Remove Links from Excel

Removing Links from Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

Excel is a powerful tool used for creating spreadsheets, but sometimes, links can be a nuisance, especially when you want to share your workbook with others or use it for presentation purposes. Removing links from Excel can help prevent unwanted hyperlinks from appearing in your spreadsheet. In this article, we will discuss the different methods to remove links from Excel.

Understanding Links in Excel

Before we dive into the methods of removing links, it’s essential to understand what links are and how they are created in Excel. A link in Excel is a reference to a cell or range of cells in another workbook or a website. Links can be created using the HYPERLINK function, by copying and pasting data from another source, or by using the “Insert Hyperlink” feature.

Method 1: Remove Hyperlinks using the “Remove Hyperlink” Feature

The easiest way to remove links from Excel is by using the “Remove Hyperlink” feature. To do this:

• Select the cell or range of cells that contains the link.
• Right-click on the selected cell or range.
• Click on “Remove Hyperlink” from the context menu.

This method will remove the hyperlink from the selected cell or range, but it will not remove the underlying link.

Method 2: Remove Links using the “Edit Hyperlink” Feature

If you want to remove the underlying link, you can use the “Edit Hyperlink” feature. To do this:

• Select the cell or range of cells that contains the link.
• Right-click on the selected cell or range.
• Click on “Edit Hyperlink” from the context menu.
• In the “Edit Hyperlink” dialog box, click on the “Remove Link” button.

This method will remove the underlying link and the hyperlink from the selected cell or range.

Method 3: Remove Links using VBA Macro

If you have a large number of links in your workbook and you want to remove them all at once, you can use a VBA macro. To do this:

• Open the Visual Basic Editor by pressing “Alt + F11” or by navigating to “Developer” > “Visual Basic” in the ribbon.
• In the Visual Basic Editor, click on “Insert” > “Module” to insert a new module.
• Paste the following code into the module:

  Sub RemoveHyperlinks()
      Dim ws As Worksheet
      For Each ws In ThisWorkbook.Worksheets
          ws.Hyperlinks.Delete
      Next ws
  End Sub
    

• Click on “Run” > “RemoveHyperlinks” to run the macro.

This method will remove all hyperlinks from your workbook.

Method 4: Remove Links by Disabling the “Update Links” Feature

If you don’t want to remove the links, but you want to prevent them from being updated, you can disable the “Update Links” feature. To do this:

• Open the “Excel Options” dialog box by clicking on “File” > “Options” in the ribbon.
• In the “Excel Options” dialog box, click on the “Trust Center” tab.
• Click on the “Trust Center Settings” button.
• In the “Trust Center Settings” dialog box, click on the “External Content” tab.
• Uncheck the box next to “Update automatic links at Open” and “Update links to other documents”.

This method will prevent the links from being updated when you open the workbook.

👉 Note: Disabling the "Update Links" feature will not remove the links, but it will prevent them from being updated.

Removing Links from PivotTables

If you have links in your PivotTables, you can remove them by using the “PivotTable Options” dialog box. To do this:

• Select the PivotTable that contains the link.
• Right-click on the PivotTable and click on “PivotTable Options” from the context menu.
• In the “PivotTable Options” dialog box, click on the “Data” tab.
• Uncheck the box next to “Enable background refresh” and “Enable drill to details”.

This method will remove the links from the PivotTable.

Removing Links from Charts

If you have links in your charts, you can remove them by using the “Chart Options” dialog box. To do this:

• Select the chart that contains the link.
• Right-click on the chart and click on “Chart Options” from the context menu.
• In the “Chart Options” dialog box, click on the “Data” tab.
• Uncheck the box next to “Enable background refresh” and “Enable drill to details”.

This method will remove the links from the chart.

Table of Methods

The following table summarizes the different methods to remove links from Excel:

Method	Description
Remove Hyperlink Feature	Removes the hyperlink from the selected cell or range.
Edit Hyperlink Feature	Removes the underlying link and the hyperlink from the selected cell or range.
VBA Macro	Removes all hyperlinks from the workbook.
Disabling Update Links Feature	Prevents the links from being updated when the workbook is opened.
PivotTable Options	Removes links from PivotTables.
Chart Options	Removes links from charts.

In summary, removing links from Excel can be done using various methods, including the “Remove Hyperlink” feature, the “Edit Hyperlink” feature, VBA macro, disabling the “Update Links” feature, PivotTable options, and chart options. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of method depends on the specific situation and the type of link you want to remove.