Weird Hyperlink Behavior

Has this ever happened to you? You go to insert a hyperlink in your document (either by inserting it or copying it from another location) and the URL for the hyperlink appears with brackets and the word "hypertext" in front of it. What's going on?

The solution is quite simple, if you understand how Word handles hyperlinks behind-the-scenes. Hyperlinks are managed through the use of field codes. Chances are good that this weird behavior is an indication that you are seeing the field code for the hyperlink, instead of the result of that field code (just the link itself).

Try this the next time you see the weird hyperlink: just move the insertion point somewhere between the two brackets and press Shift+F9. The field code for the hyperlink should disappear, replaced with the actual text you have associated with the link. The Shift+F9 shortcut controls the one field code under the insertion point. If you want to display the results of all field codes in your document, instead of viewing the codes themselves, press Alt+F9. You can also follow these steps if you are using a version of Word prior to Word 2007:

1. Choose Options form the Tools menu. Word displays the Options dialog box.
2. Make sure the View tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
3. Clear or select the Field Codes check box, depending on whether you want to see the codes (selected) or their results (cleared).
4. Click on OK.

If you are using Word 2007, then you can follow these steps:

1. Click the Office button and then click Word Options. Word displays the Word Options dialog box.
2. Click Advanced at the left side of the screen.
3. Scroll through the available options until you see the Show Document Content section. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Clear or select the Show Field Codes Instead of Their Values check box, as desired.
5. Click on OK.