Formatting a SEQ Field Number

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 27, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021

Jim needs to create a four-digit incrementing number, such as 0001, 0002, etc. He thought a SEQ field would be good for this purpose, but he has no idea how to format a SEQ field number so it always uses four digits.

The key to doing this is to use a special switch as part of the SEQ field. Here's how a SEQ field normally looks when you place it in a document:

{ SEQ MyList \* MERGEFORMAT }

You'll need to modify the field so that it looks this way:

{ SEQ MyList \# "0000" \* MERGEFORMAT }

The \* switch indicates that whatever follows it should act as the pattern for the sequence returned by the field. This will ensure that the sequence will use four digits, just as Jim needs.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13047) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021.

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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