How to add and change Content Controls in Microsoft Word

Content Controls in Microsoft Word offer a great way to automate your document creation. It also helps in organizing the content in a structured manner. These and many more features make Content controls easy to understand and use. So, let’s see how to add and change content controls in Word.

Add and change Content Controls in Word

Content controls mostly find their use in creating templates and forms as they provide flexibility in content placement. Also, depending on your preferences, you can prevent them from being edited or deleted. Here’s how!

1. Click File in Word.
2. Scroll down to Options.
3. Choose Customize Ribbon.
4. Select the Developer box.
5. Click OK.
6. To add a Content control, click Rich Text Content Control box.
7. Place the box at appropriate location, select Properties.
8. Add General Information.
9. Change Locking permissions.

How do you edit Rich Text Content Control?

Before proceeding with the steps to edit or Rich Text Content Control in Word, you’ll need to add the Developer tab to the Ribbon menu in Word.

For this, click the File tab on the Ribbon menu and choose Options.

When the Options window opens, navigate to Customize Ribbon.

Here, select the Developer box and hit the Ok button as shown in the image above.

Next, to add a Content control, click Rich Text Content Control box.

Place the box at the appropriate location, to create a template.

Then, select Properties under Controls block.

Add description like the title for the box, tags to be used, color for the box, etc.

You can also change Content controls by changing its locking permission (editing or deleting them) by checking/un-checking the following boxes.

• Content Controls cannot be deleted.
• Content Controls cannot be edited.

Similarly, you can choose to create a Drop-down List via Content controls.

How do I remove content control in Word?

If you would like to delete or remove Content controls in Word:

• Press Ctrl+A to select the entire document.
• Then, right-click a visible content control.
• Now, in the context menu that appears on your computer screen, click Remove Content Control.

What is a Rich Text Content control?

A block of rich text that can be formatted represents a Rich Text Content control. So, all the custom formatted text like pictures, tables and other such items can be included in this category.

Hope it helps!