# hyperlinks in microsoft word documents

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperlinks-in-microsoft-word-documents/213337>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 14, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperlinks-in-microsoft-word-documents/213337 "2003-11-14T23:32:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![constantine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@constantine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constantine)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperlinks-in-microsoft-word-documents/213337/1 "2003-11-14T23:32:19Z")

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As of about a week ago, whenever I typed into a Word document either a url or an email address, Word would automatically underline it and change the font color to blue. So, if I typed in

> [@](#):
>
> [www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)

Word would underline it and change the font blue. That was fine.

Then, for reasons unknown to me, Word stopped doing that. Now, when I type in a url, Word autoformats it to

> [@](#):
>
> { HYPERLINK “[http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)” }

This is annoying. Please make it stop.

How do I get it to go back to the mode where it just underlines the text and changes the font color without adding in the curly brackets and the HYPERLINK text in all caps?

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**Author:** ![Jake4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperlinks-in-microsoft-word-documents/213337/2 "2003-11-14T23:39:15Z")

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You might be in a different view mode. Check the view menu.

Also, if you don’t like the way word autoformats something, you can hit backspace right afterwards to revert to normal text.

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**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperlinks-in-microsoft-word-documents/213337/3 "2003-11-15T00:08:17Z")

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In Word 2000, click **Tools** | **Options** , and on the **View** tab, look for the checkbox **Field Codes**. If it’s checked, it shows the codes as you describe. If it’s unchecked, it should show the **results** of the code, which in the case of the hyperlink code is the underlined blue link.

In other versions of Word, it’s similar. Look for a place to “View Codes” or “View Field Codes”, etc.

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**Author:** ![constantine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@constantine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constantine)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperlinks-in-microsoft-word-documents/213337/4 "2003-11-15T00:33:58Z")

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Thank you thank you thank you thank you.

Yes, that was it. I went to Tools -\> Options -\> View Tab and unclicked field codes.

That fixed it.

Now I’m confused though because I don’t understand how that box got checked in the first place. It wasn’t checked as of a month ago. Was there some script or template or something that automatically changed that setting?

Anyway, the good news is that it’s fixed. Thanks you guys for your help.

Constantine

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**Author:** ![constantine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@constantine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constantine)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperlinks-in-microsoft-word-documents/213337/5 "2003-11-15T00:42:01Z")

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Thank you thank you thank you thank you.

Yes, that was it. I went to Tools -\> Options -\> View Tab and unclicked field codes.

That fixed it.

Now I’m confused though because I don’t understand how that box got checked in the first place. It wasn’t checked as of a month ago. Was there some script or template or something that automatically changed that setting?

Anyway, the good news is that it’s fixed. Thanks you guys for your help.

Constantine

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**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperlinks-in-microsoft-word-documents/213337/6 "2003-11-15T01:15:32Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by constantine \*  
> \*\* Now I’m confused though because I don’t understand how that box got checked in the first place. It wasn’t checked as of a month ago. Was there some script or template or something that automatically changed that setting? \*\*

There is a key combination that will toggle the same option without going to the menu, but I can’t remember it. Hang on a sec… (searches Word help for Field Codes)

Ok, here it is. (Amazing, sometimes RTFM actually works. Although if you don’t know to search on “Field Codes” it’s a bit more dicey :).)

Alt-F9 toggles that option on and off. Maybe you hit that key combo by accident at some point?

Anyway, glad that worked for you.