Leading the way in Microsoft Office Development

Step 1 - What are Global Templates ?

These are templates whose styles and other settings are available to all the open documents.

These templates are available every time Word is open.

Global templates are useful if you want to distribute any customisations.

Only the global templates that are saved in the startup folder will be loaded automatically when Word is opened.

Global templates are not "attached" to any specific document.

The Normal.dot is an example of a global template and is the only default template that is loaded automatically when Word opens.

Step 2 - Advantages of a Global Template

You might create a global template for any of the following reasons:

1) To ensure a set of macros, styles, autotext etc is available for all documents currently open in a single session (but not for all sessions).

2) When you want to use a set of third party macros on your document without copying them to your Normal.dot.

3) When you want to distribute your macros and customisations to other users.

When you work on a document, you can typically use only the settings stored in the template attached to that document or in the Normal template.

If you want to use any items that are stored in another template, you can load the other template as a global template.

Step 3 - Adding and Removing Global Template

You can add and remove Global templates at any time using the (Tools > Templates and Add-ins) dialog box.

A global template will remain loaded until it is either removed manually or you close Word.

Any global templates can be ticked and unticked as and when you need them.

After you have added a template, all items in that template are available until you close Word.

When you select an add-in the folder location where the add-in is stored is displayed at the bottom.

Add - Lets you add a new global template to the list of available global templates.

Remove - Global templates can be removed (and added) at any time. Clearing the check box only unloads the template temporarily.

Automatically update document styles - Updates the styles in the active document to match the styles in the attached template each time you open the document. Select this check box when you want to ensure that your document contains up-to-date style formatting.

Organiser - Opens the Organizer, in which you can copy individual styles, macros, AutoText entries, or toolbars from one document or template to another.

Step 4 - Permament Global Templates

To automatically load a template or add-in every time you start Word you need to save the template in the Word Startup folder.

If you put your templates in any other folder then they will only be loaded "on demand" and not automatically (step 3).

You can easily check the location of your startup folder by selecting (Tools > Options)(File Locations tab).

For more details on the startup folder(s), please refer to the File Locations page.

Remove - Global templates that are saved in the Word startup directory cannot be removed using this button (note that the button is disabled in the screen shot above). If you want to remove a global add-in (from the Word startup directory) you need to remove it using Windows Explorer.

Step 5 - Sharing a Global Template

If you have created a global template that is to be shared, you should use shortcuts to it in each user's Startup folder.

That way, any changes will automatically update everyone's Word.

If it is your own template and not shared you can either put it in your Startup folder or keep it elsewhere and use the shortcut to load it into Word.

Step 6 - Things to Remember

Templates can be stored anywhere either locally on your hard drive or on a networked drive.

Global templates that are saved in your startup folder are loaded in alphabetical order. (.dot then .wlll)

Global Templates are not loaded automatically. This is to ensure that you do not have access to any unnecessary templates. If you want them loaded automatically then you must save them in the Startup folder.

Loading a global template does not apply text that's contained in that template.