Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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: Moving to the Start or End of the Real Document.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 10, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
In other issues of WordTips you learn how to use the HomeKey and EndKey methods to move to the beginning or end of a document within a VBA macro. These work great, provided the insertion point is within the main body of the document when the macro is executed. It doesn't always work as expected if the insertion point is someplace else, however.
For instance, if your insertion point is located in a header or footer, then HomeKey and EndKey will result in moving to the beginning or end of the header or footer, not the entire document. To make absolutely sure you go to where you expect in the document, this means you need to use a different VBA approach. The following code line will take you to the beginning of the document, regardless of your insertion point location:
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToSection, Which:=wdGoToFirst
Likewise, to jump to the end of the real document you can use the following:
ActiveDocument.Characters.Last.Select Selection.Collapse
The lack of elegance and symmetry between the two commands is unfortunate, but without knowing where the insertion point is located, these commands are safer than using HomeKey and EndKey alone.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13315) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Moving to the Start or End of the Real Document.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
Don't want a particular macro to be visible in the Macros dialog box? Once you understand the criteria that Word uses ...
Discover MoreDo you need to step through a table, cell by cell, in a macro? It's easy to do using the Move method, as described in ...
Discover MoreOne of the common things done in macros is to somehow "process" documents, which often means moving the insertion point ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2021-04-11 01:30:08
Ken Endacott
A neater way is to use bookmarks that Word predefines.
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToBookmark, Name:="\EndOfDoc"
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToBookmark, Name:="\StartOfDoc"
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 © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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