Document Editing Problems

Fix Word Index Update Removing Bookmarked Page Number Links

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs a way to prevent bookmarked page-number hyperlinks from breaking or disappearing when updating an index in Word.

Product: Word 2021 for Mac
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Updating a document index after making pagination changes.
Observed behavior: Clickable page-number links associated with bookmarked sections are removed or broken upon updating the index.

Before you start

Before proceeding with VBA macros, save a backup copy of your document to prevent any accidental loss of index formatting or existing bookmarks.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a VBA Macro to Preserve Hyperlinks During Index Update

Running a specific VBA macro restores or preserves the bookmarked page-number links that are typically stripped out during a standard index update.

Microsoft Word's default index generation field code often overrides manual hyperlink formats when updated. A VBA script can iterate through the index entries and reapply the hyperlinks to the corresponding bookmarks automatically.

Open the VBA Editor

In Word for Mac, go to the 'Tools' menu, select 'Macro', and then click 'Visual Basic Editor'.

Insert a New Module

In the Project Explorer pane on the left, right-click your document name, choose 'Insert', and select 'Module'.

Paste the Macro Code

Paste the required VBA macro code designed to preserve index hyperlinks into the newly opened module window.

Run the Macro

Close the Visual Basic Editor, go back to 'Tools' > 'Macro' > 'Macros', select your newly created macro from the list, and click 'Run' to update the index while keeping links intact.

Macro Security Settings: You may need to enable macros in your Word security settings to allow the script to execute properly. Always ensure you are running trusted macro code.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my hyperlinks break when I update the index in Word?

By default, updating an index field in Word regenerates the text based on field codes, which inherently overwrites any manual formatting and custom hyperlinks you have applied to the page numbers.

Can I make index page numbers clickable without using a macro?

While you can manually add hyperlinks to page numbers one by one, any subsequent update to the index will overwrite and remove them again. A macro is the most efficient and reliable way to automate this restoration.

How do I enable macros in Word for Mac?

Go to 'Word' > 'Preferences' > 'Security & Privacy', and ensure that 'Disable all macros with notification' is selected so you can choose to enable them when opening a document containing macros.

Does this issue happen in both Windows and Mac versions of Word?

Yes, the behavior where updating an index strips out custom hyperlinks is present in both Word for Windows and Word for Mac due to how the core index field code functions.

Document & File Issues