Creating a Microsoft Word template

To create the Microsoft Word template, use Microsoft Word. You must be familiar with the application.

About this task

To create the Microsoft Word template, you insert fields as placeholders into the template. When a user creates the communication, the placeholders are replaced with variable data that is specific to a correspondent.

Note: When a user creates a Microsoft Word communication by using a template, the data that is specific to the correspondent becomes part of the communication itself. For example, where the Microsoft Word template includes variables for the correspondent's name and address, the correspondent's actual name and address, not the variables, are stored as the communication text.

To insert a field in a Microsoft Word template that is replaced with the variable data that the server returns, complete the following eight steps.

Procedure

  1. Open a new Microsoft Word document locally, that is, independent of the application.
  2. Create new custom document properties for the following five fields:
    • AddressLine1
    • AddressLine2
    • AddressLine3
    • personName
    • userName
    For more information about creating fields, see the Sample Microsoft Word template content related link.
  3. In the template, click where you want to insert a field.
  4. On the Insert tab for the text group, click Quick Parts.
  5. Click Field.
  6. From the Categories list, select the document information category.
  7. In the Field names list, select DocProperty.
  8. From the Field Property list, select the field that you created.

Results

When a user inserts the placeholders for the variable data as fields in the Microsoft Word template, the content of the body of the communication, which is the same for all communications that are generated by using this template, can be directly added to the document. The file is then saved as a standard Microsoft Word document. The user can browse for and upload the document in the same way that the user browses and uses any Microsoft Word document.

For more information about browsing for and uploading Microsoft Word templates, see the Managing Microsoft Word templates related link.