Deleting Multiple AutoText Entries

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 12, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Jussara needs a way to delete a number of different AutoText entries. She wonders if there is a way to easily delete multiple entries all at once.

This can be done rather easily using the Organizer. Follow these steps:

  1. Choose Templates and Add-Ins from the Tools menu. Word displays the Templates and Add-ins dialog box.
  2. Click the Organizer button. Word displays the Organizer tool.
  3. Make sure the AutoText tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.) Note that the right side of the Organizer should contain information for the Normal.dot file. If it does, skip to step 7. If it does not, or if your AutoText entries are in a different template than Normal.dot, continue with the next step.
  4. Figure 1. The AutoText tab of the Organizer.

  5. Click the Close File button under the right side of the Organizer. This closes the information for the template.
  6. Click Open File. Word displays a standard Open dialog box.
  7. Use the controls in the dialog box to navigate to and open the template that contains your AutoText entries.
  8. In the list of AutoText entries on the right side of the Organizer, click the first entry you want to delete.
  9. Hold down the Ctrl key as you click on other AutoText entries you want deleted.
  10. When you have selected all the entries you want to delete, click the Delete button.
  11. You may be asked if you are sure you want to delete the entries; answer Yes.
  12. Close the Organizer.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11273) 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

Repeating Table Rows with Manual Page Breaks

Need to make sure part of a table is on one page and part on another? The way to do so is not to use manual page breaks, ...

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

Locating Locked Fields

A field can be locked or unlocked, and its condition controls whether it is updated automatically or not. If you want to ...

Discover More

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!

More WordTips (menu)

Deleting an AutoText Entry

At some point you may want to delete an AutoText entry you previously created. Here are the steps to follow.

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

Adding an AutoText Entry

Creating custom AutoText entries is not only extremely helpful, but very easy. This tip explains how.

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 4 + 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.