Office 2010 Building Blocks: AutoText vs. Quick Parts
Applies to: Office 2003, 2007, 2010
Word's AutoText feature (found under the Insert tab | Quick Parts) is an easy way to store and use common words or information for future use within a document. With AutoText, users can quickly insert lengthy and frequently used words or phrases into a document.
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AutoText, which has long been a feature of Word, and Quick Parts, introduced in Office 2007, are each subsections or "galleries" of Building Blocks. They both serve the same purpose: To deliver pre-established content into your document quickly and easily.
AutoText vs. Quick Parts
AutoText automatically suggests entries and allows insertion while typing. Quick Parts must be inserted manually by selecting the entry from the Quick Parts gallery (or by pressing the F3 button on the keyboard).
AutoText
When creating new AutoText entries, the default save location is the user's Normal.dotx template. Some organizations are concerned with users adding content to an organization standard Normal.dotx template, as this is a controlled file that could be replaced at any time. However, the location to which these AutoText entries are saved can be modified – the user selects the desired template when saving the AutoText entry (as shown below). We recommend saving AutoText entries to a unique and specific template (reserved only for AutoText entries). This can be stored in the Word Startup location.
Quick Parts
Quick Parts entries are saved in the Building Blocks.dotx template by default. This more generic template should be used to store building block information, unlike Word settings, styles, and toolbars, which are often found in the Normal.dotx.
Moving AutoText entries from Normal.dot in 2003 to 2007/2010
Use Word 2003's Organizer to move AutoText entries from a Normal.dot into a new template.
To move AutoText entries from Normal.dot into a new template in Word 2003:
- Create a new template or open a pre-existing one.
- Navigate to: Tools | Templates and Add-ins | Organizer | AutoText.
- Verify that the desired target template and Normal.dot (AutoText.dot in the example below) are selected.
- Highlight auto text entries and select the Copy button to move all auto text entries from Normal.dot to AutoText.dot.
- Close the Organizer, save changes to the AutoText.dot template and then close out of the template.
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This template is now ready for use in 2007/2010.
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Saving AutoText/Quick Parts entries in 2007/2010
As mentioned above, AutoText entries are stored in the user's Normal template by default. However, when creating a new AutoText entry, users can specify any template that is currently loaded in Word as the save destination. Similarly, AutoText entries can be moved by editing and specifying a new destination template.
To move entries to a new destination template:
- Open a document based off of the desired target template (or attach the template using the Developer | Document Template dialog).
- Navigate to: Insert tab | Quick Parts | Building Blocks Organizer.
- Select the appropriate AutoText/Quick Parts entry and then select Edit Properties.
- Select the desired target template in the Save In drop down menu.
- Close the Building Blocks Organizer, choose Save at the prompt, and then close out of Word.
Note: If you would like to take advantage of the Auto Complete feature of AutoText, entries must be saved in a custom template loaded in Word Startup or in your Normal.dotx (not in your Building Blocks.dotx).
