The Blue Underlines
Google Docs is built for the web, and it assumes that any string of text resembling a web address (like “example.com” or “www.test.org”) is intended to be a clickable hyperlink. The moment you type a URL and hit the spacebar or Enter key, Google Docs automatically converts the plain text into a blue, underlined hyperlink pointing to that web address. While usually helpful, this behavior is infuriating if you are writing a technical manual, creating a printed flyer, or simply drafting a document where you explicitly need the web address to remain as unformatted, black plain text without triggering a browser action when clicked.
Disabling Automatic Hyperlinks
To keep your text formatting consistent and stop Google Docs from automatically converting text into clickable links, you must disable the auto-link feature within the editor’s preferences.
Open the Google Doc where you are currently working. Navigate to the top menu bar and click on Tools. Scroll down the dropdown menu and select Preferences. A new dialogue box will appear on your screen. Ensure you are on the General tab (it should be the default view). Look down the list of checkboxes for the option explicitly named Automatically detect links. By default, this box is checked. Click the box to uncheck it. Click the blue OK button at the bottom. From now on, any URL or email address you type will remain exactly as you typed it—pure, unformatted plain text. (If you ever need a link, you can simply highlight the text and press Ctrl+K or Cmd+K to manually add it).