Using Drag-and-Drop to Create a Hyperlink

Excel includes a very powerful feature which allows you to use drag-and-drop editing techniques to create a hyperlink. In order to take advantage of this feature, follow these steps:

1. Make sure you have two workbooks open: the one in which you want the hyperlink to appear and the one that is the target of the hyperlink. Both should be visible on the screen at the same time.
2. Select the target area. For instance, select the cell or range of cells in the target workbook that you want to use as the target of the hyperlink.
3. Move the mouse pointer so it is over the thick box surrounding the cell or range of cells. The mouse pointer should change to an arrow.
4. Right-click and hold down the mouse button as you drag the selection to the cell in which the hyperlink will appear.
5. When you release the mouse button, Excel displays a Context menu.
6. Select the Create Hyperlink Here option from the Context menu. Excel immediately creates a hyperlink in the cell.

There is a caveat to understand about these steps: The drag-and-drop approach will work only if you are working with two instances of Excel open at the same time. If, in step 1, you simply display two workbooks by using Arrange from the Window menu, drag-and-drop won't work. Instead, you need to open one workbook in Excel and then open Excel a second time with the second workbook. Then the steps will work just fine.