Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Random OLE Bookmarks.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 25, 2018)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Cheryl asked why Word sometimes inserts random OLE bookmarks into a document. These bookmarks are sequentially numbered and follow the naming pattern OLE_LINK##.
It appears that these bookmarks are created automatically by Word during some (but not all) cut-and-paste or copy-and-paste operations. You can visually see the bookmarks if you turn on the bookmark brackets (Tools | Options | View | Bookmarks) or if you choose Insert | Bookmark and examine the list in the Bookmark dialog box.
Microsoft provides no information in the Knowledge Base as to why these bookmarks are created, but they are a real bother to some people. The bookmarks serve no purpose that I can find and they can be safely deleted. If you want an automatic way to delete them, you can use a macro:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Sub RemoveOLE_marks()
Dim J As Integer
For J = ActiveDocument.Bookmarks.Count To 1 Step -1
If UCase(Left(ActiveDocument.Bookmarks(J).Name, 8)) = "OLE_LINK" Then
ActiveDocument.Bookmarks(i).Delete
End If
Next J
End Sub
Running the macro won't bother any other bookmarks in your system. The only ones affected are those that start with the letters OLE_LINK.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (321) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Random OLE Bookmarks.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
Need to know what bookmarks are defined in a document? Here's a macro that creates a list of all your bookmarks so that ...
Discover MoreBookmarks in Word are just like bookmarks used in paper books, any given bookmark may be reused to mark a new location. ...
Discover MoreIf you develop a macro that needs to work with bookmarks defined in a document, it is inevitable that you will need a way ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2020-10-05 16:44:07
Ben Riker
Hi Allen,
Thanks for the macro. I found one slight typo, ActiveDocument.Bookmarks(i).Delete should have "J" as the index, not "i".
Ben
2018-06-05 17:24:59
Larhanya
Thank you for this! These OLE_LINKs make me nuts.
2018-01-11 16:59:56
Taylor Ralston
Thank you for the script. BTW, the variable in line 5 should be "J" not "i". It will then read:
ActiveDocument.Bookmarks(J).Delete
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments