How to Make a Template in Word (Windows, Mac, and Web)

To make a template in Word, set up a document with the layout, styles, and text you want to reuse, then choose File > Save As and pick Word Template (*.dotx) as the file type. On a Mac, use File > Save as Template. To use it, go to File > New > Personal on Windows or File > New from Template on a Mac. Each new file starts as a copy, so the template itself stays unchanged for next time. Word for the web can’t save .dotx templates, but there’s a workaround below.

Plan what the template should hold

A good template contains only what repeats in every document. Before you build it, list the parts that stay the same, such as margins, fonts, a logo, headings, a footer, and fixed wording. Then list what changes each time, such as names, dates, and amounts. The first list goes into the template. The second list becomes prompts or fill-in fields.

Build the reusable document

1. Start with a blank document, or open a document that already has the right layout and save a copy of it.
2. Remove names, dates, and other one-time details you don’t want repeated.
3. Set the margins, page size, and orientation on the Layout tab.
4. Format headings and body text with the styles on the Home tab. Right-click a style and choose Modify to change its font, size, or spacing.
5. Add a header, footer, logo, or page numbers if every document needs them.
6. Type clear prompts where details change, such as “Client name” or “Report date.”

Real Word heading styles make the template easier to update and let users build a table of contents or use the Navigation pane. Bold text that only looks like a heading doesn’t do either. For letter-style templates, our guides on adding a header in Word and adding letterhead to Word cover the setup, including a different first page.

Add fill-in fields for forms

For a form-style template, content controls show people exactly where to type or choose. Turn on the Developer tab first if it’s hidden: on Windows, go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon and check Developer.

1. Click where the field should go.
2. On the Developer tab, choose a control such as Plain Text Content Control, Date Picker Content Control, or Drop-Down List Content Control.
3. To change the gray prompt text, select Developer > Design Mode, edit the prompt, and select Design Mode again to turn it off.
4. For a drop-down list, select the control and choose Developer > Properties to add the choices.

To stop people from changing anything except the fields, select Review > Restrict Editing (Windows), choose Filling in forms under editing restrictions, and select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection. Simple letters and reports don’t need any of this; typed prompts are enough.

Save it as a template on Windows

1. Select File > Save As.
2. Select This PC or Browse.
3. Type a clear name in the File name box, such as “Monthly report template.”
4. In the Save as type list, choose Word Template (*.dotx). If the file contains macros you need to keep, choose Word Macro-Enabled Template (*.dotm) instead.
5. Word switches to the Custom Office Templates folder in your Documents folder. Keep that location so the template appears in Word’s template list.
6. Select Save.

A .docx file is a document. A .dotx file is a pattern for new documents. Simply naming a .docx file “template” doesn’t give you the start-a-new-copy behavior, so it’s easy to overwrite the original by accident.

Save it as a template on a Mac

1. Select File > Save as Template.
2. Type a name for the template.
3. Make sure the file format is Word Template (.dotx), or Word Macro-Enabled Template (.dotm) if it contains macros.
4. Select Save. Word saves it in its personal templates folder.

Use a template in Word for the web

Word for the web can’t save or open your own .dotx files as templates. Microsoft suggests a simple workaround: save a normal .docx “master” copy in OneDrive, open it in Editing mode when you need a new document, and choose Create a Copy (in some versions, File > Save a Copy) before you type anything. You can create the copy online or download it. Fill in the copy and leave the master alone.

Start a new document from your template

• Windows: Select File > New, then Personal (some versions say Custom), and select your template. You can also double-click the .dotx file in File Explorer.
• Mac: Select File > New from Template, find your template in the gallery, and select Create.

Word opens an untitled document based on the template. Fill in the details and save it as a regular .docx. Test the template with realistic content, such as a long client name and several pages, before sharing it.

For a plain starting point without a template, see how to create a new blank document in Word.

Start from one of Microsoft’s templates

You don’t have to build from scratch. Select File > New, search for a type of document such as “invoice” or “newsletter,” and open one you like. Replace the sample content with your own layout and prompts, then save it as a .dotx using the steps above. Label templates work the same way; see our guide on using Avery templates in Word.

Flyers are a good example: our guide on making a flyer on Word starts from a template and shows how to customize it.

Calendar templates are a good example, and our guide shows how to create a calendar in Word for the month and year you need.

Edit or update a template

Double-clicking a .dotx opens a new document, not the template. To change the template itself on Windows, select File > Open, browse to the Custom Office Templates folder, open the template, make your changes, and save it. Documents you already made from it don’t change. For more detail, read how to edit a Word template.

If you want every new blank document to use your settings, change Word’s default Normal template instead of making a separate one. Our guide on changing the default font in Word shows how.

Find or share a saved template

On Windows, personal templates are stored in Documents\Custom Office Templates by default. To see or change the folder Word lists under Personal, go to File > Options > Save and check Default personal templates location.

To share a template, send the .dotx file or put it in a shared folder. The recipient can double-click it to start a new document, or save it in their own templates folder so it appears in Word’s list. Any fonts the template uses must also be installed on their computer, or Word substitutes others.

Fix common template problems

• It’s missing from Personal: Check that the file ends in .dotx and is in the Custom Office Templates folder, or that the Default personal templates location points to that folder.
• You overwrote the template: This happens when you open the .dotx with File > Open and save your filled-in work. Start new documents from File > New instead, and save the filled version as .docx.
• Every new file contains old details: Open the template itself and delete the one-time names, dates, and sample data.
• The layout breaks when filled: Adjust styles, table sizes, and page breaks, then test again with long entries.
• Macros don’t run: Save as .dotm, not .dotx, and check your macro security settings.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between .dotx, .dotm, and .docx?

A .docx is a regular document. A .dotx is a template without macros. A .dotm is a template that can store macros.

Can I turn an existing document into a template?

Yes. Open it, remove the details that change each time, and save it with Word Template (*.dotx) as the file type. The original .docx stays as it was.

Do documents update when I change the template?

No. Only documents you create after the change use the new version. Microsoft’s create a template page has more on saving and editing templates.