How To Modify Excel Template

Whether you're starting from a congenital-in template or updating one of your ain, Word's built-in tools help you update templates to suit your needs. To update your template, open the file, make the changes you want, and then save the template.

Click File > Open.
Double-click This PC. (In Word 2013, double-click Computer).
Browse to the Custom Office Templates binder that's under My Documents.
Click your template, and click Open.
Make the changes yous want, so relieve and close the template.

Edifice templates

Add building blocks to a template
Add content controls to a template
- Add together content controls
- Insert a text control where users tin can enter text
  - Insert a film control
  - Insert a combo box or a driblet-down list
  - Insert a date picker
  - Insert a check box
  - Insert a building block gallery control
- Set or change the properties for content controls
Add instructional text to a template
Add protection to a template
- Add protection to parts of a template
- Assign a password to a template

Add together building blocks to a template

Edifice blocks are reusable pieces of content or other document parts that are stored in galleries to be accessed and reused at any time. You tin too save building blocks and distribute them with templates.

For instance, you may create a report template that provides your template users with two cover letter types to cull from when they create their own report based on your template.

Add content controls to a template

Brand your templates flexible by adding and configuring content controls, such equally rich text controls, pictures, drop-down lists, or engagement pickers.

For case, you might create a template that includes a drop-downwards list. If you allow editing to the drop-down list, other people can change the list options to come across their needs.

Notation: If content controls are not bachelor, yous may accept opened a document or a template that was created in an before version of Word. To use content controls, you must convert the certificate to the Give-and-take 2013 file format by clicking File > Info > Catechumen, and then clicking OK. Afterward you convert the document or template, save it.

Before yous can add content controls, you need to show the Developer tab.

Click File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
Under Customize the Ribbon, select Main Tabs.
In the list, select the Programmer check box, and and so click OK.

Turning on the Developer tab in the Word ribbon

Add content controls

On the Developer tab, in the Controls grouping, click Design Fashion, and so insert the controls that you want.

developer mode design button

Insert a text control where users can enter text

In a rich text content control, users can format text as assuming or italic, and they can type multiple paragraphs. If you want to limit what users add, insert the plain text content control.

In the certificate, click where you want to insert the command.
On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Rich Text Content Control or the Plain Text Content Control .

Insert a moving picture control

Click where you want to insert the command.
On the Developer tab, in the Controls grouping, click Film Control .

Insert a combo box or a drib-down list

In a combo box, users can select from a list of choices that you provide or they tin can type in their own data. In a drop-down list, users tin can only select from the list of choices.

On the Programmer tab, in the Controls group, click the Combo Box Content Control or Drop-Down List Content Control .
Select the content command, and so on the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Properties.
To create a list of choices, click Add under Combo Box Properties or Drib-Downwards List Properties.
Blazon a selection in the Brandish Name box, such as Yes, No, or Perhaps. Repeat this step until all of the choices are in the drop-downwardly listing.
Fill in any other properties that yous want.

Note: If you select the Contents cannot be edited check box, users won't be able to click a selection..

Insert a engagement picker

Click where y'all desire to insert the date picker control.
On the Programmer tab, in the Controls grouping, click the Date Picker Content Command .

Insert a cheque box

Click where you want to insert the check box command.
On the Developer tab, in the Controls grouping, click the Cheque Box Content Control .

Insert a building block gallery command

You can use building block controls when y'all want people to choose a specific block of text.

For instance, building block controls are helpful if you're setting up a contract template, and you need to add unlike boilerplate text depending on the contract's specific requirements. Y'all can create rich text content controls for each version of the boilerplate text, and so you can use a edifice cake gallery control as the container for the rich text content controls.

You tin also use a building block control in a form.

Click where you want to insert the control.
On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Edifice Block Gallery Content Control .
Click the content control to select it.
On the Programmer tab, in the Controls grouping, click Properties.
Click the Gallery and the Category for the building blocks that you want to brand bachelor in the building block command.

Ready or modify the properties for content controls

Select the content command, and click Properties in the Controls group.
In the Content Control Properties dialog box, choose whether the content control tin can be deleted or edited when someone uses your template.
To continue several content controls or even a few paragraphs of text together, select the controls or the text, and and then click Group in the Controls grouping.

For example, peradventure you have a 3-paragraph disclaimer. If you lot utilize the Group command to group the three paragraphs, the three-paragraph disclaimer cannot be edited and can be deleted simply as a group.

Add instructional text to a template

Instructional text can enhance the usability of the template that you create. You lot tin can modify the default instructional text in content controls.

To customize the default instructional text for your template users, do the following:

On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Design Mode.
Click the content control where you want to revise the placeholder instructional text.
Edit the placeholder text and format it any way yous desire.
On the Developer tab, in the Controls grouping, click Design Mode to plough off the design feature and save the instructional text.

Add together protection to a template

You tin add protection to individual content controls in a template to help preclude someone from deleting or editing a particular content control or group of controls, or you tin can aid protect all of the template content with a password.

Add protection to parts of a template

Open the template that you desire to add protection to.
Select the content controls to which you want to restrict changes.

Tip: Select multiple controls by holding down the CTRL key while you click the controls.
On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Group, and and then click Group once more.
On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Properties.
In the Content Command Properties dialog box, under Locking, exercise whatsoever of the following:
- Select the Content control cannot be deleted check box, which allows the content of the control to be edited merely the control itself cannot be deleted from the template or a document that is based on the template.
- Select the Contents cannot exist edited check box, which allows you to delete the command just does not allow you to edit the content in the control.

Use this setting when yous want to protect text if information technology is included. For example, if you frequently include a disclaimer, you tin assist ensure that the text stays the same, and you can delete the disclaimer for documents that don't require it.

Assign a password to a template

To assign a password to the document so that only reviewers who know the countersign can remove the protection, do the following:

Open up the template that you want to assign a password to.
On the Review tab, in the Protect group, click Restrict Editing.
Under Start enforcement, click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.
Blazon a password in the Enter new countersign (optional) box, and so confirm the password.

Important: If you choose not to utilize a password, anyone tin modify your editing restrictions.

Use strong passwords that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Weak passwords don't mix these elements. Strong password: Y6dh!et5. Weak password: House27. Passwords should be at least 8 characters long. In general, longer a password is, the more secure it is.

It is critical that you retrieve your password. If you forget your countersign, Microsoft cannot retrieve information technology. Shop the passwords that you write downward in a secure place away from the information that they help protect.