Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 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: Understanding Click and Type.

Understanding Click and Type

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 1, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 2000, 2002, and 2003


Word includes a feature known simply as Click and Type. (Well, versions of Word beginning with Word 2000 include this feature.) This feature means that when you are working in Print Layout view or Web Layout view, you can double-click your mouse in any open area of your document (where there is not text), and begin typing right away.

Normally, you begin typing at the left side of the screen. If you later want to adjust your text to the right margin or center it on the screen, you do so by using the toolbars or menus. Click and Type, however, allows you to quickly format and enter text at the same time. The result is faster editing and formatting.

You can tell if Click and Type is active by how the mouse pointer behaves on screen. If the mouse pointer, when moving within the document window, looks like a simple I-beam insertion pointer, then Click and Type is not turned on. If, instead, it looks like an I-beam with some horizontal lines near by, then Click and Type is active and ready. These lines indicate the formatting of the text that you can insert. There are four possibilities:

  • Left aligned. If the horizontal lines are near the upper-right side of the I-beam, then it indicates that double-clicking your mouse will result in a left-aligned paragraph where you click.
  • Left aligned, first line indent. If the horizontal lines are near the upper-right side of the I-beam, but there is also a very small arrow at the left side of the first horizontal line, then double-clicking will result in a left-aligned paragraph where you click, with the first line of the paragraph indented.
  • Centered. If the horizontal lines are directly beneath the I-beam, then you can enter a centered paragraph by double-clicking your mouse.
  • Right aligned. If the horizontal lines are near the upper-left side of the I-beam, then it indicates that double-clicking will add a right-aligned paragraph where you click.

Remember that Click and Type only works if you are viewing your document in Print Layout view or in Web Layout view.

If you don't like or don't use the Click and Type, you may want to turn it off. You can do this by following these steps if you are using Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003:

  1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Word displays the Options dialog box.
  2. Make sure the Edit tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Edit tab of the Options dialog box.

  4. Make sure the Enable Click and Type check box is cleared.
  5. Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1801) applies to Microsoft Word 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Understanding Click and Type.

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

Embedding TrueType Fonts

If you need to make sure that the fonts in your document can be used by another person or on a different system, you'll ...

Discover More

Specifying Different Weekends with NETWORKDAYS

The NETWORKDAYS worksheet function can be used to easily determine the number of work days (Monday through Friday) within ...

Discover More

Microsoft Word's Amazing Autos (Special Offer)

Microsoft Word's Amazing Autos can help super-charge how you create your documents. Another way you can increase ...

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)

Inserting a Special Symbol

The vast majority of what you enter into a document can be accomplished through the use of the regular keyboard. However, ...

Discover More

Turning Off Word's Second Guessing with Quote Marks

When you type quote marks in a document, Word normally changes them to Smart Quotes. They look better on a printout, but ...

Discover More

Using Manual Line Breaks with Justified Paragraphs

If you use justified paragraphs, you know that if you press Shift+Enter, it can lead to some odd spacing between words ...

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 nine minus 1?

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.