You see them everywhere: in various articles that want to link more information or references, even in MS Word documents. Yes, of course, it is possible to create hyperlinks in Google Sheets. It allows you to quickly access a web page and even an external folder or file.
Adding hyperlinks in Google Sheets is very simple. Still, there is more to hyperlinks than meets the eye. Here’s how to add hyperlinks to Google Sheets and how to get the most out of them.
Add hyperlinks
Whether you want to link a particular cell in your spreadsheet to an external link or to a file/folder on your computer, the principle remains the same. However, there is more than one way to insert hyperlinks in Google Sheets.
The easiest, but not necessarily the fastest, way to insert a hyperlink is to select the cell of your choice and go to Insert tab in the top menu section and select the Link option. On the other hand, you can right click on the cell in question and go to Insert the link in the dropdown menu. The simplest option here would be to use the Ctrl+K shortcut.
Whichever method you choose, the same menu will appear, asking you to enter an external link to a website, web page, or external file/folder. Paste the link inside the Link box and select Apply or hit Get into.
You will now see that the text cell in question has turned blue and there is an underline underneath it. This means that the text now links to a particular online address. To go to that web page/file/folder, hover over the cell and a pop-up window will appear. Click the link in the pop-up window and a new tab will open in your browser that will take you to the linked destination.
Using the HYPERLINK formula
Alternatively, you can use a formula to add a hyperlink to any cell in your spreadsheet. This is definitely not the easiest and most direct way to do things. However, if you’re practicing adding formulas to Google Sheets (which is one of its main benefits), you can also use one to add a hyperlink.
The hyperlink formula is quite simple.”=HYPERLINK([URL], [cell text].” The URL is the exact online address you want to link the phone to. The cell text is what you want to display as text in the spreadsheet cell. So if you want, for example, to have a cell entry with the text “Search Engine” and you want it to link to Google, this is what your function should look like:
=HYPERLINK("https://www.google.com","Search Engine")
The effect of this formula is exactly the same as when binding using the Ctrl+K shortcut. Still, the standard hyperlink method doesn’t change the formula in Google Sheets, so that’s it.
Hyperlink to another sheet
If you’re operating with multiple sheets within a single Google Sheets document (which is more than likely), you may want one piece of information to lead to another sheet. Yes, this is very doable in Google Sheets, using the hyperlink feature.
To do this, open the hyperlink window using one of the methods mentioned above (the formula method will not work as both sheets will be at the same URL). In it Link field, you will see the Named sheets and ranges option. Expand it by clicking on it. Here you will be able to select which sheet you want to hyperlink in the given cell.
Now, the text in the selected cell will turn blue and will be underlined. Hover over it and left click on the sheet link, and you will immediately be directed to that particular sheet within your Google Sheets document. The sheet won’t open in the new tab, but you can middle-click the link if you want.
Hyperlink to another Google Sheets document
No, there is no special option that allows you to create a hyperlink to another Google Sheets document. In fact, it’s much simpler than that. When you think about it, every Google Sheets document has its own URL, right? The entire service is online-based and you can give other people access to the Sheets document, as long as you give them access to it.
Well, this is how you can hyperlink to a particular Google Sheets cell and have it take you to a completely different Google Sheets document. Simply use any of the methods mentioned above and enter the URL of the document in question.
However, please note that only users with permission to access the document to which the link leads will be able to access it.
Hyperlink to a range of cells
A very useful hyperlink option is one where you can set a range of cells to automatically highlight when you navigate to a hyperlink within a cell. This is a useful option for making referrals. It is often used when you want to drill down into data within a cell. For example, let’s say a cell indicates how many American athletes participate in a competition. You can link this cell to lead to the list of names of these athletes within the same spreadsheet. Here’s how to create hyperlinks to a range of cells.
Select a particular cell you want to link to and enter the hyperlink menu as you did before (without using the formula). In the pop-up dialog box, you will see the Select a range of cells to link option. Use typical Google Sheets/MS Excel logic to set the range. Hit OK and then Apply. Now, to test this, hover over the hyperlinked cell and select the link. The designated cell range should be highlighted automatically.
Hyperlinks in Google Sheets
Although the action of creating hyperlinks is simple, you can be quite creative with it. There are several ways to add a hyperlink and there are several types of things that the link itself can lead to. In any case, everything is based on practically the same philosophy.
Has this guide helped you link a cell in your Google Sheets document? Have you learned something you didn’t know before? Feel free to add your thoughts or ask any questions in the comments section below.
