Microsoft Excel is a number processing application that allows users to organize, store, and analyze various types of data. If you need to refer to other sources in the workbook, for example for support or more information, you can insert links to other sites, documents, or other cells/workbooks in the same file.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Inserting a Link to a Specific Location in a Workbook
Step 1. Select the cell you want to insert the link
You can create links in any cell in the workbook.
Step 2. Click the "Insert" tab, then select "Hyperlink"
You will see a new window for inserting the link.
Step 3. Click the "Place in This Document" option in the menu on the left side of the window
This menu allows you to create links to any cell in the workbook.
Step 4. Enter the destination cell
You can enter the destination cell in several ways:
- To enter a cell location, select the workbook where the cell is in the "Cell Reference" list, then enter the cell number (such as "C23") in the "Type the cell reference" column.
- You can create a link to a predefined cell or set of cells in the "Defined Names" list. If you select one of the options above, you cannot enter the cell location.
Step 5. Change the text that appears on the link (optional)
Generally, the text on the link will be just a cell number. You can change the text to any text by entering the text you want into the "Text to display" field.
You can also click the "ScreenTip" button to change the text that appears when the user hovers over the link
Method 2 of 4: Inserting a Link to a Webpage
Step 1. Copy the address of the site you want to link to
You can link to any site by simply copying the site address from the browser address bar. If you want to copy the site address, right-click the link and select "Copy address" (the name of this option will vary depending on the browser you are using).
Step 2. Select the cell you want to insert the link
You can create links in any cell in the workbook.
Step 3. Click the "Insert" tab, then select "Hyperlink"
You will see a new window for inserting the link.
Step 4. Click the "Existing File or Web Page" option in the menu on the left side of the window
You will see the file manager.
If you are using Excel 2011, select "Web Page."
Step 5. Paste the link you want to enter in the "Address" field at the bottom of the window
If you're using Excel 2011, paste the link into the "Link to" column at the top of the window
Step 6. Change the text that appears on the link (optional)
Generally, the text on the link will only be the full site address. You can change the text to any text (eg "Official Site") by entering the text you want into the "Text to display" field.
- If you're using Excel 2011, enter text into the "Display" field.
- You can also click the "ScreenTip" button to change the text that appears when the user hovers over the link.
Step 7. Click "OK" to create the link
The link will appear in the cell you selected. You can test the link by clicking on it, or edit the link by clicking and holding the link and then clicking the "Hyperlink" button again.
Method 3 of 4: Inserting a Link to Send an Email
Step 1. Select the cell you want to insert the link
You can create links in any cell in the workbook.
Step 2. Click the "Insert" tab
You'll see the different types of objects that can be inserted into the workbook.
Step 3. Click the "Hyperlink" button
You will see a new window for inserting different types of links.
Step 4. Enter the email address you want to link to in the "E-mail address" field
The "Text to display" field will change dynamically, and "mailto:" will be added to the beginning of the email address automatically.
If you've entered an email address into Excel before, you can select it in the list at the bottom of the window
Step 5. Enter the email subject (optional)
If you wish, you can create a regular link, but you can also include an email subject to make it easier for users.
Step 6. Change the text that appears on the link (optional)
Generally, the text on the link will display "mailto:[email protected] ". You can change the text to any text (eg "Contact Us") by entering the text you want into the "Text to display" field.
You can also click the "ScreenTip" button to change the text that appears when the user hovers over the link
Step 7. Click "OK" to create the link
The link will appear in the cell you selected. After clicking the link, you'll see an email client or email provider site with a new message for the address you entered.
Method 4 of 4: Inserting a Link to a Location on a Computer or Server
Step 1. Select the cell you want to insert the link
You can create a link to a specific document/location on a computer in any cell of the workbook.
Step 2. Click the "Insert" tab, then select "Hyperlink"
You will see a new window for inserting the link.
Step 3. Click the "Existing File or Web Page" option in the menu on the left side of the window
This option allows you to create a link to any location or document on your computer (or server).
If you're using Excel 2011 for OS X, click "Document", then click "Select" to select a file on your computer
Step 4. Use the file manager to select a destination folder or file to quickly create a link
You can link to a specific folder so that it opens on click, or choose a file to open when the user clicks the link.
You can view recently accessed files or change the displayed folder with the buttons in the window
Step 5. Enter or paste the address of the file/folder, instead of selecting it with the file manager
This step is useful if you want to enter the file address on another server.
- To find the address of the file/folder stored on your computer, open Windows Explorer and then open the folder you want. Click the address bar at the top of the Explorer window to display the folder address. Then, you can copy and paste this address into Excel.
- To create a link to a specific location on the server, paste the address of the folder/location that the user can access.
Step 6. Change the text that appears on the link (optional)
Generally, the text of the link will display the full address of the file. You can change the text to any text (eg "Contact Us") by entering the text you want into the "Text to display" field.
Step 7. Click "OK" to create the link
The link will appear in the cell you selected. After clicking on the link, the file/folder you were looking for will open.
