Embodiments of the instant invention are directed to methods for automatically generating a link in E-mail, web pages and other documents and files presented to users of wide area computer networks, and for automatically updating text and other types of files on a wide area network with links to data desired to be presented to such users. In embodiments of the present invention, selected key words are stored in a memory location or key word file. A comparison is made between the words in a downloaded text file and the key words stored in the key word file. If a word is detected in the textual data and the key word file or files, the key word displayed to the user is converted into a link.