How to use fields inside Word, that automatically update when changed by user

Question

How to use fields inside Word, that automatically update when changed by user

Anonymous

A few times a year, I have occasion to send out letters (saved as PDF to email as attachments) confirming that Person X did A/B/C.

The letters are in a formal style.

So, at the outset, it identifies Person X, and then refers to them by their full title all the way through the letter again.

I want to insert “fields” for each time Person X is mentioned in the letter.
The idea being that I enter Person X once, and this then automatically updates all the other instances.
(Or, when I change the first instance to Person Y, then all the later instances will change to reflect Person Y accordingly.)

And it's not only for the {name}, i.e Person X.

In the same letter, I would repeat {Title}, {Name}, {Surname} and {DateOfActivity} – and these are not necessarily available in a different document (the data is ad hoc in nature, and varies from month to month).

So, Find/Replace is not feasible – and don't need to pull info in from elsewhere – I just want to change a single (or multiple) fields once in a single document, and have those changes reflect automatically in all the other places where those fields appear.

Somewhere in the past, I could get this to work. Now, I’m struggling. I don’t know what to search for.

This doesn’t appear to be Autotext. Or a Bookmark. And “fields” seem to be limited to a series of existing ones, inside of Word.
It might be something required from inside the Developer tab (which I have activated)?

Can someone please confirm what "feature" this is, or how to do this?

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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4 answers

Answer 1

John Korchok 231.4K Volunteer Moderator

There are many ways to accomplish your goal. Here is Greg Maxey's page with 9 different ways to have repeating data from one entry.

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Answer 2

There's no lack of options for the Mac platform. Methods 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 are available to any Mac user. Method 1 can be used if you use a VBA InputBox for user input, or if you have temporary access to the Windows version to create a userform. Method 7 is available if you use VBA to insert content controls.

For specifics of using the methods on a Mac, do a search on a method name and include for Mac in your search terms. Or post your question on this forum, if you need further help.

Answer 3

Thank you John! Hopefully future users will find that resource useful as well – certainly comprehensive.

Unfortunately, that seems to be aimed at PC/Windows users. Most (if not all) of what I see there, is not available to a Word for Mac user.

At least, not from what I can see – seems to cater for MS Word, up to and including 2013?

I'm running the following:

Microsoft® Word for Mac

Version 16.63.1 (22071301)

Licence: Microsoft 365 Subscription

Answer 4

The best way to do this is with mapped content controls, IMO.

Repeating Data Using Document Property Content Controls and Other Mapped Content Controls

This can be done on a Mac, but the simplest way to do it is to set your templates up using a Windows version. They will still work on a Mac.

Here is a link to a document with the built-in document property content controls that can be copied and pasted on a Mac: Mac Content Controls Document - Experimental

See also John's page: Content Controls for macOS by John Korchok

You can always use legacy formfields set to calculate on exit with bookmark names and use Ref fields to those bookmarks. That is one of the methods on Greg's page.

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How to use fields inside Word, that automatically update when changed by user

4 answers