EXTRACT_LINK Function in Excel

The EXTRACT_LINK function is available only with Modern Functions Update (MFU). You can now run it for free on your Excel from 2007 onward, including 2024 and 365 versions. It extracts the URL from a cell that contains a hyperlink, returning the link address as text.

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Description

The EXTRACT_LINK function extracts the underlying URL from a cell that contains a hyperlink. If a cell displays text like “Click here” but contains a link to “https://example.com“, this function returns the actual URL.

This is particularly useful for:

• Extracting URLs: Get the actual web address from hyperlinked text
• Data cleaning: Extract links from imported data
• Reporting: Display both the link text and the URL separately
• Migration: Prepare hyperlink data for export or conversion
• Quality control: Verify that hyperlinks point to the correct destinations

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Syntax

=EXTRACT_LINK(cell)

Argument	Description
cell	Required. A reference to a single cell containing a hyperlink.

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Important Notes

• ⚠️ Requires macros to be enabled – The function will not work if macros are disabled.
• ⚠️ The function may not appear while typing in older Excel versions, but it is there and fully operational.
• ℹ️ If the referenced cell does not contain a hyperlink, the function returns an empty string "" or #VALUE depending on the scenario.
• ℹ️ The reference must be a single cell – ranges are not supported.

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Examples

Basic Usage

If cell A1 contains the text “Visit our site” with a hyperlink to “https://example.com“:

=EXTRACT_LINK(A1)

Returns: "https://example.com"

Extracting Multiple Links

If you have hyperlinks in A1:A10, you can extract each URL by dragging the formula down:

=EXTRACT_LINK(A1)
=EXTRACT_LINK(A2)
...

Checking if a Cell Contains a Hyperlink

Combine with IF to handle cells without hyperlinks:

=IF(EXTRACT_LINK(A1)="", "No link found", EXTRACT_LINK(A1))

Using with Other Functions

Extract the domain name from the extracted URL:

=TEXTAFTER(TEXTBEFORE(EXTRACT_LINK(A1), "/", 3), "//")

This extracts the domain from a URL like https://example.com/page → "example.com".

Validating Hyperlinks

Check if a link points to a specific domain:

=IF(EXTRACT_LINK(A1)="https://www.google.com", "Google link", "Other link")

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Practical Use Cases

Scenario	Formula
Extract URL from hyperlink	=EXTRACT_LINK(A1)
Check if link exists	=IF(EXTRACT_LINK(A1)="", "No link", EXTRACT_LINK(A1))
Extract domain from URL	=TEXTAFTER(TEXTBEFORE(EXTRACT_LINK(A1), "/", 3), "//")
Compare two links	=EXTRACT_LINK(A1)=EXTRACT_LINK(B1)
Build HTML from link	="<a href=""" & EXTRACT_LINK(A1) & """>" & A1 & "</a>"
Count hyperlinks in a range	=COUNTIF(A1:A10, EXTRACT_LINK(A1))

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Troubleshooting

Problem	What It Means	What To Do
#NAME? error	Excel doesn’t recognize EXTRACT_LINK	Install Modern Functions Update
#VALUE! error	Macros are disabled	Enable macros in Excel settings
Function doesn’t autocomplete	Older Excel version	Type the full function name manually
Returns #N/A	Cell does not contain a hyperlink	Check if the cell actually has a link

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Notes

• ✅ Fully tested – The implementation in Modern Functions Update works reliably.
• ✅ The function is fully compatible with Excel 2007, and all later versions.
• ⚠️ Requires macros to be enabled to function.
• ℹ️ EXTRACT_LINK is a unique MFU feature not found in any Excel version.
• ⚠️ In older Excel versions, the function may not autocomplete while typing, but typing the full name works.

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See Also

UNIQUE – Returns unique values from a range

REGEXTEST – Tests text against a regex pattern

REGEXEXTRACT – Extracts text using regex

REGEXREPLACE – Replaces text using regex

XLOOKUP – Modern lookup function

FILTER – Filters data based on criteria