WD97: How to Create an Automated Form with Fill-in Fields

This article describes how to create a simple form that automatically prompts a user to fill in information.

Follow these steps to create a template with automatic fill-in fields:

1. On the File menu, click New.
2. Select Blank Document.
3. Under Create New, select Template. Click OK.
4. Create the Fill-in Fields.
   
   There are two methods you can use to create fill-in fields: menus and keystrokes. Select the method best suited for you.
   
   Method 1: Creating a Field Using the Menus:
   1. Position the insertion point where you want to insert the text field.
   2. On the Insert menu, click Field.
   3. In the Categories list, select Mail Merge.
   4. In the Field Names list, select Fill-in.
   5. The FILLIN field is displayed in the Field Codes text box below the Categories list. Click inside of the text box to the right of the word FILLIN and type quotation marks around the prompt you want to display. For example, use the following syntax to display a prompt asking the user to enter their name:
      FILLIN "Please enter your first and last name."
   6. Click OK. You will see a sample of the prompt. Click OK to return to your document.
      
      NOTE: To view the field code you just inserted, press ALT+F9.
   7. Repeat steps a-f for every place in the document where you want a fill-in field.
   Method 2: Creating a Field Using Keystrokes.
   
   
   1. Position the insertion point where you want to insert the field.
   2. Press CTRL+F9. Field braces, { }, appear in the document.
   3. Position the insertion point inside the field braces.
   4. Type the following, where <prompt> is what Word asks the user to type:
      FILLIN "<prompt>"
      NOTE: If you press F9 while the insertion point is still on the field, you can see a sample of the prompt that will be displayed. This step is not necessary to create the fill-in.
5. On the File menu, click Save As.
6. Name the template appropriately.

Using the Template

To create new documents based on the new template, follow these steps.

1. On the File menu, click New.
2. Click to select your template.
3. Click OK.

Word creates a new document, automatically searches for all fill-in fields in the document and begins to prompt the user for input.

Additional Information

For additional information about creating online forms with form fields, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: You can also use SET and ASK fields in conjunction with fill-in fields.

For more information about SET fields, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Word Help, type the following text and then double-click the selected text to go to the "SET field" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

For more information about ASK fields, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Word Help, type the following text and then click Show Topics. Select the "Examples of ASK and FILLIN fields" topic, and click Go To. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: