Word

Quick Reference:

When you attach a new template to a Word document, nothing happens.

The new template makes four things available to the document: macros, AutoText, toolbars and keyboard shortcuts.

What happens when I attach a new template to my document? or How do I copy content and settings from a template to a document?

Every Word document is based on a template, whether you choose a template explicitly or not.

You can attach a new template to a document at Tools > Templates and Add-ins. But it may not achieve what you had mind. This page explains what happens when you attach a new template to a Word document.

If you're not 100% sure of the relationship between Word documents and templates, see What is the relationship between a Word document and its template?.

So, what does happen when you attach a new template to a document?

Nothing.

What? Nothing happens?

That's right: nothing happens to the document when you attach a new template (well, the document stores the fact that it is now attached to a new template, but that's it).

The document inherited styles, content and page settings from its parent template when it was first created. You're not creating a new document, so the styles, content and page settings in the newly-attached template will not affect the document at all.

The newly-attached template will sit in the background, and make available the four things that templates make available to documents: macros, AutoTexts, toolbars and keyboard shortcuts.

Those four things sit there waiting to be used, but they're made available to the document. They are in the template: they don't reside in the document. So attaching a new template makes them available; it doesn't change the document.

But that's not what I wanted!!!!!!!

If you want to copy material from template to document, read on. There are ways to copy most things from a template to a document.

AutoTexts

AutoText can only exist in a template. A document cannot hold an AutoText. You can copy AutoTexts between templates using Tools > Templates and Add-ins > Organizer.

Macros

You can copy macros to and from documents and templates using Tools > Templates and Add-ins > Organizer.

Or, you can use the Visual Basic Editor to export a module as a .bas file, and then import it.

Note that the Organizer lists whole modules. You can't copy an individual macro (a Sub or a Function) using the Organizer. For that, you have to copy and paste using the Visual Basic Editor.

Toolbars

You can copy toolbars to and from documents and templates using Tools > Templates and Add-ins > Organizer.

If a control (such as a button) on the toolbar called a macro, then copying the toolbar won't copy the macro. You'll have to do that separately.

Keyboard shortcuts

Word provides no in-built way to copy keyboard shortcuts. You can copy keyboard shortcuts using a tool available at the download page on the Word MVPs site.

Content

The easy way to copy content from a template to a document is to use File > New to create a new document from the template, then copy and paste from one document to another.

The slightly harder way is to use File > Open to open the template itself, and then copy and paste from template to document.

Page Settings

There is no simple way to copy page settings from a template to a document. You'll have to do this manually.

Or, you could open the template and record a macro, and then run the macro in your document. For information on how to do that, see Creating a macro with no programming experience using the recorder on the Word MVPs site.

Styles

There are only three ways in which the document and its template can change one another's styles, and they all rely on your doing something:

• You can change a style in a document's parent template. In the Modify Style dialog box, you tick the Add to Template box.
• You can copy styles from the document to its template, or vice versa. To do that, Tools > Templates and Add‑Ins. Click Organizer.
• You can update the document with its template's styles. To do that, Tools > Templates and Add‑Ins. Tick the Automatically Update Document Styles box. Then, immediately go back and un-tick that box. Don't leave the box ticked.

None of these methods work reliably for styles involving bullets or numbering. But see How to safely update a document's styles from its template without using the Organizer and how to make the Tools + Templates and Add-ins dialog safe) on the Word MVPs site.

Actually, there is a fourth way to copy styles from a template to a document (or between templates, or between documents). Although it's a bit arcane, it can have its uses.

An AutoText can hold formatted text. That is, the AutoText knows what style(s) have been applied to the text. When you insert an AutoText, Word will bring along any required styles, creating new ones in the document if necessary. It works in exactly the same way as copying text: see Why does text change format when I copy it into another document?.

All AutoTexts are saved in templates. Note that, oddly, an AutoText can hold text in a style that does not exist in its template.

For more information:

• What do Templates and Add-ins store? at the Word MVPs site.
• What is the relationship between a Word document and its template?
• What happens when I send my document to someone else? Will Word mess up my formatting?
• Why does text change format when I copy it into another document?