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: Changing Built-in Word Commands.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 22, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
Word allows you to easily customize different aspects of the program. One thing that you may not know you can customize is the commands used by Word internally. To change commands, all you need to do is name your macro with the same name as one of Word's built-in commands. For instance, if you want to replace the File command from the Insert menu with a command of your own making, all you need to do is name the new command InsertFile. (This is the special name by which Word knows that command.)
At some point you may want to retrieve the original command and not have your new command used any longer by Word. In this case, all you need to do is either delete the command or rename it to a different name. For instance, in the case of InsertFile, you could simply delete your macro of that name or rename it to some other name. Word then utilizes the internal command for InsertFile, without any more regard to the macro you once had with the same name.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8556) 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: Changing Built-in Word Commands.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
Got a macro that processes or uses styles? You definitely need to know how many styles Word has available in the ...
Discover MoreYou can make running macros very easy if you assign a shortcut key to the macro. This tip demonstrates how easy it is to ...
Discover MoreWhen processing a document with a macro, you may need to have the macro repaginate the text. It's easy to do using the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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:
Comments