Insert a hyperlink in Excel
If you need to add a hyperlink in Excel 2016 or 2013, you can choose one of the following hyperlink types: a link to an existing or new file, to a web page or e-mail address. Since the subject of this article is creating a hyperlink to another worksheet in the same workbook, below you'll find out three ways to do that.
Add a hyperlink from the context menu
The first method of creating a hyperlink within one workbook is to use the Hyperlink command.
- Select a cell where you want to insert a hyperlink.
- Right-click on the cell and choose the Hyperlink option from the context menu.
The Insert Hyperlink dialog window appears on the screen. - Choose Place in This Document in the Link to section if your task is to link the cell to a specific location in the same workbook.
- Select the worksheet that you want to link to in the Or select a place in this document field.
- Enter the cell address in the Type the cell reference box if you want to link to a certain cell of another worksheet.
- Enter a value or name into the Text to display box to represent the hyperlink in the cell.
- Click OK.
The cell content becomes underlined and highlighted in blue. It means that the cell contains the hyperlink. To check if the link works, just hover the pointer over the underlined text and click on it to go to the specified location.
Excel HYPERLINK function
Excel has a HYPERLINK function that you can also use for creating links between spreadsheets in the workbook. If you are not good at entering Excel formulas immediately in the Formula bar, do the following:
- Select the cell to which you want to add a hyperlink.
- Go to Function Library on the FORMULAS tab.
- Open the Lookup & Reference drop-down list and choose HYPERLINK.
Now you can see the function name in the Formula bar. Just enter the following two HYPERLINK function arguments in the dialog window: link_location and friendly_name.
In our case link_location refers to a specific cell in another Excel worksheet and friendly_name is the jump text to display in the cell.
Note. It's not a must to enter friendly_name. But if you want the hyperlink to look neat and clear, I'd recommend to do it. If you don't type in friendly_name, the cell will display the link_location as the jump text.
- Fill in the Link_location text box.
Tip. If you don't know what address to enter, just use the Select range icon to pick the destination cell.
The address displays in the Link_location text box.
- Add the number sign (#) before the specified location.
Note. It is crucial to type the number sign. It indicates that the location is within the current workbook. If you forget to enter it, the link won't work and an error will appear when you click on it.
When you move to the Friendly_name text box, you see the formula result in the bottom-left corner of the Function Arguments dialog.
- Enter Friendly_name that you want to display in the cell.
- Click OK.
Here you are! Everything is as it should be: the formula is in the Formula bar, the link is in the cell. Click on the link to check where it follows.
Insert a link by cell drag-and-drop
The quickest way of creating hyperlinks within one workbook is using the drag-and-drop technique. Let me show you how it works.
As an example, I'll take a workbook of two sheets and create a hyperlink in Sheet 1 to a cell in Sheet 2.
Note. Make sure that the workbook is saved because this method doesn't work in new workbooks.
- Select the hyperlink destination cell in Sheet 2.
- Point to one of the cell borders and right-click.
- Hold the button and go down to the sheet tabs.
- Press the Alt key and mouse over the Sheet 1 tab.
Having the Alt key pressed automatically takes you to the other sheet. Once Sheet 1 is activated, you can stop holding the key. - Keep dragging to the place where you want to insert a hyperlink.
- Release the right mouse button for the popup menu to appear.
- Choose Create Hyperlink Here from the menu.
After you do that, the hyperlink appears in the cell. When you click on it, you'll switch to the destination cell in Sheet 2.
No doubt that dragging is the fastest way to insert a hyperlink into an Excel worksheet. It combines several operations into a single action. It takes you less time, but a bit more attention concentration than two other methods. So it's up to you which way
to go.