A Word hyperlink has two parts: the clickable destination and the visible formatting, often blue underlined text. Removing the link does not always remove the formatting, so handle each part depending on the result you want.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, and Word 2019 on Windows or Mac when pasted text has unwanted links or a finished document should no longer contain clickable URLs.
Remove one hyperlink
Use this for a single link while keeping the words in place.
- Right-click the linked text.
- Choose Remove Hyperlink.
The text remains in the document, but it no longer opens a website or file. If the blue underline remains, clear the formatting separately.
Remove every hyperlink at once
Use this when links are scattered through the document.
- Press Ctrl+A on Windows or Cmd+A on Mac to select the whole document.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+F9 on Windows or Cmd+6 on Mac.
This removes hyperlink fields in one step while preserving the visible text. It may also unlink other fields, so use it thoughtfully in documents with many automatic fields.
More control
Clear the leftover formatting
Select the text and use Home > Clear All Formatting, or manually remove underline and change the font color to Automatic.
Stop automatic hyperlinks
On Windows, open File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type and clear Internet and network paths with hyperlinks. New typed web addresses will stay as plain text.
Paste without links
Use Paste Special > Unformatted Text, or Ctrl+Shift+V where available, when source material keeps bringing hyperlinks back.
Check tables and lists
Click inside a table or list and select that section before removing links if you want to target only that area. Links inside table cells can be missed if you only select nearby body text.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Remove a hyperlink (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Add or remove Bold, Italic, Underline, or other text formatting (2024)
- Microsoft Support – Turn off automatic hyperlinks in Word (2024)