Office Settings & Configuration

How to Disable Automatic Hyperlinks in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Muhammad Talha Oct 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to prevent Microsoft Office applications from automatically converting typed web addresses and URLs into active, clickable hyperlinks.

How to Disable Automatic Hyperlinks in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Product: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Typing URLs or network paths into documents, spreadsheets, or presentations where plain text format is preferred over clickable links.
Observed behavior: By default, Office applications automatically format typed web addresses as blue, underlined, clickable hyperlinks through the AutoFormat As You Type feature.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative privileges if you plan to use Group Policy for Excel, and verify that your system has the Microsoft Office Administrative Templates installed.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable Automatic Hyperlinks in Microsoft Word via Manual Settings or VBA

Use Word's AutoCorrect settings for a quick fix, or a VBA macro to disable the feature across all new documents automatically.

Word allows you to disable automatic hyperlinks manually from the Options menu. Alternatively, if you need to enforce this behavior without clicking through menus, you can automate it using a VBA macro stored in your Normal.dotm template or a startup module.

Turn Off via AutoFormat Options

Go to File > Options > Proofing. Click the 'AutoCorrect Options' button, navigate to the 'AutoFormat As You Type' tab, and uncheck 'Internet and network paths with hyperlinks'.

Apply via VBA Macro

Press Alt + F11 to open the VBA Editor. Insert a new module in the Normal.dotm template and add the code 'Options.AutoFormatAsYouTypeReplaceHyperlinks = False' inside an AutoOpen() or AutoNew() subroutine to disable it automatically.

Disable Automatic Hyperlinks in Microsoft Word via Manual Settings or VBA

Startup Templates: If you don't want to modify Normal.dotm, you can place the macro in a separate template stored in the %appdata%\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP folder.

Solution 2

Disable Automatic Hyperlinks in Microsoft Excel using Group Policy

Excel is the only application among the three that supports managing this feature centrally via Group Policy.

Solution 3

Manually Disable Automatic Hyperlinks in PowerPoint

Turn off the hyperlink AutoFormat setting manually, as PowerPoint lacks Group Policy and VBA support for this specific configuration.

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Easily Manage AutoFormat Settings with WPS Office

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1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website, download the free installer, and complete the installation process in minutes.
2. Access Global Settings: Open WPS Writer, Spreadsheets, or Presentation, click the 'Menu' button in the top-left corner, and select 'Options'.
3. Disable Auto-Hyperlinks: Navigate to the Edit or AutoCorrect tab and uncheck the option that replaces web addresses with hyperlinks.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Group Policy to disable automatic hyperlinks in PowerPoint?

No. Unlike Excel, PowerPoint does not have a corresponding Group Policy setting for AutoCorrect options. You must disable this feature manually through the PowerPoint Proofing menu.

Why doesn't my Excel VBA macro disable the AutoFormat As You Type setting?

Although you can place VBA code in Excel's Personal.xlsb workbook, Excel's VBA object model does not allow you to change the 'AutoFormat As You Type' Proofing settings. You must rely on Group Policy or manual configuration.

How do I remove an existing hyperlink in Word without deleting the text?

You can right-click the specific hyperlink and select 'Remove Hyperlink'. To remove multiple hyperlinks at once, select the text containing the links and press Ctrl+Shift+F9 to convert them all to plain text.

Where should I save my Word VBA macro so it automatically stops hyperlinks on all new documents?

Save the macro containing the AutoFormatAsYouTypeReplaceHyperlinks property inside a module within the Normal.dotm template, or in a separate custom template saved in your %appdata%\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP directory.

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