Document Editing Problems

How to Restore Blue, Underlined, Clickable Hyperlinks in Word

Aamir Naveed Akram Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to restore the standard blue, underlined, and clickable appearance of hyperlinks that have reverted to plain text.

How to Restore Blue, Underlined, Clickable Hyperlinks in Word

Product: Microsoft Word / WPS Writer
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing a document where pasted or manually modified links have lost their active hyperlink properties and formatting.
Observed behavior: Hyperlinks appear as ordinary text, lack the standard blue underline styling, and do not open a target web page when clicked.

Before you start

Ensure you have the exact URL or target web address ready, as you may need to re-enter it if the original link data was completely stripped from the text.

Solution 1Recommended

Recreate the Hyperlink Manually

Use this method if the text itself is the URL or if you know the exact target address to restore its clickable functionality.

When text loses its hyperlink properties, it becomes plain text. You can easily reassign the link data using the built-in hyperlink tool.

Select the plain text

Highlight the plain text or URL in your document that you want to convert back into a clickable link.

Open the Hyperlink dialog

Right-click the highlighted text and choose "Hyperlink" or "Link" from the context menu. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+K on your keyboard.

Apply the target URL

In the "Address" box at the bottom of the dialog, type or paste the correct URL and click "OK". The text will automatically update to the standard blue, underlined style.

Quick Shortcut: Pressing Ctrl+K is the fastest way to open the Hyperlink dialog box in most word processing applications.

Solution 2

Restore the Blue Underline Style

If the link is still clickable but has lost its blue, underlined formatting, you can reset the document's built-in Hyperlink style.

Easily Manage Links with WPS Office

Insert and Format Hyperlinks Seamlessly in WPS Writer

WPS Writer makes handling URLs and document links incredibly straightforward. You can easily insert, edit, and automatically format blue, clickable hyperlinks without digging through complex settings.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document where you need to add or fix links.
2. Select and right-click: Highlight the text you want to link, right-click it, and select "Hyperlink" from the menu.
3. Insert link: Paste the destination web address into the Link To box and click "OK" to instantly apply the clickable blue format.

Automatically formats URLs into blue, clickable hyperlinks as you typeFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats and stylesLightweight, fast, and completely free to useIntuitive interface for managing bookmarks and cross-references

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my hyperlinks suddenly look like normal text?

This usually happens if the text was pasted using the "Keep Text Only" option, which strips away all formatting and active hyperlink data, or if the document's hyperlink style was accidentally modified.

How do I stop my word processor from removing hyperlinks when I paste?

When pasting text from a website or another document, use the "Keep Source Formatting" or "Merge Formatting" paste options (usually found by right-clicking) instead of "Keep Text Only" to retain the clickable links.

Can I turn plain text URLs into clickable links automatically?

Yes. Most word processors have an "AutoFormat as you type" feature. Simply placing your cursor at the very end of a plain text URL and pressing the Enter or Spacebar key will usually convert it into an active, blue hyperlink.

How can I remove a hyperlink but keep the text?

Right-click the active hyperlink and select "Remove Hyperlink" from the context menu. The text will remain in your document, but the clickable target and blue formatting will be completely removed.

Document & File Issues