amja_ wrote:
I am looking for a way to change the link format settings (across applications, i.e. not only in Word or Mail, but as a general setting).
Any way to change the default setting for how hyperlinks are formatted?
No to changing how hyperlinks are formatted when placed on the clipboard, and not all applications may use Apple's clipboard or place data on it in a convenient format.
For example, when I copy the link to your hyperlinked name above to the clipboard using Safari 14.0.3 on macOS 11.2.3, the Finder's Show Clipboard only reveals a single text URL representation of that hyperlink. However, in reality, there nine additional, different named items placed on the clipboard that you cannot see. Most of these are XML structured plists, a couple are plain text, and the rest are variations that comprise the Rich Text hyperlink.
Each application is written to grab different information from the clipboard depending on whether it is a paste, paste special, or paste and match style operation. You have no way of knowing A Priori, whether the paste operation will be Rich Text with the active hyperlink or plain text without experimenting with those different paste formats in a particular application.
A word processing application should just paste an active hyperlink, but neither Pages v10.3.9 nor LibreOffice Writer 7.1.1. do that. They paste a plain-text URL. With Apple Mail, you must use Paste and Match Style to get a plain text paste. It has been a while since I touched MS Word, but I believe it allows for Paste Special -> Unformatted text.
One might create an Automator Quick Action (Service) that allows you to select the entire hyperlink, reformat it to plain text, and copy it back to the clipboard. You just would not use it when you wanted to preserve the active hyperlink for pasting.
