Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message.

Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 1, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365

Other issues of WordTips have explained how to use the ScreenTips feature in Word to create pop-up screen help in a document. In some of the later versions of Word, when you move the mouse pointer over a hyperlink, you end up with a message that says �'Use Ctrl+Click to Follow Link,�" which can detract from the use to which you want to put your ScreenTips. You can "get rid" of the Ctrl+Click message, but when you do, it is simply replaced by a different, somewhat shorter message. Essentially, all Word allows you to do is to eliminate the need to press Ctrl in order to follow a link. If you want to make this change, here's how you do it:

Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 and later versions, display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
At the left side of the dialog box, click Advanced. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Advanced options of the Word Options dialog box.

In the Editing Options section of the dialog box, clear the Use Ctrl+Click to Follow Hyperlink check box.
Click on OK.

Note that when you make this change, it only takes a simple click (or tap) to follow a link. Plus, a message still displays when you move the mouse pointer over the link, a message that says "Click or tap to follow link."

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10839) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Getting Rid of the Ctrl+Click Message.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Editing the Color Palette in Chart

Microsoft Chart uses a palette from which it pulls the colors it uses. Learn how to change the palette.

Discover More

Controlling Automatic Backups

Excel can make backups whenever you save your workbook. If you want to turn the feature on or off, this tip explains how ...

Discover More

Entering Negative Times

Do you need to enter negative times into a worksheet? Excel doesn't really provide a way to do that but understanding why ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Creating Hyperlinks from E-mail Addresses

Got a document that has a whole raft of e-mail address in it? You can easily convert all of them to clickable hyperlinks ...

Discover More

Changing Hyperlink Display Text

A hyperlink consists, at a minimum, of display text and a target address. Word provides multiple ways you can make ...

Discover More

Embedding Linked Documents

Word allows you to link one document to another document rather easily. If you later want to grab the contents of a ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 7 + 9?

2023-07-03 10:10:21

April Ellis

This is a terrific tip - thank you!

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.