Hi, I have a similar need which this macro almost works for (but not quite!)



1. Is there a way to retain the paragraph format & numbering when the search results are compiled in the new document? For context, the documents I am using this to search are parts of contracts, so maintaining the references for each paragraph is important. Currently when pasting the search results it currently resets the numbering to 1.1.1 etc. rather than maintain the source numbering.

2. How do I modify this to work even where a portion of the search document is a table? (structured as term in column one, definition in second column)

3. Is there a way to run the search using terms in an Excel document, and specifying a folder with several Word docs, and asking it to loop through the Word docs in that folder, performing the search? This would mean the results would need the title of the document to appear before the results from that document are compiled.


OR does all of this make it too distinct from the original ask, and should I post a new thread? Apologies, my first time here!

Indeed it does - and you should.

With requirements as complex as yours, you'd do better to make a copy of the original document, then delete anything you don't want. The basic process would be:
1. Format all content as hidden text;
2. Find the desired content and unhide both that and the corresponding paragraph mark;
3. Convert all numbering to static numbering;
4. Find all hidden text and delete it; and
5. Optionally, delete all empty table rows.
There are plenty of threads here for each step. See, for example:
https://www.msofficeforums.com/125920-post3.html
https://www.msofficeforums.com/142904-post15.html
https://www.msofficeforums.com/34254-post4.html
https://www.msofficeforums.com/156087-post3.html

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]