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: Entering a Name in the Header of a Locked Form.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 20, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Lynn has created a four-page form in Word. After locking the form, she would like the person completing it to enter his name in the NAME field inside a header so that his name will appear at the top of each of the pages of his completed form. Word tells her she can't do this, but she can't help but wonder if there is a workaround.
The header (as Lynn found out) is not accessible in a locked form. While a macro could be written to allow access to the header in some manner, such an approach would be overkill. The only reasonable workaround would be to follow these general steps:
That's it. When the user enters in his name, Word automatically updates the StyleRef field in the header to include that name. More information on the StyleRef field can be found elsewhere in this issue, on the WordTips site (simply look for StyleRef in the Search box on any page), or at the following page:
http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com/StyleRef.htm
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13388) 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: Entering a Name in the Header of a Locked Form.
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!
Word allows you to create forms and then export the data from those forms into files that can be used by other programs. ...
Discover MoreAre you developing a form with Word? In some instances it is advantageous to copy whatever is entered in a form field to ...
Discover MoreWhen you create a form, you need to use special form fields. If you want to limit what users can enter in a form field, ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-03-08 08:13:02
Anne
Hi,
As you stated above, "When the user enters in his name, Word automatically updates the StyleRef field in the header to include that name." My problem is that it does not automatically update/appear in the Header until I Save the document and if I want to remove the info in the Header, I again have to Save the document. This is fairly new (3-4 months), as I never had to Save the document before.
Please let me know if you've come across this before and if so, can it be fixed?
2018-05-21 11:04:16
Bill Eger
can you send me the tip on creating a form field? I've tried every variation I can think of to search it but all tips are about form fields already existing .
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