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...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Controlling Entry Order on Unprotected Cells

When you protect a worksheet, one of the benefits is that you can limit which cells can be used for data entry. How a ...

Discover More

Problems with TOC Styles

If you generate a table of contents for your document, there may be some unexpected surprises in the way the TOC appears. ...

Discover More

Importing Based on a Partial File Name

A common task for macros is to open and process a file you want imported into your workbook. If you need to identify the ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Changing Fonts for AutoText Entries

If you use AutoText entries a lot, you may wonder if you can change the formatting stored with your existing entries. The ...

Discover More

Restoring AutoText Entries via Macro

AutoText has been a powerful feature in Word for decades. If you've spent countless hours developing your AutoText ...

Discover More

Printing AutoText Entries

If you want to print a list of the AutoText entries on your system, you can do so quickly by making one change on the ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is seven more than 2?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.