Word allows you to organize your documents into a hierarchical relationship, such that one document is considered a master document and others are considered subdocuments. Many people use master documents to aggregate information presented in several subdocuments—for instance, each subdocument may represent a chapter in a book and the master document represents the entire book.
As you are working with your master document, you may find it handy (at times) to not see your entire subdocuments. Instead, you can view your subdocuments as simple links, instead of as an entire file. These links look very similar to hyperlinks: they are simply filenames shown in blue and underlined. When you move the mouse pointer over the link, it changes to a pointing finger. If you then click on the link, Word opens the subdocument in its own window.
When Word displays subdocuments as links, in Word terminology they (the subdocuments) are collapsed. When they are displayed as full files, they are expanded. To collapse your subdocuments, all you need to do is click your mouse on the Collapse Subdocuments tool on the Outline toolbar. If you later want to expand your subdocuments, you simply click your mouse on the Expand Subdocuments tool.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (882) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
Just as you can add subdocuments to a master document, you can remove them. Doing so is relatively easy, and it doesn't ...
Discover MoreMost people use Word to create regular documents that you edit, view, and print. The program also allows you to create a ...
Discover MoreIf you need to move master documents or subdocuments from one place to another on your computer, you have to keep in mind ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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