In Word, you can automate frequently used tasks by creating and running macros. A macro is a series of commands and instructions that you group together as a single command to accomplish a task automatically.
To save time on tasks you do often, bundle the steps into a macro. First, you record the macro. Then you can run the macro by clicking a button on the Quick Access Toolbar or pressing a combination of keys. It depends on how you set it up.
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Click View > Macros > Record Macro.
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Type a name for the macro.
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To use this macro in any new documents you make, be sure the Store macro in box says All Documents (Normal.dotm).
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To run your macro when you click a button, click Button.
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Click the new macro (it’s named something like Normal.NewMacros.<your macro name>), and click Add.
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Click Modify.
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Choose a button image, type the name you want, and click OK twice.
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Now it’s time to record the steps. Click the commands or press the keys for each step in the task. Word records your clicks and keystrokes.
: Use the keyboard to select text while you’re recording your macro. Macros don’t record selections made with a mouse.
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To stop recording, click View > Macros > Stop Recording.
The button for your macro appears on the Quick Access Toolbar.
To run the macro, click the button.
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Click View > Macros > Record Macro.
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Type a name for the macro.
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To use this macro in any new documents you make, be sure the Store macro in box says All Documents (Normal.dotm).
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To run your macro when you press a keyboard shortcut, click Keyboard.
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Type a combination of keys in the Press new shortcut key box.
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Check to see whether that combination’s already assigned to something else. If it's already assigned, try a different combination.
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To use this keyboard shortcut in any new documents you make, be sure the Save changes in box says Normal.dotm.
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Click Assign.
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Now it’s time to record the steps. Click the commands or press the keys for each step in the task. Word records your clicks and keystrokes.
: Use the keyboard to select text while you’re recording your macro. Macros don’t record selections made with a mouse.
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To stop recording, click View > Macros > Stop Recording.
To run the macro, press the keyboard shortcut keys.
To run a macro, click the button on the Quick Access Toolbar, press the keyboard shortcut, or you can run the macro from the Macros list.
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Click View > Macros > View Macros.
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In the list under Macro name, click the macro you want to run.
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Click Run.
To make a macro from one document available in all new documents, add it to the Normal.dotm template.
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Open the document that contains the macro.
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Click View > Macros > View Macros.
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Click Organizer.
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Click the macro you want to add to the Normal.dotm template, and click Copy.
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Click File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
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Under Choose commands from, click Macros.
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Click the macro you want.
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Under Customize the ribbon, click the tab and custom group where you want to add the macro.
If you don't have a custom group, click New Group. Then click Rename and type a name for your custom group.
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Click Add.
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Click Rename to choose an image for the macro and type the name you want.
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Click OK twice.
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On the Developer tab, in the Code group, click Macros.
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In the Macro name box, type a name for the macro.
: If you give a new macro the same name as a built-in macro in Word, the new macro actions will replace the built-in macro. To view a list of built-in macros, click Word Commands in the Macros in list.
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In the Macros in list, click the template or document in which you want to store the macro.
To make your macro available in all documents, be sure to click Normal.dotm.
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Click Create to open the Visual Basic Editor.
After you open the Visual Basic Editor, you may want more information about working with Visual Basic for Applications. For more information, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu or press F1.
To make quick work of tasks that you do often, in the desktop version of Word you can bundle the steps into macros that run with a single click. In Word for the web, you have to step through such tasks manually.
If you have Word, first click Open in Word to open your document in Word.
Then follow the instructions for the desktop version of Word.
When you run the macro in Word and save the document, you’ll see the results of the macro when you reopen your doc in Word for the web.
