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Hyperlinks in Microsoft Word documents can be distracting when you are trying to read or print a document, and they are often inserted automatically when Word detects a URL or email address. Whether you need to remove a single hyperlink, strip all hyperlinks from an entire document at once, or prevent Word from auto-creating hyperlinks, this guide covers every method across Word for Windows, Mac, and Word Online.
Removing a hyperlink preserves the displayed text — only the clickable link (the underlying URL) is removed. The text formatting (blue color, underline) may remain after removal, but you can clear that separately.
Remove one hyperlink: Right-click the link and select Remove Hyperlink.
Remove ALL hyperlinks: Press Ctrl + A (select all), then press Ctrl + Shift + F9. Done — all hyperlinks in the document are removed instantly.
Method 1: Remove a Single Hyperlink
The simplest method for removing one hyperlink at a time. Works in all versions of Word (2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365).
Right-Click the Hyperlink
Position your cursor on the hyperlinked text (shown in blue with underline). Right-click to open the context menu.
Select Remove Hyperlink
Click Remove Hyperlink from the context menu. The link is removed immediately — the text stays, but it is no longer clickable.
Remove the Blue Formatting (Optional)
The text may still appear in blue with an underline after removing the link. To clear formatting: select the text, press Ctrl + Space to reset font formatting, or manually change the font color back to Automatic (black) and remove the underline.
Tip: On Mac, right-click (or Control + click) the hyperlink and select Remove Hyperlink. The process is identical to Windows.
Method 2: Remove All Hyperlinks at Once (Windows)
When a document contains dozens or hundreds of hyperlinks — for example, a document pasted from a web page — removing them one by one is impractical. This keyboard shortcut removes every hyperlink in the document in one action.
Select All Text
Press Ctrl + A to select the entire document. All text, images, and other content will be highlighted.
Remove All Hyperlinks
Press Ctrl + Shift + F9. This converts all field codes (including hyperlinks) to plain text. Every hyperlink in the document is removed instantly.
Clear Remaining Formatting
If the blue/underline formatting remains, keep the text selected (Ctrl + A) and press Ctrl + U to toggle off the underline. Then change the font color back to Automatic in the Font section of the ribbon.
Warning: Ctrl + Shift + F9 removes ALL field codes, not just hyperlinks. This includes table of contents fields, cross-references, page number fields, and other dynamic fields. If your document uses these, use Method 1 to remove hyperlinks individually, or Method 3 to target only hyperlinks.
Method 3: Remove All Hyperlinks Using VBA Macro
A VBA macro can remove all hyperlinks without affecting other field codes like table of contents or cross-references. This is the safest method for documents with complex formatting.
Open the VBA Editor
Press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic for Applications editor.
Insert a New Module
In the VBA editor, click Insert > Module. A blank code window opens.
Paste the Macro Code
Paste this code:Sub RemoveAllHyperlinks()
Dim hl As Hyperlink
For Each hl In ActiveDocument.Hyperlinks
hl.Delete
Next hl
End Sub
Run the Macro
Press F5 or click Run > Run Sub. All hyperlinks are removed from the document while preserving other field codes. Close the VBA editor with Alt + F11.
Method 4: Stop Word from Auto-Creating Hyperlinks
By default, Word automatically converts URLs and email addresses into clickable hyperlinks as you type. You can disable this behavior permanently.
Open AutoCorrect Options
Go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options. In older versions: Tools > AutoCorrect Options.
Disable Auto-Hyperlinks
Click the AutoFormat As You Type tab. Uncheck Internet and network paths with hyperlinks. Also check the AutoFormat tab and uncheck the same option there.
Click OK
Click OK on all dialog boxes. From now on, Word will not automatically convert typed URLs into hyperlinks. You can still manually insert hyperlinks using Ctrl + K or Insert > Link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Right-click (or Control + click) the hyperlink and select Remove Hyperlink. To remove all hyperlinks at once on Mac: press Command + A to select all, then press Command + Shift + F9 (or Fn + Command + Shift + F9 on some keyboards).
No. Removing a hyperlink only removes the underlying URL. The visible text remains in the document. Only the clickable link behavior is removed.
In Word Online (Office for the web), right-click the hyperlink and select Remove Hyperlink. The Ctrl + Shift + F9 shortcut does not work in the web version. You need to remove hyperlinks one at a time in Word Online.
Word's AutoCorrect feature automatically converts text that looks like a URL or email address into a clickable hyperlink. Disable this in File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type tab.
Yes. Immediately after using Ctrl + Shift + F9, press Ctrl + Z to undo. This restores all hyperlinks. However, if you save and close the document, you cannot restore the removed hyperlinks.
When pasting from a web page, use Paste Special: press Ctrl + Shift + V (or right-click > Paste Options > Keep Text Only). This pastes the text without any hyperlinks or web formatting.
Yes, this shortcut works in Word 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365 on Windows. On Mac, use Command + Shift + F9 (you may need to press Fn as well, depending on keyboard settings).
Use the right-click > Remove Hyperlink method (Method 1). This often preserves the blue color and underline formatting while removing only the link. If you want the formatting gone too, select the text and manually change the font color.
Yes. Instead of Ctrl + A (select all), manually select just the section you want. Then press Ctrl + Shift + F9 to remove hyperlinks only from the selected text. The rest of the document is unaffected.
Removing hyperlinks makes the printed document look cleaner — no blue underlined text that implies clickable links. If you are printing a document, removing hyperlinks and clearing the blue formatting is recommended.