Building blocks are reusable pieces of content or other document parts that are stored in galleries. You can access and reuse the building blocks at any time. You can also save building blocks and distribute them with templates.

You can use AutoText, one type of building block, to store text or graphics that you want to use again, such as a standard contract clause or a long distribution list. Each selection of text or graphics is stored as an AutoText entry in the Building Blocks Organizer and is assigned a unique name that makes it easy for you to find the content when you want to use it.What do you want to do?

Create a reusable content building block

  1. Select the text or graphic that you want to store as a reusable building block.

    To store paragraph formatting - including indentation, alignment, line spacing, and pagination - with the entry, include the paragraph mark ( paragraph mark) in the selection.

    Note To view paragraph marks, on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click Show/Hide.

  2. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts, and then click Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. Or press ALT+F3.
  3. Fill out the information in the Create New Building Block dialog box:
    • Name Type a unique name for the building block.
    • Gallery Select the gallery that you want the building block to show up in.
    • Category Select a category, such as General or Built-In, or create a new category.
    • Description Type a description of the building block.
    • Save in Select the name of the template from the drop-down list.
    • Options Select Insert content in its own page to ensure the building block is placed on a separate page. Select Insert in own paragraph for content that should not become part of another paragraph, even if the user's cursor is in the middle of a paragraph. Select Insert content only for all other content.

Find and use a building block

  1. Click where you want to insert a building block in the document.
  2. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts, and then click Building Blocks Organizer.

    If you know the name of the building block, click Name to sort by name.

  3. Click Insert.

Change a content building block

You can change a building block by replacing it. You insert the building block, make the changes that you want, and then save the building block with the same name.

  1. Click where you want to insert the building block, such as an AutoText entry.
  2. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts, and then click Building Blocks Organizer.

    If you know the name of the building block, click Name to sort by name.

  3. Click Insert.
  4. Make the changes that you want to the building block.
  5. Select the revised text.

    To store paragraph formatting - including indentation, alignment, line spacing, and pagination - with the entry, include the paragraph mark ( paragraph mark) in the selection.

    Note To view paragraph marks, on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click Show/Hide.

  6. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts, and then click Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
  7. In the Create New Building Block dialog box, type the original name, category and gallery for the building block entry, and then click OK.

    To replace the original entry in the gallery, the name, category, and gallery must be the same as the original.

    Note You can add a building block to as many galleries as you want.

  8. Under Do you want to redefine the building block entry?, click Yes.

Rename a building block

  1. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts, and then click Building Blocks Organizer.
  2. Click the name of the building block that you want to rename, and then click Edit Properties.
  3. In the Modify Building Block dialog box, type a new name for the entry, and then click OK.
  4. Under Do you want to redefine the building block entry?, click Yes.

Save and distribute building blocks with a template

You can access and reuse building blocks at any time. You can also distribute building blocks with templates. For example, you can create a report template that provides your template users with two cover letter types to choose from when they create their own report based on your template.

  1. Create the template to which you want to add building blocks for template users to choose from.
  2. Save and close the template.
  3. Open the template.

    Keep the template open to which you want to add building block options for template users.

  4. Create the building blocks that you want to provide to your template users.

    When you fill out the information in the Create New Building Block dialog box, be sure to click the template name in the Save in box.

    Use the same Category name for all of the choices that you want users to have for a particular building block.

  5. In your template, click where you want to add a gallery of choices for users.
  6. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Building Block Gallery.
  7. In the Controls group, click Design Mode, and then click Properties.
  8. In the Title box, type the title that you want to display in the content control. For example, you might want to include an instructional title to users, such as First Name.
  9. Under Document Building Block Properties, select the gallery and category for the building blocks that you want users to choose from.
  10. Save and close the template.
  11. Distribute the template.

    When you send or make the template available to others, the building blocks that you saved with the template will be available in the galleries that you specified.