How to Edit Content Control in Word (Text, Properties, and Locks)

To edit a content control in Word, first decide what you want to change. To change the answer inside it, just click the control and type or pick an option. To change its placeholder text, turn on Design Mode on the Developer tab. To change its title, list items, color, or locks, select the control and choose Developer > Properties. If nothing responds, the control is probably locked or the document has editing restrictions turned on.

These steps are for Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, 2019, and 2016 on Windows, where the full set of content control tools is available. Word for Mac has a Developer tab too, but its controls and menus differ. Word for the web does not include the Developer tab, so open the file in the desktop app to change a control’s settings.

What a content control is

A content control is a box in a Word form or template that holds one piece of information, such as a name, a date, or a choice from a list. When you click one, Word shows a border and, if it has one, a title tab. Common types include:

• Rich Text and Plain Text controls for typed answers
• Drop-Down List and Combo Box controls for picking from a list
• Date Picker, Check Box, and Picture controls

Text boxes, table cells, and older legacy form fields can look similar but are edited differently. If Properties opens a dialog titled Content Control Properties, you have the right kind of object.

Show the Developer tab

You need the Developer tab to change anything beyond the answer itself.

1. Go to File > Options.
2. Select Customize Ribbon.
3. Under Main Tabs on the right, check Developer.
4. Select OK. The Developer tab now appears on the ribbon and stays there.

Our guide to enabling the Developer tab in Word also covers the Mac steps.

Change a control’s placeholder text

Placeholder text is the gray prompt, such as “Click or tap here to enter text,” that shows until someone fills in the control. You can’t change it in the Properties dialog. Use Design Mode instead.

1. On the Developer tab, select Design Mode. Tags appear at the start and end of each control.
2. Click inside the placeholder text of the control you want to change.
3. Type your new prompt, such as “Enter your employee ID.” To keep the placeholder’s formatting, click after the first character, type your new text, then delete the old words around it.
4. Format the text if you like, for example with italics.
5. Select Design Mode again to turn it off. The new prompt now shows in gray.

Change a control’s properties

1. Click the control once to select it. Clicking its title tab or border selects the whole control.
2. On the Developer tab, select Properties in the Controls group. You can also right-click the control and choose Properties.
3. Change the settings you need:
   • Title is the label users see on the control’s tab.
   • Tag is an internal name used by macros and other tools. Users don’t see it.
   • Show as sets whether Word displays a bounding box, start and end tags, or nothing.
   • Color changes the color of the box or tags.
   • Use a style to format text typed into the empty control applies a style to whatever users enter.
   • Remove content control when contents are edited turns the control into ordinary text as soon as someone fills it in.
4. Select OK.

Some control types add their own section to the dialog. A Date Picker lets you choose the date format, and a Plain Text control can allow multiple paragraphs with Allow carriage returns.

Edit the choices in a drop-down list or combo box

1. Select the drop-down control and choose Developer > Properties.
2. In the Drop-Down List Properties section, choose what to do:
   • Select Add to create a new choice. Type the Display Name and select OK.
   • Select an item and choose Modify to rename it.
   • Select an item and choose Remove to delete it.
   • Use Move Up and Move Down to reorder the list.
3. Select OK, then click the control’s arrow to test the new list.

A combo box also lets users type their own answer, while a drop-down list only accepts the listed choices. For more detail, see how to edit a drop-down list in Word.

Lock or unlock a content control

The Locking section at the bottom of the Content Control Properties dialog has two check boxes:

• Content control cannot be deleted lets people fill in the control but stops them from deleting it.
• Contents cannot be edited stops people from changing what is inside the control. They can still delete the control unless the first box is also checked.

To unlock a control, open Properties and clear both boxes. If a control won’t let you type even though these boxes are clear, check whether it is a drop-down list (which only accepts its listed choices) or whether the whole document is protected.

If the document is protected

Many forms use Restrict Editing so people can fill in controls without changing the rest of the document. While protection is on, Design Mode and Properties are unavailable.

1. On the Developer tab, select Restrict Editing.
2. At the bottom of the pane, select Stop Protection.
3. Enter the password if Word asks for one. If you don’t know it, ask the person who made the form.
4. Edit the controls, then select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection to turn protection back on.

Other changes you may want

• Add a new control: Click where it should go and pick a control from the Controls group on the Developer tab. Our guides to creating a drop-down list and inserting a clickable check box walk through two common types.
• Remove a control but keep its text: Right-click the control and choose Remove Content Control. See how to remove a content control in Word for the details and pitfalls.
• Move a control: Select it by its title tab or border, cut it with Ctrl+X, click the new spot, and paste with Ctrl+V.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Properties grayed out?

Usually the cursor isn’t inside a content control, or the document is protected with Restrict Editing. Click directly in the control, and stop protection if it’s on.

Why does my new placeholder text look like normal text?

You may have deleted the whole placeholder before typing, which drops its formatting. Undo, then edit the text in Design Mode by typing after its first character.

Can I change a control from one type to another?

No. Insert a new control of the type you want, copy over its settings, and remove the old one.

Matt Wilmont

Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com