Templates let you reuse the same structure and styles in numerous documents. Unfortunately, templates are misunderstood and underused because successfully implementing them requires a bit of specialized knowledge. In this article, I'll share a few tips that will ameliorate your template experience.

Specific instructions are for Discussion 2016 simply differences in before versions are insignificant. At that place's no downloadable demonstration file for this article.

These tips also apply to Word 2003 templates, which you'll create and access via the File menu. You'll find most options via the Options command on the Tools menu.

1: Create templates from scratch

When you use a template to a certificate, Word applies the template's styles and structure to the new document. Everything in the template is available in the new document. This inheritance is good but tin have unexpected consequences if you base a template on an existing document.

At that place are two means to create a template:

  • Y'all tin open a new document, change it as needed, then save the file as a template file.
  • You can save an existing .docx document that contains all the styles and structural components y'all want in the template every bit a template file.

The latter approach tin can offer unpleasant surprises because you don't always remember everything that's in the existing .docx file. In contrast, a template congenital from scratch contains simply those elements you purposely added. For this reason, I recommend that y'all create a template from scratch and copy styles from existing documents into the template. (I'll testify you how to do that in a minute.)

ii: Leave Normal.dotx lonely

Because of the inheritance behavior inherent in templates, I recommend that yous non modify Give-and-take'due south Normal.dotx template. Every alter you brand will end upwardly in subsequent files, including templates. You might retrieve that's what yous want, but in truth a pocket-size change tin can have unintended consequences that are difficult to troubleshoot months down the road. I suggest that y'all leave Normal.dotx in its out-of-the-box condition as much as possible and create custom templates equally needed.

Many users customize Normal.dotx and never suffer for information technology, so information technology's a dominion you lot can break if yous work lonely and sympathize the potential for errors. Documenting your changes is a good thought.

3: Eliminate location malaise

Users often worry about where Give-and-take saves template files. It's not a clandestine, but Word does attempt to corral templates to create a more than seamless experience for you. When you choose Give-and-take Template (*.dotx) from the Salvage As Type dropdown, Discussion automatically stores the template in a designated folder (Figure A). Yous tin relieve the template someplace else, merely I don't recommend doing then; let Give-and-take handle things for you lot and you'll feel few (if any) issues.

Figure A

Give-and-take stores templates in a special binder.

iv: Alter the default folder

If you must control where Discussion saves your custom template files, change Give-and-take's default template folder setting equally follows:

  1. Click the File tab and choose Options.
  2. In the left pane, choose Save.
  3. In the Save documents department, alter the Default personal templates location binder (Figure B).
  4. Click OK when you're done.

Figure B

You tin can change the default template folder.

Irresolute the default binder keeps Word in the loop so that implementing templates continues to be a seamless process. If you manually save a unmarried template to a different location (which I don't recommend), that template won't be hands available to y'all as other templates are.

v: Apply a template

The best time to apply a custom template is when you create the certificate using the New choice (on the File tab). Word displays two template categories: Featured and Personal. To choose 1 of your custom templates, click the Personal tab and so click the custom template you want to utilize. Word opens a new document based on the specified template.

After applying the template, all the styles in the template are available in the new document. But don't ignore the Featured templates. You lot might find exactly what you need and save yourself a lot of time.

half dozen: Use the Personal list

Discussion lists files yous've saved in the default template folder (#4) in the Personal templates (#5) listing. If yous don't meet a specific template listed and you desire piece of cake access via the Personal link, yous must save that template in the default folder. I'm repeating myself–but for the best template experience, y'all must allow Word control the process.

7: Copy an existing style

Y'all can build a style from scratch or y'all can re-create information technology from an existing document. Simply select a paragraph that carries the fashion you want to re-create and copy that paragraph to the Clipboard. Then, access the template file and paste the styled content from the Clipboard into the template file. Select and delete the content and save your template file. The mode remains in the template file fifty-fifty though yous deleted the styled content. Note: This re-create tips works for all files, not but template files.

8: Copy many styles

Copying a style provides a quick way to get an existing mode into a template, but information technology would be wearisome if you wanted to copy several. To include multiple existing styles from a template, employ the Styles Organizer every bit follows:

  1. Click the Styles grouping dialog launcher to open the Styles pane.
  2. Click Manage Styles (Figure C).
  3. In the resulting Manage Styles dialog, click the Import/Export button to display the Style Organizer (Figure D).

Figure C

Click the Manage Styles choice.

Figure D

Copy styles from one file to another.

The list on the left displays styles in the current document; on the right you'll see styles in the active template. Users ofttimes find this interface confusing because it's so flexible. You tin can close one or both files and open others–or not. In a nutshell, y'all desire the file that contains the styles y'all're copying and the template to which you're copying those styles. Select the fashion you want to copy (in the source file) and click Re-create to copy that style to the template file.

ix: Alter the applied template

If you apply the wrong template or yous need to utilize a template to an existing document (instead of doing and so when you create the document), exercise the following:

  1. Click the File tab and choose Options. In the left pane, select Add-ins. From the Manage dropdown, choose Templates (Figure E) and click Go. Or if the Developer tab is available, y'all tin can click it and so click Document Template in the Templates grouping. (This is an easy way to larn which template is currently applied as well.)
  2. Click Attach and Discussion displays locally stored templates.
  3. Select the template you lot desire to apply and click Open.
  4. Checking the Automatically Update Document Styles option (Figure F) will update styles in the current document with styles in the template of the same name.
  5. Click OK.

Figure East

It's easy to adhere a new template.

Figure F


Update styles automatically.

Attaching a template after the fact won't modify manual formatting. In improver, styles in the current document with no like-named counterpart in the template won't change.

Don't confuse the purpose of the Automatically Update Certificate Styles option with the Automatically Update selection for styles. The latter choice updates the underlying style to reflect manual formatting changes.

This choice triggers ane of Word'southward about misunderstood behaviors so I recommend using it with peachy care and informed intent. Otherwise, you may find all your similarly styled content updated when you meant to update only the selected text–and you might not know how to undo the change.

10: Insert the template proper name

If you lot work with multiple templates, you might discover it handy to print the template proper name in a certificate. You can do then by inserting a field, as follows:

  1. Position the cursor where you want to insert the template name.
  2. Click the Insert tab and cull Field from the Quick Parts dropdown (in the Text group).
  3. In the Field Names listing, select Template (Figure Thou).
  4. Cull a formatting option and check the pathname option as required.
  5. Click OK.

Figure G

You tin can display the template's proper name in your certificate.

Bonus tip: Manage multiple users

Templates sometimes alter for no apparent reason. This usually happens in a corporate environment where templates are stored on a server for everyone'south use. Here'south a uncomplicated example of what can happen:

  • Joan creates a letter based on Letterhead2.dotx.
  • Later, John does too, simply he updates a style or two in Letterhead2.dotx.
  • Joan opens her letter later and finds the formatting has changed.

That'due south because Joan'south letter reflects the changes John made to the underlying template, Letterhead2.dotx. Fortunately, there are means to manage templates used by multiple users. The best way is to train users not to modify templates. Unfortunately, users brand changes without realizing it. To avoid problems, make templates read-simply as follows:

  1. Utilise File Explorer (or My Computer) to locate the template file on the server.
  2. Correct-click information technology and cull Properties from the context menu.
  3. On the General tab, check the Read-only option (Figure H) and click OK.

Figure H

To protect a template, arrive read-only.

Anyone can brand a template read-just to protect information technology from unwanted changes. If you need to modify the template, only echo the process to uncheck the Read-only property before opening the template.

Transport me your question near Office

I answer readers' questions when I can, but there's no guarantee. When contacting me, be every bit specific as possible. For instance, "Delight troubleshoot my workbook and fix what's incorrect" probably won't get a response, just "Can you lot tell me why this formula isn't returning the expected results?" might. Please mention the app and version that you're using. Don't send files unless requested; initial requests for assistance that arrive with attached files will be deleted unread. I'm non reimbursed by TechRepublic for my fourth dimension or expertise when helping readers, nor exercise I ask for a fee from readers I assist. You can contact me at susansalesharkins@gmail.com.

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