Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 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: Stopping Smart Tags from Being Saved.
Smart Tags were developed by Microsoft as a way for companies or individuals to mark certain words so they lead to additional information. For instance, a person's name or a company name or some other proper noun could become a Smart Tag. If so, it appears on-screen with a wavy purple underline that indicates the word (or phrase) can be clicked for more information. In some ways, a Smart Tag is similar to a hyperlink.
You can turn off Smart Tags, so they are not saved with a document, by following these steps:
Figure 1. The Save tab of the Options dialog box.
Now you can save your document as you normally would. The setting is stored with the document, and Smart Tags won't be saved with this particular document unless you go back and explicitly change the setting.
If you want the saving of Smart Tags turned off for all your documents, you need to open the templates you use to create documents, and then perform the steps just listed. For instance, load the Normal.dot template and perform the four steps. Save the template, and then the setting will be turned off for any future documents you create that are based on Normal.dot. Existing documents, even though they may be based on Normal.dot, will need to be individually changed. If you prefer, you can create a small macro that will turn the option off for you:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 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: 
Sub OptSmartTagsOff()
ActiveDocument.EmbedSmartTags = False
End Sub
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7832) applies to Microsoft Word 2002 and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Stopping Smart Tags from Being Saved.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
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