If you don’t like the way hyperlinks look in your Microsoft Word 2019, 2016, or 2013 document, you can change the color of both visited or non-visited hyperlinks using these steps.
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:” drop-down 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“.
macOS
- 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.
You have successfully changed the color of hyperlinks in your Word document.
Dana says
Thank you. Oddly you were the only site I found that addressed how to access the visited link options. You saved me some grief..
Lazzarus says
Thanks! Fixed my issue, but needed a little more exploring. Here’s what happened for anyone else with the issue.
Problem:
My hyperlink text was all white or transparent. ‘Hyperlink’ was not in the styles list and I could not add a new hyperlink style as one already existed apparently.
Solution:
By selecting ‘Style Inspector’ in the bottom left of the styles window and then clicking on a hyperlink in my document, I was able to see and modifty that style to change the font color.
Mandy says
Thanks. Seems half of the people commenting can’t follow instructions. LOL I didn’t know there was a followedhyperlink style – now I do. :D
Awesome work.
Scott says
Solid.
Gunther says
Well done, Mitch. Thx. – Btw: works for Outlook 2019 as well!
Sesh says
Excellent writing skills. I appreciate your tech writers. I myself am a tech writer for cloud computing products. Wanted to know how to change link colors after they are clicked.
C Bear says
I needed to know how to change style of visited links in my document. This worked — thank you!
Carol Dixon says
This was great thanks. I had searched so many forums and it was only this one which worked for Word 16. Thank you.
Mark says
Would love to know if its possible to create two different hyperlinks styles in one Word document.
WhoCares says
There is NO “hyperlink” listed in the styles box. None.
wjc says
This is a very good tip. Works great in a word.doc. Do you know if there is a way to keep the visited state when you export to a pdf? Thank you!
McKenzie says
Thank you!!!
Valerie says
No idea where to go for this: You will now have an option for “FollowedHyperlink” in the “Styles” list.