Renaming an AutoText Entry

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 27, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

You already know that Word allows you to create special AutoText entries that you can use in other parts of your document. Once you have defined AutoText entries, you might need to rename them later. There are two ways you can go about renaming AutoText entries. The first is to follow these general steps:

Insert the AutoText entry in a document.
Select the information just inserted.
Create a new AutoText entry using the new name.
Delete the old AutoText entry.

The second way is to use the Organizer. Follow these steps:

Start the Organizer.
Make sure the AutoText tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The AutoText tab of the Organizer.

Use the pull-down lists on either the left or right sides of the dialog box to indicate the template or document whose AutoText entries you want to rename.
If you cannot locate the desired template or document using the pull-down lists, click on the Close button on one side to "free up" an area. Then click on the Open button to locate and open the desired template or document.
Select the AutoText entry you want to rename.
Click on the Rename button. The Organizer prompts you for a new name.
Enter a new name for the AutoText entry, clicking on OK when done.
Repeat steps 5 through 7 for each AutoText entry you want to rename.
Click on Close when done.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1856) 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. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Changing AutoFilter Drop-Down Arrow Colors

The drop-down arrow used at the top of columns by AutoFilter can be difficult to see. Here's a way you can reduce the ...

Discover More

Calculating Time Differences between Two Machines

Want to know how much of a time difference there is between your machine and a different machine? This tip provides some ...

Discover More

Selecting Noncontiguous Ranges with the Keyboard

It's easy to select non-contiguous ranges using the mouse but may seem more daunting if you are simply using 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)

Extra Spaces after AutoText Substitutions

AutoText is a great tool for inserting standard information in your documents. It is also possible, however, to get ...

Discover More

Sharing AutoText Entries in a Network

Creating AutoText entries can be a great way to improve your productivity with Word. At some point you may want to share ...

Discover More

Editing AutoText Entries Directly

Editing AutoText entries, and particularly deleting them, can be cumbersome if you have a lot of changes to make. There ...

Discover More

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.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 7 + 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.