Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 4, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
David wondered if there is a way that a small group of workers can share the same set of AutoText entries, without each of them needing to set up their own entries.
AutoText entries are stored in templates. Even if you don't specify a particular template to be the recipient of a new AutoText entry, it is still stored in a template—the Normal.dot template.
If you want to share AutoText entries, the key is to get the entries out of the Normal.dot template and into a different template that you can all share. Suppose, for a moment, that you store the AutoText entries in a template called Group.dot. This template could be stored in a mutually accessible network folder, and then referenced by a shortcut in each user's Startup folder. (That's the Word Startup folder, which is identified by choosing Tools | Options | File Locations and looking at the Startup entry.)
In order to put AutoText entries into the shared Group.dot template, you can either create them from scratch and specify that they be placed there, or you can use the Organizer to transfer the AutoText entries from one template (such as Normal.dot) to another (such as the shared template).
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (345) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
Are there limits to AutoText entries in Word? If you are having problems saving entries, it may not be due to limits ...
Discover MoreThe AutoComplete feature can be helpful. However, there are times when the suggestions Word makes aren't what you want. ...
Discover MoreWhen you are creating headers and footers for your document, you might want to use some of your AutoText entries. What if ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2019-11-04 14:50:28
Cathy
I have AutoText for a specific report. I have a template for that report. The AutoText is not in the Normal template, only in the report template. In the past, doing a "Save As" with a new file name for a template kept the AutoText. So if I had Report Template 2018-07-02 and saved it as Report Template 2018-09-06, the AutoText was in both files. Now when I save the template with a new name, all the AutoText disappears.
I've seen recommendations, such as yours above, to use the Organizer. But it no longer has an AutoText tab. How can we copy AutoText to a new template? There are many, many entries I need to move forward into each new iteration. Re-copying all the entries each time I edit and update the template is not an option. This has been wreaking havoc with use for over a year and seemed to be triggered with a newer version of Word. Thanks for your help.
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments