Quick Access Toolbars and Templates

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 6, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016

Stephen wonders if it is possible to save or somehow embed a customized Quick Access Toolbar into a template. He wants other users to immediately have access to his customized QAT when they create a new document based on the template.

The short answer is that this isn't directly possible—at least not as Stephen is probably envisioning. Quick Access Toolbars are, by default, stored in a file called Word.QAT if you are using Word 2007 or Word.OfficeUI if you are using a later version of Word. (You can use the search capabilities in Windows to locate the appropriate file on your system.)

Note that the QAT information is stored in its own file—it is not something that can be embedded in a document or a template. To associate a custom QAT with a template, what most developers do is to develop the VBA programming steps that, when executed, modify the user's QAT to include whatever tools necessary. This, as you can imagine, is no small undertaking. Combined with the need to "undo" the QAT changes when the user changes to a different document or when the user exits Word, it can be a downright monumental task.

If you decide you want to try your hand at developing a customized QAT and then making it work with a particular template, you can't go wrong by checking out this page on Greg Maxey's site:

http://gregmaxey.com/word_tip_pages/customize_ribbon_main.html

You'll want to study the entire article (and the links to which Greg calls attention), but pay particular attention to his third example, which deals with how to add your own commands to the QAT.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (402) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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