Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Store Common Addresses in AutoText Entries.

Store Common Addresses in Building Blocks

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 30, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365

If you write lots of letters, you'll appreciate this one. Store your common address—the ones to whom you write letters the most—in Building Blocks. In this way, you can input just the first (or last) name of the person you need, press F3, and have the address inserted at the top of your letterhead—sure beats typing it out all the time.

To define an address as a Building Block, follow these steps:

Select the paragraphs containing the address.
Press Alt+F3. Word displays the Create New Building Block dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Create New Building Block dialog box.

Replace the contents of the Name field with the name you want assigned to the address. For instance, use the last name of the person or the person's title.
Use the Gallery drop-down list to choose AutoText.
Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5932) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Store Common Addresses in AutoText Entries.

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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