Word 2010 - How to create a fillable document from a boilerplate document

[sheaters]

I have boilerplate documents that I use on a regular basis. Each time I use one of these documents, I have to change certain parts of the document, but they are the same parts every time. And each change is located at several points in the document. For example, I need to enter a person's name in the first sentence of the multi-page document. The person's name is in the document several times. I'd like to be able to enter the person's name once and have the document automatically insert the name into all the spots in the document where the name is needed. There are several different parts of the document like this. Is there a way to create a document that fills certain parts when it is entered into the document once?

Hopefully, that makes sense.

[Charles Kenyon]

Originally Posted by sheaters

I have boilerplate documents that I use on a regular basis. Each time I use one of these documents, I have to change certain parts of the document, but they are the same parts every time. And each change is located at several points in the document. For example, I need to enter a person's name in the first sentence of the multi-page document. The person's name is in the document several times. I'd like to be able to enter the person's name once and have the document automatically insert the name into all the spots in the document where the name is needed. There are several different parts of the document like this. Is there a way to create a document that fills certain parts when it is entered into the document once?

Hopefully, that makes sense.

1. Make your documents templates. Templates in Microsoft Word That way, when you double click on one, it creates a new document with all of the content from the template.
2. You can use Document Property Content Controls as described in Greg Maxey's Repeating Data (Populating Multiple Like Fields)
3. That is the simplest method. Greg's article is long because it covers many options. Search for Document Property.
4. This would give you up to 15 content controls where changing something in one changes it in all of the like content controls.
5. Then restrict editing > No Changes and set exceptions for the Content Controls.

For other (harder) methods, see Making Forms with Microsoft Word.

[sheaters]

Thank you so much. That was a big help.