Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Hyperlinks in Shared Workbooks.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 30, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Dan has a shared workbook into which he needs to insert a hyperlink. However, as long as the workbook is shared, the hyperlink features in Excel are not available. Dan wonders if there is a way to insert hyperlinks into shared workbooks.
The short answer is no, there is not. When you choose to share a workbook, some options in Excel are simply not available any more; inserting hyperlinks is one of those options that is removed once the workbook is shared.
If you absolutely must add the hyperlink to the workbook, the only option is to unshare the workbook, add the hyperlink, and then again share the workbook. You'll no longer be able to add any more hyperlinks, but the one you added while the workbook was unshared will work just fine.
There is one caveat in taking this approach to adding the hyperlink—you need to be careful that you don't unshare the workbook if you have the Track Changes feature of Excel turned on. In the process of unsharing the workbook, Excel will turn off the tracking and discard the change history. If this is important to you, the only option is to make sure that you add the hyperlinks before sharing the workbook and first turning on Track Changes.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2912) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Hyperlinks in Shared Workbooks.
Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2019 For Dummies today!
Do you use special characters (such as the pound sign) in your worksheet names? If so, you could run into problems ...
Discover MoreIn putting together a workbook, you may develop a worksheet that acts as an index, to contain links that lead to other ...
Discover MoreNeed to change the various targets of a group of hyperlinks? Getting at the underlying link can seem challenging, but it ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here:
Comments