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: Breaking a Document Link.

Breaking a Document Link

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated January 13, 2020)

At some point in working with a document you may determine that an existing document link is no longer necessary. You can break a link between your document and another application by following these steps:

Choose Links from the Edit menu. Word displays the Links dialog box.
Select the link you want to break.
Click on Break Link. You are asked to confirm you action.
Click on Yes.

Word breaks the link between your document and the source application, but the information remains in your document.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1380) 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: Breaking a Document Link.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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