How to use links in Microsoft Word

Alternatively, to apply a style, highlight the relevant word or words, go to the Format menu (or Home tab in Word 2007) and select Styles and Formatting (styles are on the ribbon in Word 2007). By default Microsoft provides nine different built-in styles: Heading 1 through to Heading 9.

Select one of them. Now highlight the text you want to turn into a hyperlink and choose Hyperlink from the Insert menu.

In the Link To menu on the left-hand side of the dialogue box that appears, click on Place in this document. In the pane on the right, all the bookmarks and headings in your document will be listed. Click on the appropriate item, and then on OK.

Now, the word or words you highlighted will be formatted as a hyperlink (blue with an underline). Hover the mouse pointer over the link and a tooltip box will appear, advising you to hold the Ctrl key down and click on the word to follow the link.

This should take you to the relevant point in the document. If it fails, click Edit, Undo and repeat the process, this time double-checking that you have selected the right heading or bookmark.

Customise the link
You may prefer to click on a link to follow it. To remove the need to press Ctrl go to the Tools menu in Word 2003 and select Options.

On the Edit tab, clear the box next to Use Ctrl and Click to follow hyperlink. In Word 2007, click on the Office button, and then on Word Options. In the dialogue box that appears, click on Advanced, then clear the box next to Use Ctrl and Click to follow hyperlink.

Now when you hover the pointer over the link, this change will be reflected in the tooltip that appears. These tooltips have two lines, the one above is in plain text, and the one below is in bold.

You can customise the top line. Highlight the link again, go to Insert, Hyperlink. Click on the Screen Tip button. Enter anything you like in the box that appears, and click OK twice.

If you want your links to appear in a format other than blue and underlined, you will need to change the hyperlink style. In Word 2003, go to Styles and Formatting on the Format menu.

At the bottom of the Styles panel there is a dropdown menu called Show. Select All Styles in this box. Hover the mouse pointer over the Hyperlink style, which should now be visible in the Pick Formatting to Apply box. A down-pointing arrow will appear.