# Deleting hyperlinks in Word **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322 "2001-11-14T15:21:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/1 "2001-11-14T15:21:41Z")
When I copy and paste a sentence or paragraph from a web page to a Word document, I often find hyperlinks in the text to be troublesome. They’re a different color, which wastes pricier ink (depending on printer settings). They’re underlined, which makes them harder to read. And of course they open up my browser and start hunting for the internet if I accidentally click them. Is there a way to change all the links in a document(or selected text) to simple text? Currently, I double click the underline button to kill that feature, and have added an AutoColor button which changes the text to black. But it’s still a link. The other technique I’ve found effective is to paste first into Notepad, then cut and paste from there to Word. Unfortunately, that kills the other formatting. I can’t believe this hasn’t come up before, but all I could find was an answer for Excel. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=81603](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=81603) ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/2 "2001-11-14T15:36:35Z")
The easiest way is to paste using the “Paste Special” command in the “Edit” pull down menu. Use unformatted text which removes all hyperlinks. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/3 "2001-11-14T15:53:14Z")
Thanks, **Threadkiller** , didn’t know about that. Of course, I think it’s pretty much the same as pasting and cutting from Notepad. Is there a way to do this without losing the other formatting (bold, italic, margins)? ---
**Author:** ![45ACP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/e5b9ba/32.png) [@45ACP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/45ACP)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/4 "2001-11-14T15:59:28Z")
I haven’t found a way to kill them all at once–I usually wind up undoing them individually by right clicking on them and when the dialog box comes up, at the bottom it has an option for “Remove Hyperlink.” Click that and the color returns to default, the underline goes away, and the link is killed. This doesn’t take long, but it would be nice to remove them all at once throughout a highlighted section or paragraph or document wide. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/5 "2001-11-14T16:00:49Z")
What software version are you using? In Word2000, you can right click on each link and choose Hyperlink, Remove Hyperlink. This doesn’t remove the formatting; just the hyperlink (and underline). In Word97, I can’t remember if you can right-click directly on the link but you can change the settings in, I think, Tools, Options – somewhere in there is a “Remove Hyperlinks” checkbox. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/6 "2001-11-14T16:05:36Z")
Or, if you want to do it all at once, go to Tools, AutoCorrect, and then click the AutoFormat As You Type tab. Unclick the “Internet and network paths with hyperlinks” check box. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/7 "2001-11-15T02:45:14Z")
Thanks to **45ACP** and **missbunny**. I’m using Word 97. Your individual removal method is much easier than whatever I had managed in the past. I should point out that under Tools-Autocorrect, there is both an “AutoFormat as You Type” and an “AutoFormat” tab which have options “Internet and network paths with hyperlink.” Inspite of having unchecked both of these, when I go to a link-rich page, such as [http://www.sports.excite.com/ncaaf](http://www.sports.excite.com/ncaaf), select all, and copy and paste it into Word, the links are still there. Now that I’m home again, maybe the evening crowd has some ideas. ---
**Author:** ![45ACP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/e5b9ba/32.png) [@45ACP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/45ACP)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/8 "2001-11-15T03:17:22Z")
Hey dqa, The Autocorrect feature is meant to automatically add the proper hyperlink codes as you **type** them out; it does not “correct” or otherwise change stuff you import or paste into the document. If the feature is turned on, when you press the space bar or hit return after typing “www.whatever.duh/” Word automatically adds the stuff to make it link. If the feature is not checked, typing the domain name or email address and pressing the space or return will not automatically make it a link, but it does not prevent pasted code from being displayed as a hyperlink. I would like to hear if anyone has figured out a way to do the whole page, also, but I haven’t found one yet. 45ACP ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/9 "2001-11-15T05:03:41Z")
To turn all links in a doc to plain text, click Edit\>Select All then hit Ctrl/Shift/F9. This will change all of them at once. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/10 "2001-11-15T05:19:55Z")
All hail **Klaatu**! Where did you discover this, and are there any other effects of this keystroke combination? ---
**Author:** ![45ACP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/e5b9ba/32.png) [@45ACP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/45ACP)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deleting-hyperlinks-in-word/93322/11 "2001-11-15T14:37:50Z")
Wonderful **Klaatu**! The people of Earth thank you! (Perhaps he really is here to bring us peace after all!)