Inserting a Dynamic Line Count

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 4, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

Barry can use fields to insert document information such as the number of characters, words, and pages in a document. He wonders if there is a field (or some other way) to dynamically insert the number of lines in a document.

All of the document information cited by Barry (characters, words, and pages) are inserted into a document using fields. These fields are dynamic in that they can be updated in various ways and at various times. (The way fields are updated has been covered in numerous other WordTips.)

To answer Barry's question directly, it is possible to insert the number of lines into your document using a field. Here's how:

Position the insertion point where you want to insert the value of the custom property.
Make sure the Insert tab of the ribbon is displayed.
Click the Quick Parts tool in the Text group. You'll see a list of options.
Choose Field. Word displays the Field dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Field dialog box.

In the list of Categories, choose Document Information.
In the list of Field Names, choose DocProperty.
In the Property list, scroll down and choose the Lines option.
Click on OK. Word inserts the number of lines in your document.

You should understand that there can be lots of "fudge factor" when it comes to counting lines in a document. The reason for this has to do with the content of your document and how you have it formatted. Greg Maxey provides a great discussion (and some solutions) about line count issues at his website:

https://gregmaxey.com/word_tip_pages/count_lines_of_text.html

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13720) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

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. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Selecting Random Names

Got a tone of names from which you need to select a few random names? There are several ways you can extract what you ...

Discover More

Getting the Name of the Worksheet Into a Cell

Excel allows you to change the names assigned to the worksheets in a workbook. If you want to have those names appear in ...

Discover More

Undoing an Edit

We all make mistakes. Fortunately, Excel makes it rather easy to undo your makes, right after you make them.

Discover More

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!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Transposing Two Characters

If you have two characters in the wrong order, you might be interested in a shortcut you can use to switch their order. ...

Discover More

Automatically Selecting Words

When editing a document, Word normally selects entire words as you use the mouse to select text. This tip explains why ...

Discover More

Jumping to a Specific Page

Want to jump to a particular page in your document? Word makes it easy; just pull up the Go To tab of the Find and ...

Discover More

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.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is eight more than 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.