Improvement to Excel’s HYPERLINK Function

Excel’s HYPERLINK function is not easy to use. You need to know a few of its secrets to get it to do what you want. Unfortunately, you can’t replicate the HYPERLINK function in a custom function, so we can’t improve it. But the next best thing is to simplify creating the reference you need as the first argument in the HYPERLINK function.

Excel Hyperlink on a Logo

Using images for hyperlinks

In some files there is a central sheet that you keep returning to. It might hold the inputs or the controls for the file. You can simplify getting to that sheet by using a logo as a hyperlink.

Using a logo means you can place it anywhere on another sheet. It’s also easy to copy and paste the logo on other sheets once created.

You can add a hyperlink to any image, so it doesn’t have to be a logo.

There are two easy ways to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog.

Either right-click the image and select Hyperlink – see image below.

Right click Menu

Or select the image and press Ctrl + k.

Click the Place in This Document button and select the sheet to go to. You can also link to a named range. They would be listed under Defined Names. Using a range name avoids sheet name changes that can break hyperlinks.

Iisert Hyperlink dialog

Click OK and it’s done.

Useful Shortcut – return from hyperlink

After you follow a hyperlink you can return to where you were when you clicked it by first pressing F5 and then pressing Enter.

Stay tuned for a way to create an almost unbreakable hyperlink in a future blog post.