How do I remove all links in Excel?

To remove all links in Excel, the most straightforward method is to use the right-click context menu. However, there are several effective ways to achieve this, depending on whether you also want to remove the associated formatting (like blue text and underlining).

How Do I Remove All Links in Excel?

Removing hyperlinks in Excel can be done efficiently using various methods, from simple right-clicks to more advanced options like Paste Special or VBA macros, ensuring your data remains clean and link-free.

Method 1: Remove Hyperlinks via Right-Click

This is the quickest way to remove the active hyperlink functionality from selected cells.

1. Select the Cells: Choose the specific cells, range, column, or row containing the hyperlinks you wish to remove. To remove hyperlinks from the entire worksheet, press Ctrl + A to select all cells.
2. Right-Click: Right-click on any of the selected cells.
3. Choose Option: From the context menu that appears, click Remove Hyperlinks.

Note: This method removes the hyperlink functionality, meaning the text will no longer act as a clickable link. However, it often leaves the text formatted with the original blue color and underlining.

Method 2: Clear Hyperlinks and Formatting

If you want to remove both the hyperlink and its associated formatting (like the blue color and underline), you can use the "Clear Formats" option.

1. Select the Cells: Select the cells, range, or the entire sheet (Ctrl + A) that contains the hyperlinks.
2. Access Clear Options: Go to the Home tab in the Excel ribbon. In the Editing group, click on the Clear dropdown menu (it looks like an eraser).
3. Clear Formats: Select Clear Formats.

Note: This action will remove all formatting from the selected cells, not just the hyperlink formatting. This includes bolding, italics, font sizes, colors, borders, etc.

Method 3: Paste Special (Values)

This method effectively converts any linked text into plain text, removing both the hyperlink functionality and any associated formatting, while preserving the actual text content.

1. Select and Copy: Select the cells containing the hyperlinks you want to remove, and then press Ctrl + C to copy them.
2. Paste Special: While the cells are still selected (or select the same range again where you want to paste), right-click and choose Paste Special from the context menu.
3. Select Values: In the Paste Special dialog box, select Values under the Paste section, then click OK.

Note: This method replaces the original cells with their plain text values, which is very effective but requires an extra copy/paste step.

Method 4: Using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) Macro

For removing all hyperlinks across an entire sheet or workbook, especially for recurring tasks or large datasets, a simple VBA macro is highly efficient.

1. Open VBA Editor: Press Alt + F11 to open the VBA editor.

2. Insert Module: In the VBA editor, go to Insert > Module.

3. Paste Code: Paste one of the following codes into the module window:

   • To remove all hyperlinks from the active worksheet:

     Sub RemoveAllHyperlinksOnSheet()
         On Error Resume Next
         ActiveSheet.Hyperlinks.Delete
         MsgBox "All hyperlinks on the active sheet have been removed."
     End Sub

   • To remove all hyperlinks from all worksheets in the active workbook:

     Sub RemoveAllHyperlinksInWorkbook()
         Dim ws As Worksheet
         On Error Resume Next
         For Each ws In ThisWorkbook.Worksheets
             ws.Hyperlinks.Delete
         Next ws
         MsgBox "All hyperlinks in the workbook have been removed."
     End Sub

4. Run Macro: Close the VBA editor. Go back to your Excel worksheet, press Alt + F8 to open the Macro dialog box, select the macro you just created (e.g., RemoveAllHyperlinksOnSheet), and click Run.

Note: VBA macros remove the hyperlink functionality. To also remove the blue and underline formatting, you would need to add code to clear formatting, or use a combination of methods.

Summary of Methods

Method	Removes Hyperlink Functionality	Removes Hyperlink Formatting (Blue/Underline)	Ease of Use	Best For
Right-Click "Remove Hyperlinks"	Yes	No (often leaves formatting)	Easy	Quick removal for selected cells/ranges
Clear Formats	Yes	Yes	Easy	Removing all formatting, including links
Paste Special (Values)	Yes	Yes	Moderate	Converting linked text to plain text
VBA Macro	Yes	No (by default)	Advanced	Batch processing, entire sheets/workbooks

By understanding these different approaches, you can choose the most appropriate method to effectively remove links from your Excel worksheets based on your specific needs.