Formatting Issues

How to Modify Hyperlink Formatting in Word Footnotes on Mac

Bushra Parveen Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to reapply or modify the character styling for hyperlinks located in footnotes, which have lost their standard hyperlink appearance.

How to Modify Hyperlink Formatting in Word Footnotes on Mac

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Editing a document where the hyperlink character styles in the footnotes have been accidentally removed, overridden, or replaced.
Observed behavior: Footnote links remain active and clickable, but they visually blend in with the standard footnote text because the default Hyperlink character style is no longer applied.

Before you start

Verify that the hyperlinks in your footnotes are still active (clickable) before attempting to reapply the formatting, as plain text URLs will need to be re-linked first.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Reapply the Hyperlink Character Style

This is the most reliable method for fixing formatting when only a few footnote hyperlinks are affected in your document.

In Microsoft Word for Mac, hyperlinks rely on a specific character style. If you format the entire footnote area, this style can easily be stripped away.

Open the Styles Pane

Navigate to the 'Home' tab on the Word ribbon and click the 'Styles Pane' button located on the far right side of the toolbar.

Select the Affected Link

Scroll down to the footnotes section of your document and highlight the exact text of the hyperlink that has lost its formatting.

Apply the Style

In the Styles Pane, locate the 'Hyperlink' style in the list and click on it. Your selected text will immediately update to the default blue, underlined format.

Manually Reapply the Hyperlink Character Style

Solution 2

Use Find and Replace to Update Formatting

Ideal for lengthy documents where many active footnote links have lost their standard styling and need a batch update.

Easily Manage Footnotes and Hyperlinks with WPS Office for Mac

WPS Writer offers a seamless and highly compatible document editing experience on Mac. You can easily add, manage, and format hyperlinks within footnotes without the hassle of suddenly losing character styles.

1. Insert a Footnote: Open your document in WPS Writer for Mac, go to the 'References' tab, and click 'Insert Footnote'.
2. Add Your Hyperlink: Type the URL or reference text into the footnote area, highlight it, right-click, and select 'Hyperlink'.
3. Automatic Formatting: Enter the destination web address. WPS Writer will automatically apply and lock in the standard Hyperlink character style.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats and stylesIntuitive Styles pane for quick and stable formatting adjustmentsLightweight application optimized for macOS performanceSmart auto-formatting for URLs and references

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my footnote hyperlinks lose their formatting in Word for Mac?

Hyperlinks rely on a specific character style. If you select all text in a footnote and apply a global style change (like changing the font size or clearing formatting), the underlying Hyperlink character style gets overridden or removed.

Can I change the default color of hyperlinks in Word for Mac?

Yes. You can modify the 'Hyperlink' style by right-clicking it in the Styles Pane, selecting 'Modify', and choosing a new font color or underline setting. This will update all hyperlinks using that style across the document.

Are footnote hyperlinks clickable when exported to PDF?

Yes. As long as the links remain functionally active in your document (even if the blue formatting is missing), saving or exporting the file as a PDF on a Mac will preserve the clickable hyperlinks in the resulting file.

Document & File Issues