Hyperlink fields used as a filter in SOQL, Reports, and List View show unexpected results

Hyperlink fields in Salesforce allow users to store and display URLs as clickable links within records. Despite their usability, Hyperlink fields have a limitation when it comes to using them as filter criteria in queries. Users are unable to directly use the equal (=) sign to filter records based on the content of Hyperlink fields.

How HYPERLINK Fields Work

Syntax: HYPERLINK(url, friendly_name [,target])`
[url] is the Web address, [friendly_name] is the link text, and [target] tells the window or frame in which to display the content.

If you have a formula custom field that contains a `HYPERLINK` function, the server generates an HTML anchor for the link. For example, this function: `HYPERLINK("/apex/VF_TEST", "VFLINK",'_self')` generates this HTML output: `<a href="/apex/VF_TEST" target="_self">VFLINK</a>`.

Unlike other field types, such as text fields or date fields, where the equal (=) operation is straightforward, the Hyperlink field has its own internal storage format. As a result, it cannot be directly used as filter criteria when querying or filtering with an equal ('=') sign or operator.