Determining if a Text Selection Exists

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 29, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

There are numerous times when you are writing macros when you will need to determine if the user has made a selection. The following VBA code will let you know if a selection has been made. The variable designated to be a flag (InSelection) is first set to False, and then the Type property of the Selection object is used to determine if there is a selection. If so, then InSelection is set to True.

InSelection = False
If Selection.Type = wdSelectionIP Then InSelection = True

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 (127) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

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. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Developing Style Families

Styles, as implemented in Word, represent a powerful way to help you easily standardize your formatting tasks. When ...

Discover More

Typing Beyond the Right Margin

In the days of typewriters, you could type beyond the right margin by using the MarRel lever or key. This tip discusses ...

Discover More

Changing Chart Size

Place a chart on a worksheet and you may not be satisfied with its size. Changing the size of a chart is a simple process ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (menu)

Saving a Document in a Macro

If you develop a macro to process your document, you may want the macro to save the document to disk. This is easily done ...

Discover More

Determining if a File Exists

Your macro may need to know if a particular file exists. This is easy to figure out using the Dir command, and even ...

Discover More

Changing the Default Drive

Macros can be used to read and write all sorts of files. If those files are on a different drive than the current one, ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 4 - 3?

2025-12-01 05:20:05

Steve Wells

I often write tools that process the selected chunk of text, but if nothing is selected, I process the whole document.
The relevant portion of my code usually looks something like this:

' Just an insertion point or a text selection?
With Application.Selection
If .Type = wdSelectionIP Then ' Just an insertion point
.WholeStory ' Include the whole document
.HomeKey wdStory ' Move start to the beginning
.EndKey Unit:=wdStory, Extend:=wdExtend ' End at the story end
End If
' [Process the selected chunk of text or the (formerly no) text around the selection point expanded to include the whole document]
End With

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.