Create a Bookmark in Microsoft Word

About Stephanie Hutcheson

Stephanie D. Hutcheson is a seasoned trainer who brings over 30 years of experience to share. She has a BA in Business and a Masters Degree as well as Microsoft, AI and Project Management certifications. Stephanie is not all work! She is an avid tennis, pickleball and golf enthusiast. Between sports and work, she shares her time and resources with Bridges to Community – a non-profit house building group and Habitat for Humanity.

Executive Summary

Bookmarks in Word let you mark specific locations or sections in a document so you can quickly jump to them later or link to them from elsewhere.

For a Detailed PDF with Screen Shots, Click this link

OBJECTIVES

Create a Bookmark
Navigate to a Bookmark
Hyperlink to a Bookmark
Use Styles instead of a Bookmark
Discuss Pros and Cons

5 Practical Applications of Bookmarks in Microsoft Word

Create a Bookmark

Select the text or place your cursor at the desired location in your document where you want to insert the bookmark.
Insert → Links Group → Bookmark
Type a name (no spaces, starts with a letter).
Click Add.

¡IMPORTANT!

Bookmark names must begin with a letter and cannot contain spaces.

Navigate Using Bookmark

Go to: Insert → Links Group → Bookmark
Select a bookmark from the list.
Click Go To, then Close.

Hyperlink to a Bookmark

Select the text to turn into a link.
Go to: Insert → Links Group → Link
In the dialog box, choose Place in This Document.
Select the bookmark and click OK.

Pros and Cons of Using Bookmarks in Word

✅ Precise Navigation: Jump to exact locations, even mid-paragraph.

✅ Flexible Placement: Can be applied to text, objects, or blank spaces.

✅ Supports Hyperlinking: Easily link from anywhere in the document.

✅ Non-Visual Markers: Doesn’t affect formatting or layout.

✅ Useful for Automation: Can be referenced in macros or scripts.

Cons

❌ No Visual Indicator: Users can’t see bookmarks unless they enable visibility.

❌ Manual Management: No automatic updates if content shifts.

❌ Naming Restrictions: No spaces or special characters allowed.

❌ Limited Organization: No hierarchy or grouping like styles.

❌ Not Ideal for Formatting: Doesn’t apply visual or structural changes.

Final Thoughts

Bookmarks in Word are like secret portals—tuck one into your document, and poof! you can teleport across pages with a click. They may be invisible, but they’re mighty little navigators. Use them wisely, and your documents will never feel like a maze again.