To not overload your workbook or to associate content with a cell, you can insert a hyperlink to a file, folder, web page, or new document in Microsoft Excel. This is possible in versions of Excel for Windows or for Mac.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Insert a hyperlink to a new file
Step 1. Open an Excel document
Double-click the Excel document in which you want to insert a hyperlink.
- You can also open a blank document by double-clicking the Excel icon and then selecting New workbook.
Step 2. Select a cell
Click on the cell in which you want to insert the hyperlink.
Step 3. Click Insert
The tab Insertion is located in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. Click on it to open a toolbar below the green ribbon.
- If you are using a Mac, be careful not to confuse the tab Insertion Excel with the option Insertion from your computer's menu bar.
Step 4. Select Hyperlink
This option is located to the right of the toolbar, in the section Connections. Click on it to open a new window.
Step 5. Click Create Document
The tab Create a document is in the left side pane of the pop-up window.
Step 6. Enter the hyperlink
In the field Text to display, type the text you want to display in the selected cell.
If you don't put anything in this field, the text displayed will be the name of your new document
Step 7. Name your new document
In the field Name of the new document, type the name you want to give to your new Excel file.
Step 8. Click OK
This button is at the bottom of the window and by default allows you to create and then open a new workbook with a link in the cell you selected in the previous workbook.
- To create the workbook and link without opening the workbook, you can also check the box Edit the new document later before clicking on OK.
Method 2 of 4: Insert a hyperlink to a file or web page
Step 1. Open an Excel document
Double-click the Excel document in which you want to insert a hyperlink.
- If you prefer to open a new document, double click on the Excel application icon and then click New workbook.
Step 2. Select a cell
Click on the cell in which you want to insert the hyperlink.
Step 3. Go to the Insert tab
The tab Insertion is in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. Click on it to open a toolbar below the green ribbon.
- For Mac users, be careful not to confuse the tab Insertion Excel with the option Insertion from your Mac's menu bar.
Step 4. Click Hyperlink
This option is in the toolbar, in the section Connections. Click on it to open a pop-up window.
Step 5. Select Existing File or Web Page
You will find this option in the left side pane of the window that has just opened.
Step 6. Enter the hyperlink text
In the field Text to display, type the text you want to display in the cell.
If you don't type any text, the link text will be the path of the folder that contains the linked file
Step 7. Choose a destination
Click on one of the tabs that appear in the window.
- Active folder: find the file you want to link in the folders Documents Where Office.
- Pages browsed: Find the file in the web pages you have recently visited.
- Recent files: Search recently opened Excel files.
Step 8. Select a file or a web page
Click on the file, folder, or web address you want to link. You will see a path to the folder appear in the field Address at the bottom of the window.
- You also have the option to copy an address from the web into the text field Address.
Step 9. Click OK
This option is at the bottom of the page. Click on it to create your hyperlink in the indicated cell.
If you move the linked item to the cell, the hyperlink will no longer work
Method 3 of 4: Insert a hyperlink in the document
Step 1. Open an Excel document
Double-click on the document in which you want to insert a hyperlink.
- It is also possible to open a new document by double-clicking on the Excel application icon and then selecting New document.
Step 2. Select a cell
Click on the cell in which you want to insert your hyperlink.
Step 3. Go to the Insert tab
The tab Insertion is located in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. Click on it to open a toolbar below the green ribbon.
- For Mac users, this is the tab Insertion of the Excel document and not of the option Insertion in the menu bar.
Step 4. Click Hyperlink
This option can be found in the section Connections to the right of the toolbar. Click on it to open a pop-up window.
Step 5. Select Location in this document
This option is in the left sidebar of the window.
Step 6. Enter the hyperlink text
Type the text you want to display in the field Text to display.
If you don't add anything in this field, the link text will be the name of the linked cell
Step 7. Click OK
Your link will be created in the selected cell. When you click on the hyperlink, Excel will automatically highlight the linked cell.
Method 4 of 4: Hyperlink to an email address
Step 1. Double-click on the Excel document
Open the Excel document in which you want to insert a hyperlink by double clicking on it.
- If you want to insert the hyperlink in a blank document, double click on the Excel application icon and then select New document.
Step 2. Click on a cell
In your Excel workbook, click the cell where you want to insert the hyperlink.
Step 3. Select Insert
This tab is located in the green ribbon at the top of the Excel window. Click on it to open a toolbar below the green ribbon.
- If you are using a Mac, note that this is the tab Insertion in the Excel workbook and not from the menu Insertion in the menu bar of your computer.
Step 4. Click Hyperlink
This option can be found in the section Connections on the toolbar and opens a pop-up window.
Step 5. Choose Email Address
The option email address is to the left of the window that just opened.
Step 6. Enter the hyperlink text
In the field Text to display, type the text you want to display in the cell of your choice.
If you do not change the link text, the email address will be displayed in the cell
Step 7. Enter the email address
In the field email address, type the email address you want to link to the hyperlink.
- It is also possible to add a predetermined object in the field Object. This will allow the linked email to open a new message with the subject line you specified.
Step 8. Click OK
The button OK is at the bottom of the window.
Advice
- You can also use the HYPERTEXT_LINK function to insert hyperlinks in your workbook. Type = HYPERTEXT_LINK (link_location, user-friendly_name) in a cell, knowing that the "link_location" argument corresponds to the path to the file, folder or web page and "user-friendly_name" corresponds to the text displayed in the hyperlink.