for the remove option in the same list.
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Changing the Ctrl+Click rule for Word hyperlinks
Here's a related setting people confuse with removing links. By default, Word makes you hold Ctrl while clicking a link to open it, which stops you jumping to a website every time you click into a sentence to edit it. If you'd prefer a plain click to open links, go to File, Options, Advanced, and under Editing Options clear Use CTRL + Click to follow hyperlink.
I'd leave it switched on. Editing a document full of links becomes very frustrating when every click takes you off to a browser.
Editing a Word hyperlink instead of removing it
Sometimes the link's fine but it points to the wrong page, or the wording's clumsy. Right-click it and select Edit Hyperlink to change the address or the text that shows. That's quicker than removing and recreating it.
| What you want | What to do |
|---|---|
| Keep the words, lose one link | Right-click, Remove Hyperlink |
| Lose the link and its words | Select the text and press Delete |
| Clear every link in a document | Ctrl + A, then Ctrl + Shift + F9 |
| Stop new links appearing | Clear Internet and network paths with hyperlinks in AutoFormat As You Type |
| Fix where a link goes | Right-click, Edit Hyperlink |
If Word hyperlinks keep coming back
- You removed existing links but didn't switch off AutoFormat As You Type, so new addresses keep converting.
- You pasted in more text from the web. Try pasting as plain text, or remove the links again after pasting.
- The shortcut did nothing. Check you pressed Ctrl + A first so the text was selected.
- You're on a Mac and looking under File. The setting's in the Word menu, then Preferences.
Tidy Word documents for writing and research
Clean text matters most when your words are heading somewhere else: into a web page editor, a print layout or a client's brand template. Stray links carry formatting with them, which is why copywriters often strip them before handing over a draft. If you're new to that world, my explainer on what copywriting is and how it works in practice is a good starting point. Students pasting quotes from online sources should also read my thoughts on how much AI writing is acceptable in a research paper before submitting.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove all hyperlinks in Word at once?
On Windows, press Ctrl + A to select everything, then press Ctrl + Shift + F9. Microsoft lists this shortcut for removing all hyperlinks.
How do I remove a hyperlink but keep the text in Word?
Right-click the link and select Remove Hyperlink. The words stay, and only the link is removed.
How do I stop Word creating hyperlinks automatically?
On Windows, go to File, Options, Proofing, AutoCorrect Options, open AutoFormat As You Type and clear Internet and network paths with hyperlinks. On a Mac, the same option is under Word, Preferences, AutoCorrect.
Why does Word make me press Ctrl to open a link?
Word requires Ctrl + Click by default so you don't open links by accident while editing. You can change this under File, Options, Advanced, Editing Options.
Will Ctrl + Shift + F9 affect anything else in my document?
It can turn other fields into plain text too, such as a table of contents, so save a copy first or select only the section you want to clean.
