URLs in all MS Word document now displaying with {HYPERLINK prefix and will not launch

gregory battaglia 0 Reputation points
2026-08-29T16:15:41.0666667+00:00

This began happening a few days ago. How do I fix this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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AI answer

2026-08-29T16:15:51.6466667+00:00

This usually means Word is showing field codes instead of the normal hyperlink text.

Try these fixes on Windows:

  1. Press Alt+F9 in Word.
    • This toggles all field codes in the document.
    • If the hyperlinks return to normal clickable text, the issue is resolved.
  2. If only one hyperlink is affected, select it and press Shift+F9.
    • This toggles the selected field only.

If all documents are showing codes such as { HYPERLINK "..." }, { PAGE }, or similar, Alt+F9 is the relevant fix.

References:

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  1. gregory battaglia 0 Reputation points
    2026-08-29T16:21:18.3066667+00:00

    AI bot replied:

    This usually means Word is showing field codes instead of the normal hyperlink text. Try these fixes on Windows: Press Alt+F9 in Word. This toggles all field codes in the document. If the hyperlinks return to normal clickable text, the issue is resolved. If only one hyperlink is affected, select it and press Shift+F9. This toggles the selected field only. If all documents are showing codes such as { HYPERLINK "..." }, { PAGE }, or similar, Alt+F9 is the relevant fix.

    Yes , the Alt + F9 command works. It automatically restored the text of the URLs in my documents to normal and I can launch them now. Thank you.

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