Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 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: Adding an AutoText Entry.

Creating a Building Block

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 12, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365


To get the most out of Word's Building Blocks you will want to customize it to help with words and phrases that you use most. You can add Building Blocks in this manner:

  1. Select the text and/or graphics for which you want to create a Building Block. You will need to select the paragraph marker as well if you want to store paragraph formatting with the text.
  2. Press Alt+F3. Word displays the Create New Building Block dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Create New Building Block dialog box.

  4. Replace the suggested name with the desired name for your new entry.
  5. Click on the OK button.

Those four steps are the simplest way to create your Building Block. If you take a look at the Create New Building Block dialog box again, you'll notice that there are quite a few items you can change besides the name for the Building Block. For instance, you may want to change which gallery the Building Block is stored in and the category you want to use to classify it.

After working with Building Blocks for a while, you many need to change some of your entries. Fortunately, Word makes it really easy to change your Building Blocks. Follow the steps outlined for adding entries, and when you click on OK, you will be asked if you want to redefine the Building Block entry. Click on Yes and you will be able to use the new entry.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8223) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Adding an AutoText Entry.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Copying and Moving Footnotes

Want to get your footnotes from one place to another in a document, or even from one document to another document? It's ...

Discover More

Checking for Incorrect Numbers in Text

One of the grammar rules you can check for in a document is the incorrect use of numbers. If you are unsure when to use ...

Discover More

Pausing Macros for User Input

Does your macro need to get some input from a user? Here are the ways that Excel provides for that input to be solicited.

Discover More

Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Printing a List of Building Blocks

Building Blocks are a great way to semi-automate the creation of common documents. At some point you may want to get a ...

Discover More

Specifying a Default Building Block Location

When you create a Building Block in Word, it is saved in a particular location by default. If you want to change that ...

Discover More

Quick Recall of Table Formats

Got a table that you use over and over again? One way you can make quick work of such repetition is to save the table in ...

Discover More
Subscribe

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.

What is five more than 3?

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.

Videos
Subscribe

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

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.