(File Locations, Workgroup Templates) - The folder path that contains all your workgroup templates. (File Locations, User Templates) - The folder path that Word will default to when you save a Word document as a template.

If you double click the file from outside Word then a document will be created from the template, rather than the actual template being opened. You can open a template, select (File > Open) and browse to the corresponding folder. If you want the template to always be loaded you must place it in the startup folder so it can be considered a global template. When you add a template using the (Tools > Templates and Addins) dialog box this template will not be loaded the next time you open Word. This means that you can make changes to your templates without affecting existing documents Most connections between a document and its template are broken immediately after the document is created. When you open an existing document or switch focus to another document, Word automatically retrieves the attached template which the document is based on and puts the toolbars, menus, keyboard shortcuts, macros into effect. It does not copy any macros from the template. Word copies all the text and styles from a template and puts them into the document. Once you have created a document based on a template any further changes to the template are not propagated down to the documents created from that template. If you do not explicitly select a template then your new document will be based on the default template 'Normal.dotm' The default blank document which a lot of poeple use is based on the Normal template.

If you want to make sure that a particular template appears at the beginning prefix it with an underscore. Templates that appear in either of the top level folders will appear on the General tab. Workgroup templates do not have to be on a network or shared drive.Įach subfolder in either of those directories will create a new tab providing it contains at least one. You can actually define completely different locations for your Word templates. If Normal.dotm appears in more than one place - which one takes precedence ? Non file based templates - These are special templates which are used internally by Word and cannot be used or changed by the user. Global Templates - These load automatically whenever Word is open and must be saved in your startup folder. Workgroup Templates - These can be loaded manually.

User Templates - These can be loaded manually. Normal.dotm - This is loaded automatically whenever Word is opened. Word recognises five different types of template although one of these is used internally. Macros - These are available as long as the attached template can be found.Ĭustom Toolbars - These are available as long as the attached template can be found. Styles - These will stay with the document even if the attached template cannot be found.ĪutoText - Documents created from templates containing AutoText entries will not be copied to the document. The more information you can add to your templates the less you have to add to your documents.Īnything you can put into a document, you can also put into a template. Templates do not only reduce the time taken to create a new document but also let you create custom editing environments for specifc documents. The main advantage of using a template is clearly evident if you create the same document on a regular basis. What are the advantages of using a Template ? When you save a document as a Word template the three-letter extension of '.dot' is added to the end of the name instead of '.doc'. When you create a document the file that is created initially is just a copy of its template.Ī word template has the file extension ('.dot') and every document is based on a template. A template is a sample document that is used for the basis for a new document.Ī template determines the basic structure for a document and contains document specific settings such as fonts, styles, page layout, macros etc.

Best templates for word