How to convert normal/inactive URL text into active ones

[Guest]

In my spreadsheet, in column L, I have about 15,000 rows of non-active links e.g.

http://www.site1.com
http://www.site2.com
http://www.site3.com
:

I want to convert all of these 15,000 'non-active links' rows into active links, one painful way is to select each row and hit the 'Enter' key to turn the row into an active link, but 15,000 rows arre too many, how to do this the easy way?

 

[Dave Peterson]

I'd just use another column with a formula like:

=hyperlink(a1)

and drag down (maybe hide that original column)

 

[Guest]

Thats a cool and handy suggestion. Thank you, Dave.

 

[David McRitchie]

A variation on Dave's suggestion
Since column A has the page url there is no need to repeat it in Column B
so I would suggest.
A1: http://www.site1.com
B1: =hyperlink(A1,"[x]")

On the other hand if you want to convert column A to hyperlinks, you could use
a macro to convert to object hyperlinks, or HYPERLINK Worksheet Formulas. I'd go with
the later, but you can the two macros as MakeHyperlinks and MakeHyperlinkFormulas in
Build Table of Contents, similar listings, working with Hyperlinks
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/buildtoc.htm#MakeHyperlinks
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/buildtoc.htm#MakeHyperlinkFormulas