AutoText and Building Blocks in Word 2007 and 2010

What is Autotext in MS Word?
Saving Text that we want to reuse


How to Create AutoText?
Select the you want to reuse and clicking Insert > AutoText > New (or simply press Alt-F3). You then enter a name for the entry and press Enter.

[This adds the entry to the Normal.dot template and makes it available to all documents. To add AutoText for a specific template, click Insert > AutoText > AutoText and select the template in the "Look in" drop-down menu.]


How to insert AutoText?
Insert AutoText by clicking Insert > AutoText > AutoText to open the AutoCorrect dialog box with the AutoText tab selected. All AutoText entries are listed. select one and click Insert. You can also use the AutoComplete feature to enter AutoText by typing the first few letters and pressing Enter when the entry appears in a pop-up window (the AutoComplete option must be checked in the AutoText dialog, and you need to press F3 to activate this feature).

Other options for inserting AutoText entries are via the AutoText toolbar (View > Toolbars > AutoText) or by clicking the Insert AutoText drop-down button on the Header and Footer toolbar. To place an AutoText entry on a different toolbar, click Tools > Customize > Commands, select AutoText in the Categories list on the left, and drag the desired AutoText entry from the list of commands in the right window to whichever toolbar you prefer.

Assigng keyboard-shortcut for Entries
Assign the AutoText entry a keystroke combination by clicking Tools > Customize > Keyboard, choosing AutoText in the Categories list in the left pane, selecting the AutoText entry in the right pane, and entering your preferred keystroke combination in the text box below the AutoText list.

Building Blocks
Simple Word documents are likely to include reusable elements, such as page numbers and other header and footer material, cover and title pages, addresses, salutations, logos, and other graphics. Saving and re-entering such material is easier in Word 2007 and 2010 via the use of Building Blocks.

How to create a Building Block in Word 2007 or 2010?
Select it and press Alt-F3 to open the Create New Building Block dialog. Give the entry a name or accept Word's default name, choose the Gallery to save the entry in, assign it a Category and a description if you wish, choose to save it in the Normal template or with other Building Blocks, and add it with its own paragraph and on its own page if desired.

You can also add a Building Block by selecting the material, clicking the Quick Parts button on the Insert tab, and choosing Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. But you've got a wealth of prebuilt components at your disposal without having to create any yourself. To view the Building Blocks available by default in Word 2007 and 2010, click Insert > Quick Parts > Building Blocks Organizer

Your custom AutoText entries will be stored in the AutoText gallery in the Building Blocks Organizer. To add an AutoText or a custom Building Block gallery to the Quick Access Toolbar, right-click the toolbar and choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar. Select Commands Not in the Ribbon in the "Choose commands from" drop-down menu, select AutoText or a custom gallery entry, and click Add and OK.