Creating a Microsoft Word Template

About this task

A Microsoft Word template is created using the Microsoft Word application. Therefore, Microsoft Word template creation requires Microsoft Word application knowledge. As part of Microsoft Word template creation, fields are inserted into the template as placeholders that will be replaced with variable data that is specific to a correspondent, when the communication is created.

Note, that once a Microsoft Word communication is created from a template, the correspondent-specific data becomes part of the communication itself. For example, if the Microsoft Word template includes variables for the correspondent's name and address, the correspondent's actual name and address, rather than the variables, are stored as the communication text.

To insert a field in a Microsoft Word template that will be replaced with the variable data returned from the server, complete the following steps:

Procedure

  1. Open a new Microsoft Word document. Note that this document must be opened independent of the application, i.e., locally.
  2. Create new custom Document Properties fields (As per Sample Microsoft Word Template Content below, create the following fields: AddressLine1, AddressLine2, AddressLine3, personName, userName).
  3. Insert the field you created into the template as follows:
    1. Click where you want to insert a field.
    2. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts, and then click Field.
    3. In the Categories list, select the Document Information category
    4. In the Field names list, select DocProperty and select the field you created from the Field Property list.

Results

When the placeholders for the variable data have been inserted as fields in the Microsoft Word template, the content of the body of the communication that will remain the same for all communications that are generated using this template can be added to the document directly. The file is then saved as a normal Microsoft Word document and can be browsed for and uploaded in the standard fashion using the application.

For more information on browsing and uploading Microsoft Word templates, see Managing Microsoft Word Templates.

Parent topic: Inserting Fields into a Microsoft Word Template