Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 20, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Robert uses AutoText to put together portions of his documents, using "boilerplate" text that is contained within the various AutoText entries he has defined. He needs a way to paste a protected section into a document—preferably as an AutoText entry—that is, once inserted, already protected. In other words, he doesn't want to have to do an insert and then protect the section he just inserted as a separate step.
From our testing it does not appear that there is any way to do this. If you protect a section of a document, you can't even select that section in order to create an AutoText entry based on that selection. This makes it impossible to do what is described.
Of course, you might think that saving your protected section as its own document and then using Insert | File to insert the document might be a way to add protected boilerplate text. This approach doesn't work either; Word apparently strips out all the protection from the file that is inserted. (The section breaks are still there, but any document protection is removed.)
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8213) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
The AutoComplete feature can be helpful. However, there are times when the suggestions Word makes aren't what you want. ...
Discover MoreMany people use AutoText to enhance their use of Word. If you've invested significant time in customizing AutoText to ...
Discover MoreWhen you start to type a date into a document, Word helpfully suggests a full date that you can accept. The result is ...
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 © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments