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: Editing an AutoText Entry.

Editing a Building Block Entry

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 17, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


Other issues of WordTips have focused on the Building Block feature of Word. Once you have defined your Building Block entries, you might need to edit them later. There is no special editing feature for Building Block entries in Word, however. The best way to edit a Building Block entry is to follow these general steps:

  1. Insert the Building Block entry in a document.
  2. Make your changes to the text or graphic that you inserted.
  3. Select the text or graphic that you want in the Building Block entry.
  4. Add the Building Block entry, using the same name as before.

When you perform these steps, Word asks you if you want to redefine your existing Building Block entry. When you respond positively, Word replaces the old (incorrect) entry with the new (edited) 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 (11694) 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: Editing 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

Moving Drawing Objects

Add a drawing object to a worksheet and chances are good you'll need to move it in some way. Here's how to use the mouse ...

Discover More

Creating Default Formatting for Workbooks and Worksheets

Not satisfied with the way that default workbooks and worksheets look in Excel? You can easily create your own defaults ...

Discover More

Error Generated when Trying to Copy a Worksheet

How successful you are in copying information in Excel depends on lots of issues. This tip examines how those issues can ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Moving Building Blocks

Building blocks are a sort of "extended" AutoText introduced in Word 2007. As you work with building blocks, you may ...

Discover More

Extra Spaces after Inserting a Building Block

Building blocks are a great tool for inserting standard information in your documents. It is also possible, however, to ...

Discover More

Creating a Building Block

Creating custom Building Block entries is not only extremely helpful, but very easy. This tip explains how.

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 2 + 8?

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.