Change Hyperlink and Visited Link Formatting in Microsoft Word
Question details
The user wants to change the font color, underlining, and other formatting of normal and visited hyperlinks in Microsoft Word.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Customize hyperlink appearance throughout a document or adjust the formatting of an individual link.
- Observed behavior
- Normal links should use the desired Hyperlink formatting, while visited links should use the desired FollowedHyperlink formatting.
Open the document and decide whether you want to update all style-based hyperlinks or only selected links. The Styles pane instructions below apply to desktop Word; the keyboard shortcut is for Windows.
Modify the Hyperlink and FollowedHyperlink styles
Use this method to set consistent formatting for normal and visited links throughout the document.
In Word, go to Home and click the small dialog box launcher in the Styles group. On Windows, you can also press Alt+Ctrl+Shift+S.
Click Options at the bottom of the Styles pane. Set Select styles to show to All styles, then click OK.
Find Hyperlink in the Styles pane, open its drop-down menu, and select Modify. In the Modify Style dialog, choose the desired font color. To remove underlining, choose Format > Font and set Underline style to None, then click OK.
In the Modify Style dialog, select Only in this document if you want the change limited to the current file, then click OK.
Find FollowedHyperlink in the Styles pane, open its drop-down menu, and select Modify. Set the desired color and use Format > Font to change the underline style. Click OK to confirm each dialog.
Change the formatting of an individual hyperlink
Use this method when only one link needs a different color or underline setting.
Customize hyperlink text color and underlining in WPS Writer
For individual link formatting, open your Word document in WPS Writer, select the hyperlink text, and adjust its font color and underline settings. Use Word's Hyperlink and FollowedHyperlink styles when you specifically need separate document-wide normal and visited link formatting.
- 1. Open the document: Launch WPS Writer and choose Open to select your .doc or .docx document.
- 2. Select the hyperlink text: Drag across the displayed hyperlink text so the text is selected without activating the link.
- 3. Adjust color and underlining: On the Home tab, use Font Color to choose a color. Use the Underline control to turn underlining on or off for the selected text.
- 4. Save the document: Choose Menu > Save As, select the Word .docx format if needed, and save the edited document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a hyperlink change color after I click it?
Word uses the FollowedHyperlink style for visited links. Open Home > Styles, display All styles through Options, and modify FollowedHyperlink to change that appearance.
How do I keep normal and visited links the same color?
In the Styles pane, modify both Hyperlink and FollowedHyperlink. Give them the same font color and underline settings so their style-based appearance matches.
What if Hyperlink and FollowedHyperlink are missing from the Styles pane?
Click Options at the bottom of the Styles pane, set Select styles to show to All styles, and click OK. The pane's default filter may hide these styles.
Can I remove the underline without deleting the hyperlink?
Yes. Select the link text, open the Font dialog, and set Underline style to None. To apply this through a style, use Modify > Format > Font for Hyperlink and FollowedHyperlink.
Why did some links not change after I modified the style?
Those links may have directly applied font formatting that overrides the style. Select an affected link and open the Font dialog to adjust its color and underline settings directly.
