Excel 365 and links and automatic downloads

[WTig3ner]

I have a file with lots of links to internet materials. Whenever I click on one of those links, Excel opens the link but also automatically downloads a copy of the linked document. I want to see the documents, but I don't want to store them. How can I stop the automatic-download behavior?

Thanks.

[#2]

@WTig3ner 

In Excel 365, the automatic download behavior of linked documents can be controlled by changing the settings in your web browser rather than Excel itself. To prevent automatic downloads, follow these steps based on your web browser:

For Google Chrome:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the browser window.
3. Select "Settings."
4. Scroll down and click "Privacy and security."
5. Click "Site settings."
6. Under "Content," click "Additional content settings."
7. Find the "Automatic downloads" section and turn off the switch for "Automatic downloads."

This setting should prevent automatic downloads when you click links in Excel.

For Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. Click the three-bar menu icon in the top right corner.
3. Select "Options."
4. In the left sidebar, click "Privacy & Security."
5. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section.
6. Under "Downloads," uncheck the box for "Always ask you where to save files."

This setting should prevent automatic downloads when clicking links in Excel.

For Microsoft Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner.
3. Select "Settings."
4. Scroll down and click "Cookies and site permissions."
5. Click "Automatic downloads."
6. Toggle the switch for "Ask where to save each file before downloading" to enable this option.

This setting will prompt you to choose where to save files when you click links, allowing you to opt out of automatic downloads.

By changing the browser settings, you should be able to prevent automatic downloads when clicking on links in Excel.

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