What Is the HYPERLINK Function?
HYPERLINK creates a clickable link inside a cell. You provide a URL and an optional label, and the cell displays the label text while linking to the URL behind it. This is far more useful than simply pasting a raw URL into a cell, because you can show descriptive text like "View Report" or a customer name while keeping the full link accessible with a single click.
Syntax
=HYPERLINK(url, [link_label])
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| url | The full URL to link to, enclosed in quotes. Can also be a cell reference containing a URL. |
| link_label | Optional. The text displayed in the cell. If omitted, the URL itself is shown. |
The URL must include the protocol (https://, http://, mailto:, etc.) to work correctly.
Basic Examples
Simple Web Link
=HYPERLINK("https://www.google.com", "Go to Google")
Result: A clickable cell showing "Go to Google" that opens the Google homepage.
Building Links from Cell Data
| A | B | C (Formula) | C (Result) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Username | Platform | Profile Link | Profile Link |
| 2 | johndoe | =HYPERLINK("https://twitter.com/"&A2, A2) | johndoe | |
| 3 | janesmith | =HYPERLINK("https://twitter.com/"&A3, A3) | janesmith |
Each cell shows the username but links to the full profile URL. The & operator concatenates the base URL with the cell value.
Creating an Email Link
=HYPERLINK("mailto:sales@example.com?subject=Inquiry", "Email Sales Team")
Clicking this opens the user's default email client with the recipient and subject line pre-filled.
Advanced Examples
Dynamic Links to Other Sheets Within the Same Spreadsheet
You can link to a specific sheet and cell within the current workbook:
=HYPERLINK("#gid=0&range=A1", "Go to Sheet1 Cell A1")
The #gid= value is the sheet ID (visible in the URL when you navigate to that sheet). This is useful for building navigation menus in multi-sheet workbooks. For a named sheet:
=HYPERLINK("#gid=123456789&range=B5", "Jump to Summary")
Generating Google Maps Links from Addresses
If column A contains street addresses, you can create a one-click map link:
=HYPERLINK("https://www.google.com/maps/search/"&ENCODEURL(A2), "View on Map")
ENCODEURL converts special characters (spaces, commas) into URL-safe format. Each row gets a personalized map link based on its address.
Batch-Building Links with ARRAYFORMULA
=ARRAYFORMULA(
IF(A2:A100="", "",
HYPERLINK("https://crm.example.com/contacts/"&A2:A100, B2:B100)
)
)
This generates a clickable CRM link for every row, using the ID in column A and the contact name in column B as the display label. The IF wrapper prevents links from appearing in empty rows.
Common Mistakes
- Missing the protocol. Writing
=HYPERLINK("www.google.com", "Google")will not work. You needhttps://www.google.com. Always includehttps://or the appropriate protocol. - Linking to internal sheet ranges with wrong syntax. To link within the same spreadsheet, use the
#gid=format, not a full URL. Using the full published URL of the sheet will open it in a new tab rather than navigating within the workbook. - Expecting rich formatting in the label. The link_label is plain text. You cannot make part of it bold or apply mixed formatting. The entire cell will be styled as a hyperlink (blue underlined text by default).
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