Quick Parts – the quickest way to insert reusable information in Word

Today I saw a question on an online forum where a user needed to insert the same name and address quite frequently into a Word document. The user had asked if a drop-down menu in Word would provide a quicker way to accomplish this task and so I’ve decided to use this as the topic of today’s post.

Firstly my response was no, not really. Although drop-down down menus are wonderful, they won’t really serve the purpose for this particular user. I would recommended the use of the Quick Parts within Microsoft Word where you can store pre-formatted blocks of text which you can then quickly and easily insert into your documents with a few clicks of the mouse.

Quick Parts allow you to easily insert reusable information in a document without having to type it each time. This can be used from simple information such as your contact details through to multiple paragraphs.

To set up a Quick Part, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word (I’m using Word 2016)
2. Type in the block of text you wish to save for future use

Tip: I use this feature for content which ranges from a long sentences through to multiple paragraphs. Essentially any text you include on a regular basis, you can use within Quick Parts.

3. Format the text in the way you will want it to be displayed
4. Now highlight the text/paragraph
5. Click the Insert tab
6. Now select the Quick Parts button

7. From the menu select Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery
8. The Create New Building Block dialog box will appear:

9. Change the name to something more suitable
10. Now click OK
11. Create a new document, or open an existing document where you want to insert this particular block of text
12. Select Insert > Quick Parts
13. You will see your entry listed along with a preview
14. Click on the entry to insert it into your document
15. Voila, the block of text is now inserted into your document

This is a nice easy way to quickly reuse content within Microsoft Word. Separate Quick Parts can also be created in Microsoft Outlook for use in email messages which can allow you to quickly build consistent responses to email enquiries you receive on a regular basis.