Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: Formatting Text in Custom Document Properties.
Mark asked if there is a way to apply character-level formatting (bold, italic, etc.) to text that is stored in a custom document property. The short answer is that there is no way to do this. There is, however, a way to apply formatting the field used to insert the document property into the body of your document. Follow these steps:
The above steps result in the document property being formatted with the same characteristic that you applied to the first character in step 3. If the document property has more than one word in it, you should realize that the formatting will only be applied to the first word in the result.
This, of course, won't help you if you need a more granular level of formatting. For instance, if the document property is a single-word company trademark and the first four characters are in regular type and the last five are in bold, then that level of formatting cannot be done through either document properties or in the field used to insert the document property.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13259) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Formatting Text in Custom Document Properties.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
When you choose to open a file, Word normally displays only those files that end with the .DOCX or .DOCM extensions. If ...
Discover MoreThere are a variety of methods you can use to get a list of files into a Word document. This tip examines a couple of ...
Discover MoreDon't you love all the acronyms used in computer terminology? One such acronym--"pertinent to Word users--"is MRU. This ...
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, and 2013. 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