If you don’t like the way hyperlinks look in your Microsoft Word 2016, 2013, 2010, or 2007 document, you can change the color of them.
Microsoft Windows
Non-Visited Hyperlinks
To change the color of hyperlinks that have not been visited or clicked, follow these instructions:
- Add the hyperlink to your document.
- From the “Home” tab, click the small arrow icon in the lower-right corner of the “Styles” box. Alternately, you can use Alt+Ctrl+Shift+S .
- In the “Styles” menu, hover your mouse pointer over “Hyperlink“, and then click the triangle that appears to the right. From the drop-down menu that appears, select “Modify…“.
- In the “Formatting” section, choose the color you want to use, then click “OK“.
Visited Hyperlinks
To change the color of hyperlinks that have been visited or clicked, follow these instructions:
- From the “Home” tab, select the small arrow icon in the lower-right corner of the “Styles” box. Alternately, you can use Alt+Ctrl+Shift+S .
- Select the “Options…” link in the lower-right corner.
- In the “Select styles to show:” dropdown menu, select “All styles“, then select “OK“. You will now have an option for “FollowedHyperlink” in the “Styles” list.
- In the “Styles” menu, hover your mouse pointer over “FollowedHyperlink”, and then click the triangle that appears to the right. From the drop-down menu that appears, select “Modify…“.
- In the “Formatting” section, choose the color you want to use, then click “OK“.
Mac OSX
- From the “Home” tab, select “Styles Pane“.
- At the bottom-left corner in the “List” box, select “All Styles“.
- Select “Hyperlink” in the “Apply a style” area.
- In the “Current Style” area, select “Hyperlink“, then choose “Modify Style“.
- Select the color you wish to use for hyperlinks.
- You can perform the same steps for “FollowedHyperlink” if desired.
fYou have successfully changed the color of hyperlinks in your Word document.
Russell says
Thanks, somehow one computer in our office changed its word based hyperlinks to white text on a white page background, which was not helpful at all. Word/Windows help wasn’t helpful at all, but your page fixed it for us. Thanks Mitch
Wayne Erfling says
I want to have TWO pairs of hyperlink styles, so that my “folder” hyperlinks look different from the “document” hyperlinks.
This is a good basic article but a little explanation of how Word combines multiple styles to render a given area of text would be nice. For example, I have a hyperlink on a list item. That’s at least two styles – how do I know which of the 2+ styles will be rendered? (again, this is just hypothetical, my interest today is in having 2+ hyperlink style pairs)
Troy Davis says
Thanks very much Mitch for your help unraveling the ongoing disaster saga that is Microsoft Word.
Areej Abdu says
yes,, it was helpful ,, I found what I was looking for !
Julie says
Thank you! Much more helpful than my agency’s IT dept. Keep up the great work!
Carol says
Thank you so much! You made this easy-peasy!
Cecelia says
Perfect! Thank you!
cox says
Very helpful! Thanks
Gerald Petersen says
No. I am looking for “How to Reset the Followed-Hyperlink Default Color.”
Teresa says
Hi – I have a similar problem. I have two different coloured hyperlinks that I want to stay as those colours when followed. I’ve tried the solution above, but it seems to affect all the same. So if I have a green link, and want it to remain green, if I follow the instructions it makes all my blue links turn green when followed too. If iselect automatic it turns them all black, can anyone help please?
Philip says
Sorry, found the “FollowedHyperlink” option way down at the very bottom of the list!
Philip says
Couldn’t get the “FollowedHyperlink” option to show up in the styles list.
Also, I’m curious if this will only apply to when I’m viewing the documents or will this apply to anyone who opens up the document? Additionally, do you know how the links are treated in a PDF exported from Word?
Thanks!