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: Changing ToolTips for a Macro Button.

Changing ToolTips for a Macro Button

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 15, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016

Calvin has a number of custom buttons on his Quick Access Toolbar (QAT). The buttons in question are assigned to macros. He would like to change the ToolTip that appears when the mouse pointer is hovered over the buttons. He wonders how to go about changing the ToolTip associated with a macro button on the QAT.

Changing the ToolTip is rather easy in Word. All you need to do is follow these steps:

Right-click the button on the QAT. Word displays a Context menu.
Choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar. Word displays the Word Options dialog box.
At the right side of the dialog box click on the macro whose ToolTip you want to modify.
Click the Modify button. Word displays the Modify Button dialog box.
Change the Display Name setting to whatever you want the ToolTip to be.
Click OK to close the Modify Button dialog box.
Click OK to close the Word Options dialog box.

It's important to note that you can only modify macros in this way, not any of the other buttons that Word provides.

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 (10509) 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: Changing ToolTips for a Macro Button.

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

Copying and Pasting Non-Contiguous Ranges of Cells

Excel makes it easy to copy and paste a range of cells. Easy, that is, unless the range isn't contiguous. If you have a ...

Discover More

Answering Questions in Order

It is not unusual to use Excel to gather the answers to users' questions. If you want your users to answer your questions ...

Discover More

WordTips Ribbon 2023 Archive (Table of Contents)

WordTips is a weekly newsletter that provides tips on how to best use Microsoft's word processing software. At ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Controlling the Italic Text Attribute

If you are formatting your document by using a macro, you may need to make some of your text italics. You do that by ...

Discover More

Repaginating Your Document in a Macro

When processing a document with a macro, you may need to have the macro repaginate the text. It's easy to do using the ...

Discover More

Quickly Clearing Array Contents

An array of variables is a powerful element of VBA programming. If you want to clear what is stored in an array, here's a ...

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 5 - 0?

2024-04-16 13:40:20

Barry

When modifying (or creating new macro entries) on the QAT is it possible to access other symbols in addition to those displayed. Or just modify the existing ones by adding one or two letters to the blank coloured squares?
Thanks.

2019-04-24 11:06:13

Manuros72

Is there a version of this for Word 365?

2017-05-11 07:50:07

mkamoski

Did not work. Excel 2013. When I rollover the mouse on the custom macro button on the Quick Access Toolbar, there is no tooltip.

2016-11-15 19:52:03

Jaime

Hi Allen, how can I change the ToolTip/ScreenTip for a custom macro Ribbon command?

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.