How to Create a Template in Microsoft Word

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A template is a document that has been pre-formatted with placeholder text and other elements that you can use to create a new document with a similar layout and design. Templates are a handy way to create documents with a consistent look and feel, without having to start from scratch each time.

Microsoft Word comes with a number of built-in templates, but you can also create your own. In this article, we’ll show you how to create a template in Microsoft Word.

1. How to Save a Document as a Template for Windows

  1. Select File > Save As to save a file as a template.
  2. Select Computer or This PC in Office 2016 programs.
  3. Click Here to See an Image
  4. Enter a name for your template in the File name box.
    Click the template option in the Save as type list to access a basic template. Click Word Template in Word, for instance.

    Click Word Macro-Enabled Template if your document uses macros.
    Office automatically saves files to the Customs Office Templates folder.
  5. Click the Save button.

Tip: Click File > Options > Save and enter the folder and path you want to use in the Default personal templates location box to change the location of where your application automatically saves your templates. You can access the templates in that folder by selecting File > New > Personal after you have saved any new templates.

Edit your template

Open the template, make the desired changes, and then save it to update it.

  1. Choose File > Open.
  2. Computer or This PC should be clicked twice.
  3. Select My Documents from the drop-down menu and select the Custom Office Templates folder.
  4. Open by selecting your template.
  5. Then save and exit the template after making the desired changes.

Make a new template based on an existing one.

Click File > New > Custom, select your template, and then click “New” to begin a new document using your template.

Please take note that this button might read Personal rather than Custom if you’re using Office 2013.

Can I Use the Templates I have From Earlier Office versions?

You can still use templates you created in Office 2007 or earlier versions in Office 2013 and 2016. To make them accessible to your application, you must first move them into the Customs Office Templates folder. Use the Fix it tool to quickly move your templates.

2. How to Save a Document as a Template for McOS Newer Version

  1. Open the Word file you wish to use as a template.
  2. Select Save as Template from the File menu.
  3. You should enter the name of the new template in the Save As box.
  4. (Optional) Select a location to save the template in the Where box.
  5. Click Microsoft Word template (.dotx) or, if your document contains macros, click Microsoft Word Macro-Enabled template next to File Format (.dotm).
  6. Select Save.

Click Preferences in the Word menu, followed by File Locations under Personal Settings, to change the default location for Word to save your templates. Choosing User templates from the list under File Locations, followed by clicking on Modify. Type the new folder and path you want to use, and Word will save any new templates in that folder.

Create a new template based on another template

You can customize an existing template to make it even more useful. Update the template with static data, then save the document once more (as a template).

  1. Under File menu, click New from Template.
  2. To create a template that is similar to the one you selected, click Create.
  3. If you can’t find a template, you can use the Search All Templates box to look for it based on keywords.
  4. Make any changes you want to appear in all future documents based on the template, including adding, deleting, or changing any text, graphics, or formatting.
  5. Select Save as Template from the File menu.
  6. You should enter the name of the new template in the Save As box.
  7. (Optional) Select a location to save the template in the Where box.
  8. Click Microsoft Word template (.dotx) or, if your template has macros, click Microsoft Word Macro-Enabled template next to
  9. File Format.
  10. Select Save.

Click Preferences in the Word menu, then click Personal Settings, and then click File Locations to change the default location for Word to save your templates. Select User templates from the list under File Locations, then click Modify. Word will save any new templates in the folder you specify when you type the new folder and path you want to use.

Use Your Template to Create a New Document

Then, choose the desired template from the list of available options by clicking New from Template on the File menu.

Delete a template

  1. Open the /Users/username/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates folder in the Finder.
  2. You can delete templates by dragging them to the Trash.

3. How to Save a Document as a Template for MacOS 2011

  1. Open the file.
  2. Make any other changes you want to appear in all future documents based on the template, including adding, deleting, or changing any text, graphics, or formatting.
  3. Click Save As from the File menu.
  4. Click Word Template under the Format pop-up menu (.dotx).
  5. Enter the name you want to use for the new template in the Save As box, then click Save.
  6. The template is saved in /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Templates/My Templates unless you specify a different location.
  7. Click Close on the File menu.

Create a new folder called “My Templates” in the /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Templates/ folder using the Finder to organize templates.

It should be noted that the Library folder is by default hidden in Mac OS X 7 (Lion). Click the Go menu in the Finder, then keep holding down OPTION to display the Library folder.

Make a new template based on an existing one

An already created template can be changed to increase its effectiveness. Save the file once more after adding static information to the current template (as a template).

  1. Click New from the template on the Standard toolbar.
  2. Click All under the heading TEMPLATES in the left navigation pane.
  3. Note: If you can’t find a template, you can use the Search box to look for it using specific keywords.
  4. Choose after selecting a template that is comparable to the one you want to create.
  5. You can edit the template to include any text, graphics, or formatting you want, as well as any other changes you want to make to all future documents based on it.
  6. Click Save As on the File menu.
  7. Click Word Template in the Format pop-up menu (.dotx).
  8. Type the name you want to use for the new template in the Save As box, then click Save.

To organize templates, use the Finder to create a new folder in /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Templates/My Templates, and then save your template in the new folder.

Make a new document using a template.

  1. Click New from the template on the Standard toolbar.
  2. Click My Templates under TEMPLATES in the left navigation pane.
  3. Please take note that the folders you created to organize your templates are visible under My Templates. To view the templates, you must click the folder.
  4. Choose after clicking the newly created template.

Remove a template from My Templates

  1. Launch the Finder and navigate to /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Templates/My Templates. The Library folder is by default hidden if you are running Mac OS X 7 (Lion). In the Finder, click the Go menu while holding down OPTION to display the Library folder.
  2. To delete a template, drag it to the Trash.

4. Web

If you consider your current document to be a template, you can save it under a different name and use that name to base a new document on the one you currently have. When making a document of that nature, you should open your original in Word for the Web, select File > Save As, and then create a copy of it.

However, if you mean the templates that appear when you select File > New, then the answer is no; Word does not allow you to create those templates specifically for the web.

Do this instead:

Use the Open in Word command in Word for the web to open the document in Word on your desktop if you have the Word desktop application.

Make a template from there. You can use your template for new documents by selecting File > New in the Word desktop application. Additionally, Word for the Web can be used to edit documents that are stored online.

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