Editing an AutoText Entry

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 5, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Other issues of WordTips have focused on the AutoText feature of Word. Once you have defined your AutoText entries, you might need to edit them later. There is no special editing feature for AutoText entries in Word, however. The best way to edit an AutoText entry is to follow these general steps:

  1. Insert the AutoText entry in a document.
  2. Make your changes to the text or graphic that you inserted.
  3. Select the text or graphic that you want in the AutoText entry.
  4. Add the AutoText entry, using the same name as before.

When you perform these steps, Word asks you if you want to redefine your existing AutoText entry. When you respond positively, Word replaces the old (incorrect) entry with the new (edited) entry.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1722) 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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Inserting Video into Worksheets

You can add all sorts of objects to your workbooks, including video clips. Here's the pros and cons (along with the ...

Discover More

Automatically Entering a Data Entry Time

Excel worksheets can be used to keep track of all sorts of information. You may want to use it, for instance, to track ...

Discover More

Shortening Worksheet Tabs

When worksheet names are quite long, it can present problems in displaying those names in the tabs at the bottom of the ...

Discover More

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 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Deleting Multiple AutoText Entries

AutoText is a great feature in Word; it helps you put together documents quickly. If you need to delete multiple AutoText ...

Discover More

AutoText Entries Don't Stick

AutoText can be a great tool, but it is of little worth if you can't get Word to remember the AutoText entries you ...

Discover More

Wrong Suggested Date

When you start to type a date into a document, Word helpfully suggests a full date that you can accept. The result is ...

Discover More
Subscribe

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.

What is 8 - 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


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.

Videos
Subscribe

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

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.