Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Jumping to the Start or End of a Document.

Jumping to the Start or End of a Document

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 7, 2026)

When you are creating a macro, there are many times you want to move to the beginning or end of your document. The exact syntax for how you do this depends on whether you are using WordBasic or VBA. If you are programming in VBA, you use the HomeKey and EndKey methods of the Selection object. For instance, the following two lines will move the cursor to the beginning of the document, and then to the end:

Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdStory
Selection.EndKey Unit:=wdStory

If you want to select everything from the current position to the beginning or end of the document, you simply add the Extend method. The following will select everything from the current location to the beginning of the document:

Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdStory, Extend:=wdExtend

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (120) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Jumping to the Start or End of a Document.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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