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: Displaying Fields.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 31, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Many of the tips provided in WordTips rely on the use of fields. The reason for this is simple: Fields allow the easy inclusion of dynamic data within your documents. Normally, Word hides the contents of fields (the "codes" that are intrinsic to the field), replacing them instead with their result, if they are the type of field that yields a result.
If you want to see the contents of your fields, then you can toggle the display so that those contents are visible. You do this by pressing Shift+F9. Any field contents should then be visible, and you can modify those field contents, if desired.
Remember that this shortcut functions as a toggle. When you are through viewing the field contents, just press Shift+F9 again. Word hides the field contents and replaces them with the field results, if any.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (385) 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: Displaying Fields.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
When merging documents, you may want to include some fields in the merged documents. For some fields this is impossible, ...
Discover MoreNeed to know how many words are in your document? You can use the NumWords field to add that statistic, dynamically, to ...
Discover MoreWant to start a new heading on an odd-numbered page? You can do it with section breaks, obviously, but you can also do it ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2018-02-14 03:29:12
Kenneth
In my Word (2010), the shortcut is ALT+F9.. ?
2016-07-16 11:25:26
Stephen Gray
In my opinion, MS made a horrible design decision, putting the fields in line with the text. The problems with this are too numerous to list but they show up mostly in long documents. The fields should be displayed on the side,like some markups are.
2016-07-15 17:24:58
David Latham
Hi Allen,
I believe the "Shift+F9" is a typo and should be "Alt+F9", at least that's the my version of Word in Office 2016 works...
Cheers
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 © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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:
Comments