This is the third part in a series describing how to use the Hyperlink tool in Microsoft Excel (see the bottom of this post for links to the first two parts). In this part, I will be showing you how to create a new document and put a link to it in your spreadsheets.

Personally, I haven’t used this function of the Hyperlink tool that much. However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t ever have a use for it. For example, if you are creating a spreadsheet where you want the user to be able to create a new document and then save it off, you would use this function.

I’m going to skip how to open the dialog, as that was discussed in the first article. Assuming the dialog is open, select the Create New Document option in the Link to: box. The result is shown below:

Here is the breakdown of the components of this dialog (labeled by number in the screenshot above):

*Note: For an explanation of the Screen Tip button and the Text to display box, see the first article in this series (link at the bottom of this post).

1 - Name of new document - This will be the actual file name of the new document you create. If you don’t add an extension, then the default file type will be a Microsoft Excel document. For example, if I put “Test Document” in this field, then a new Excel document will be created named “Test Document.xls”. However, if I were to put “Test Document.doc”, then a new Microsoft Word document would be created.

2 - Full path - This is the location where the new file will be created. Using the example above, “Test Document” would be stored in the location specified here. You can change this path by using the Change button next to this label and browsing to the location you want.

3 - When to edit - When you create a new document using this dialog, you have two editing choices: You can edit it now, or create it and edit it later. If you choose to edit it now, your document will open in its native application and you can edit and save it (i.e. if it’s a Word document, it will open up in Word). If you choose to edit it later, the document will be created only as a link and it will not be opened.

Once finished, a new link will be created in your spreadsheet to the document you have created. Anytime that someone clicks on it, your document will open in its native application.

This is a normal document like any other document created outside of your spreadsheet. However, if it is not saved at least once, then it will not exist outside of the spreadsheet. For example, if I created “Test Document” but chose to edit it later and never did, I would not be able to access that document outside of the spreadsheet. Once it has been saved, then the document would be available regardless of whether or not the spreadsheet is opened.

Coming up in final part of this series, we will be discussing how to use the E-mail Address option of the Hyperlink tool.

Links to previous parts: Part I Part II.