Formatting Issues

How to Keep Hyperlinks the Same Color After Clicking in Word

Ayan Masood Oct 12, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user needs to prevent hyperlinks from changing color after being clicked in a document.

How to Keep Hyperlinks the Same Color After Clicking in Word

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Customizing document formatting to maintain a consistent visual appearance for hyperlinks, regardless of whether they have been visited.
Observed behavior: When a hyperlink is clicked in Word, it automatically changes to a purple color because it switches to the FollowedHyperlink style.

Before you start

Before modifying styles, ensure you have finalized the desired color scheme for your document so you can apply the same color uniformly to both active and visited hyperlinks.

Solution 1Recommended

Modify the FollowedHyperlink Style to Match the Hyperlink Style

By editing the FollowedHyperlink style in the Styles pane, you can make visited links visually identical to unvisited links.

Microsoft Word separates hyperlink styling into two distinct categories: 'Hyperlink' for new links and 'FollowedHyperlink' for links that have already been clicked. To stop the color from changing, both styles must share the exact same formatting attributes.

Open the Styles Pane

Navigate to the Home tab on the top ribbon and click the small dialog box launcher arrow in the bottom right corner of the Styles group (or press Alt+Ctrl+Shift+S) to open the Styles pane.

Locate the FollowedHyperlink Style

In the Styles pane, click 'Options' at the bottom. Under 'Select styles to show', choose 'All styles', and click 'OK'. Scroll through the list until you find the 'FollowedHyperlink' style.

Modify the Formatting

Hover your mouse over 'FollowedHyperlink', click the drop-down arrow that appears, and select 'Modify'. Change the font color to match your standard hyperlink color (typically blue) and adjust the underline settings if necessary. Click 'OK' to apply the changes.

Modify the FollowedHyperlink Style to Match the Hyperlink Style

Formatting Applied: Your visited links will now appear identical to your unvisited links, maintaining a consistent look throughout the document.

Manage Document Styles Easily

Easily Standardize Hyperlink Colors with WPS Writer

WPS Office Writer offers an intuitive Styles and Formatting pane, allowing you to quickly modify hyperlink styles so your document maintains a consistent, professional appearance without color-changing links.

1. Open Styles and Formatting: Launch WPS Writer, open your document, and go to the 'Home' tab. Click the 'Styles and Formatting' icon to open the right-side panel.
2. Show All Styles: At the bottom of the Styles panel, click the dropdown menu and select 'All Styles' to reveal advanced styling options.
3. Edit the FollowedHyperlink Style: Right-click the 'FollowedHyperlink' style in the list, choose 'Modify', and set its font color to match your default link color. Click 'OK' to save.

Easily customize Hyperlink and FollowedHyperlink styles from a unified panelFully compatible with Microsoft Word .docx and .doc formatsFree, lightweight, and features an interface familiar to Office users

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do hyperlinks turn purple in Word?

By default, Word uses a distinct style called 'FollowedHyperlink' for links you have clicked. This is a standard convention designed to help users track which web pages or sections they have already visited.

Can I remove the underline from all hyperlinks at once?

Yes, you can remove underlines by modifying the base 'Hyperlink' style. Right-click the Hyperlink style in the Styles pane, select Modify, and click the Underline button to deselect it.

Will changing the FollowedHyperlink style affect other documents?

No, modifying a style typically only affects the current document you are working on. If you want this change to apply to all future documents, check the 'New documents based on this template' option when modifying the style.

How do I reset my hyperlink colors back to default?

To restore the default styles, you can re-modify the Hyperlink style to its standard blue with an underline, and the FollowedHyperlink style to purple. Alternatively, you can copy the default styles from a new blank document template.

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