Insert a Hyperlink

One of the highly effective ways to boost navigation in your workbooks is by inserting hyperlinks. You can create links in your Excel workbooks that link to files of any type, including PDF files, Excel workbooks, Word documents, images, and even specific cells in a workbook. When you click on a link to a non-Excel file, your system opens the default application assigned to that type. What’s more, hyperlinks can be embedded into various Excel objects such as shapes, illustrations, icons, and even pictures. Continue reading to learn how to incorporate quick and easy navigation in Excel workbooks.

Video

Step-by-step

We’ll walk through three exercises to illustrate Excel hyperlinks.

Exercise 1: Hyperlinking to PDF Files

The first step to insert a hyperlink is to determine and select the cell where you want to place the link. After selecting the desired cell, go to “Insert” and click “Link” to open the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box.

Choose the option “Existing File or Web Page.” Select the “Browse for File” folder icon.

Navigate to the desired folder and filter to “All Files” to see all file types (not just Office files).

Select the target file and press “OK”.

Now, you’ve created a link that displays the path and file name, making file navigation straightforward.

You can merely click this link to directly access the file in its default application, effortlessly opening the corresponding PDF. Repeat these steps for each file.

In addition to linking to PDF files, we can also link to other Excel workbooks, worksheets, and cells.

Exercise 2: Linking to Excel Files and Worksheets

Linking to Excel files or worksheets allows you to quickly access particular workbooks, worksheets, or even specific cells.

Workbook

To set a hyperlink to a distinct workbook, follow this procedure:

Select Insert Link > Existing File or Web Page > Browse. Navigate to the file.

Click OK and the resulting hyperlink is placed into the active cell. Clicking it opens the workbook.

In addition to opening a workbook, we can have Excel automatically navigate to a specific worksheet within that workbook.

Worksheet

Sometimes, you might want a hyperlink to direct to a particular worksheet within a workbook. Fear not! Excel’s capability extends beyond just workbook linking.

Follow the procedure above to link a workbook. But, before clicking OK, click the Bookmark button.

From the resulting Select Place in Document dialog, you can pick a specific worksheet (or defined name) from the list:

Select the one you require and press “OK” to complete.

The resulting hyperlink navigates you right to the selected worksheet within the workbook.

You can also have Excel navigate to a specific cell or range within the selected worksheet within the selected workbook.

Cell

Similarly, you can point a hyperlink to a particular cell within a chosen worksheet. Repeat the steps from the previous section. Then, in the Select Place in Document dialog, pick the worksheet and type in the cell reference:

The resulting hyperlink will cause Excel to open the workbook, and navigate to the specified cell within the specified worksheet.

Text to Display

The “Text to Display” field in Excel allows you to customize your hyperlink with a cleaner, simpler label.

Follow the steps to insert a hyperlink and select the workbook. In the “Text to Display” field, enter your desired name for the hyperlink:

Now, instead of showing the path and file name, the friendly text is displayed:

Now, in addition to displaying hyperlinks a text links, we can also display them as buttons, shapes, or icons.

Exercise 3: Adding Hyperlinks to Shapes, Icons, and Pictures

Hyperlinks aren’t limited to text only; you can integrate links into various objects such as shapes, icons, or pictures.

For example, we can create a button by using the Insert > Shapes command. We can apply preferred formatting from the Shape Format tab:

We can also enter text as desired:

To add a hyperlink, we can right-click the shape and select Link. This opens the familiar Insert Hyperlink dialog.

We can also add hyperlinks to Icons, Pictures, and more using the same steps.

Conclusion

In conclusion, inserting hyperlinks in Excel serves as a navigational shortcut and enhances productivity and workflow. Whether you’re linking PDFs, specific cells in a workbook, or embedding hyperlinks into shapes and pictures, the process is straightforward and efficient.

If you have any alternatives, questions, or suggestions, please share by posting a comment below … thanks!

Sample file

Download an Excel file containing examples detailed in this blog post.

FAQs

Q. Can I hyperlink to a specific cell within a worksheet?

Yes, you can set the hyperlink to direct to a specific cell within a worksheet. To do so, enter the cell reference in the Type in the cell reference field in the Select Place in Document dialog.

Q: Can I hyperlink to a specific worksheet within a workbook?

Indeed, Excel allows you to set the hyperlink to a particular worksheet within a chosen workbook. To do so, click the Bookmark button and then select the desired worksheet in the Select Place in Document dialog.

Q: Can hyperlinks be inserted into shapes, icons, or pictures?

Yes, other elements like shapes, icons, or pictures can be hyperlink destinations. To do so, simply right click the desired shape and select Link from the resulting shortcut menu.

Q: Can the link display text in Excel be adjusted?

Yes, in the “Insert Hyperlink” box, modify the “Text to Display” section with your desired hyperlink label.

Q: Can I hyperlink to PDF files in Excel?

Absolutely, you can set up links to PDF files for easy navigation within the workbook.

Q: Can I link to web pages in Excel?

Yes, you can set up links to web pages in Excel just like you do with files. To do so, paste the URL into the Address field of the Insert Hyperlink dialog.

Q: Can I link to a location within the same workbook?

Yes, Excel enables linking various locations within the same workbook for easier navigation. To do so, select Place in this Document from the Insert Hyperlink dialog and then pick the desired sheet or reference.

Q: Can I remove a hyperlink in Excel?

Yes, by right-clicking the hyperlink and choosing “Remove Hyperlink.”

Q: Can Excel hyperlinks be used across platforms (Windows and Mac)?

Yes, Excel hyperlinks will function across platforms.