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 today’s topic where I will introduce you to Quick Parts in Microsoft Word.

Firstly my response to the question was no, not really. Drop-down menus are wonderful, but they won’t really serve the purpose for this particular user. Quick Parts allow you to save pre-formatted blocks of text and/or images which you can then quickly insert into any document with a few clicks of the mouse. It’s worth noting that there is also Quick Parts for Outlook which allows you to easily reuse text responses for email messages, see my article here.

Quick Parts allow you to easily insert reusable information in a document without having to type it each time. Use Quick Parts for simple information such as your contact details through to multiple paragraphs or content including visual elements such as images, photos, SmartArt, charts, shapes and more.

Save reusable information as a Quick Part

To set up a Quick Part, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word (I’m using Word 2016)
2. Type in the block of information you wish to save for future use, you can include the formatting you want to use and also an image if you prefer

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. Use the formatting tools to format your text appropriately or insert an image as I have above
4. Now highlight the entire block of information you want to save and reuse

5. Click the Insert tab and select the Quick Parts button
6. You can see in my Quick Parts I already have an image saved to reuse

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 so you can recognise it in the list
10. Click OK

Insert information from Quick Parts

1. Create a new document, or open an existing document where you want to insert this particular block of information
2. Select Insert > Quick Parts
3. You will see your entry listed along with a preview

4. Click on the entry to insert it into your document
5. Voila, the block of information 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.

Don’t forget to check out my other Microsoft Word articles here.