Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: Editing a Template.
A template is Word's guide for how your document and working environment should appear. Depending on your version of Word, templates can contain information on the toolbar, ribbon, menus, macros, styles, default text, and any number of other environmental items.
Editing a template is much like editing a regular document; the only difference is that the file is saved with a different filename extension than regular documents. To load an existing template so that you can edit it, do the following:
You can now make any changes desired, and then save the template again. The changes affect any future documents you base on the template.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7334) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Editing a Template.
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2016-11-16 17:19:03
Digmen1
Hi
Great site!
Could you please add more detail as to how to save the template once you have edited it.
I have all sorts of problems when I try to do this.
Do you click on Save, or Save as?
2016-02-10 18:39:21
Philip Demson
I have an "old" macro, created back in the day. It is an awesome tool.
I open it, go to outlook, select the calendar I want, then come back and hit run and word imports all calendar data for day/week/month that I ask and autofills into a pre-formatted form. Great product but I cannot edit the prefilled header. So I was given this template document as a hand-me-down but I have no idea how to modify the name and title on top.
There's a work around, but I'd like to learn how to fix this macro so it is cleaner.
2015-12-29 20:53:00
Fred
@John Beckett
Click on "Personal" to see templates you've made.
2015-08-22 00:13:11
Stephen Gray
I cant find a file named normal.dotm or normal.(anything) anywhere on my computer except a couple that contain 0 bytes. What am I doing wrong?
2015-08-17 17:13:52
John Beckett
Thanks for the template Editing advice - I made good use of it. I would like to be able to SAVE my resulting template in the list of templates when I am offered a new document design. Can anyone give tips or instructions on how to do that please ?
John B
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.
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: 
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