How to add a bookmark in Word

When working with longer documents in Microsoft Word, it is helpful to provide users with more efficient ways to navigate than simply scrolling page by page. In this post I’ll show you how to add a bookmark in Word to allow users to click a link which will take them to a specific location within the document.

What is a Bookmark in Word?

A bookmark in Microsoft Word acts like an invisible marker that identifies a specific location within your document. Bookmarks allow you to mark specific points of interest or reference within a document. By inserting bookmarks at key locations you can provide a simple navigation option for readers. This feature is particularly useful for documents with numerous sections or complex structures, enabling users to jump directly to relevant sections without excessive scrolling.

Bookmarks work alongside links. By creating a bookmark, you can then link to the location. Word automatically allows you to link directly to heading which utilise the Heading styles however you can easily create your own additional bookmark options to individual paragraphs or reference points.

To insert a bookmark:

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. From the start screen, click Blank document.
3. A new blank document will be displayed.
4. To add some random text to the document, type =rand(10,5) and press Enter. This will create random text consisting of 10 x paragraphs with 5 sentences in each paragraph:

5. Scroll to the last paragraph within the content. In my example the paragraph begins with “Video provides a powerful way…”.
6. Place your cursor at the start of the second sentence which starts with “When you click Online Video…”.
7. Select the Insert tab from the ribbon and click the Bookmark button:

8. The Bookmark dialog box will appear:

9. Place your cursor in the Bookmark name field and type in the acronym OV (for Online Video).
10. Click Add.
11. A bookmark marker will appear in the paragraph:

TIP: If you cannot see the marker, go to the File tab, choose Options. Select the Advanced section. Scroll to the Show document content heading. Tick the box to Show bookmarks. Click OK.

12. Move your cursor back to the top of the document.
13. In the first paragraph (which is the same as the last paragraph), highlight the reference to Online Video:

14. From the Insert tab click the Link button or press Ctrl + K on the keyboard.
15. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box will appear:

16. Select the Place in This Document option:

17. Underneath the list of headings, you will find the Bookmarks section.
18. Select the OV bookmark from the list:

19. Click OK.
20. The link will be displayed:

21. To test the bookmark, hold down the Ctrl key and click the link.
22. You should be taken to the last paragraph in the document containing the bookmark.

Using bookmarks in Microsoft Word is a simple but powerful way to improve navigation and readability. I hope this post has helped to get you started and understand how bookmarks can be useful in your next report. Be sure to check out my other Microsoft Word posts for more tips & tricks.