Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007 and 2010. 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: Using AutoCorrect to Start Macros.

Using AutoCorrect to Start Macros

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 17, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007 and 2010


4

William asked if it was possible to somehow tie the macros within Word to AutoCorrect entries. In that way, if an AutoCorrect entry is generated, then a macro could be started to process text or fill in information more complex than what a regular AutoCorrect entry allows.

Unfortunately there is no way to tie the two together. The closest feature within Word is the ability to set up shortcut keys for initiating macros. Exactly how you do this is discussed other issues of WordTips.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9446) applies to Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Using AutoCorrect to Start Macros.

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. ...

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What is eight more than 3?

2023-06-17 11:31:55

Michael

Can this be faked with a content control event?
1) autocorrect inserts a building block
2) building block is a content control
3) contentcontrolafteradd is an event that can trigger a macro


2023-03-17 11:59:09

Graham

Could the 'Running Macros Based on Keywords' tip help here?
https://wordribbon.tips.net/T012375_Running_Macros_Based_on_Keywords.html
I haven't tried it, but I thought the macro there could be tweaked to suit? I may have missed the point, of course!


2014-08-30 19:10:46

Beverly

I use Word Autocorrect extensively as I am a transcriptionist for a Court Reporter. I use it as a text expander and it works great for this. I not only set up specific characters for specific words or often repeated phrases such as "idk" is short for " I don't know ". I leave of the caps because it may be in the middle of another sentence or phrase needing other punctuation. I have also set a keyboard shortcut key to open Autocorrect dialogue box. This way I can add words or phrases on the fly when typing a new document with different repeated names, phrases, etc. to open the Autocorrect dialog I use ctrl+1 but anything you are comfortable with works fine. I stay away from the function keys because word already has most of those used.
I have found this to be much quicker than the Autotext in Word or the Quick-words in WP.
To date my autocorrect dictionary is in excess of 100 pages when printed. And most of those have been put in over the past 5 years a few at a time from different documents. It's easier to add a few at a time and it becomes second nature to type the two or three or more characters to get the text you want memorized by your hands when a specific word or phrase comes up.
I can give more info on how I set the words up if you want.


2013-06-17 11:18:26

Ray

Shame. Word Perfect has "Quick Correct", analogous to Word's Autocorrect, and "Quick Words", which functions the way William is asking Word to do. This was a major reason I stuck with WP for the longest time.


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