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: Editing Word's Built-in Commands.

Editing Word's Built-in Commands

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated February 4, 2017)

Word allows you not only to edit macros, but also to edit built-in commands. You can replace or augment these commands with your own macros. You can perform the editing by following these steps:

  1. Press Alt+F8. Word displays the Macro dialog box.
  2. Using the Macros In drop-down list, select Word Commands. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The Macros dialog box.

  3. Using the command list, locate and select the command you want to edit. Once selected, the name should appear not only in the list of commands, but also in the Macro Name box at the top of the dialog box.
  4. Using the Macros In drop-down list, select where you want your edited command to appear. For instance, you could select All Active Templates and Documents, or you could select a specific template or document name where your new command should be stored. The command name should still appear in the Macro Name box at the top of the dialog box.
  5. Click on Create. (The Create button will not be clickable until you perform step 4.) Word starts the VBA Editor and shows the program instructions that make up the built-in command. (Some commands may have many instructions and others may have none.)
  6. Make your changes to the command.
  7. Close the Editor window by clicking on the Close icon in the upper-right corner of the window.
  8. Save your changes, if prompted.

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 (11698) 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: Editing Word's Built-in Commands.

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

When you need to move a drawing object around your document, you use the mouse after you select the object. This tip ...

Discover More

Changing Text in a Comment

Word has a very powerful find-and-replace capability, but it can be a bit persnickety when it comes to changing text ...

Discover More

Easily Adding Blank Rows

Want to add a bunch of blank rows to your data and have those rows interspersed among your existing rows? Here's a quick ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Converting Strings to Numbers

When creating macros, you often need to convert a text string that contains numbers into actual numeric values. You do ...

Discover More

Changing a Macro Description

Part of documenting macros is to provide a good, succinct description of what they do. Changing the description of an ...

Discover More

Changing What Is Pasted in a Dialog Box

When you record a macro, Word very literally records what you do. This includes filling in various settings in dialog ...

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.

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

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}] 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 six minus 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.

Newest Tips
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.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2021 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.