How to AutoFormat in MS Word

You can apply the "AutoFormat" function in Microsoft Word to anything from a fraction to a website link. You can also choose how you want AutoFormat to work: it can replace the text as you type, or apply changes after you have typed. In addition, AutoFormat can be set to completely format a document, or you may choose to review each change before it's made.

Instructions

1. Open a new or existing document in MS Word. Then select "Format" and "AutoFormat" from the toolbar. The "AutoFormat" dialog box will open.

2. Choose your AutoFormat preferences: "AutoFormat now" or "AutoFormat and review each change." Then select the type of document you want the formatting applied to: "General document," "Letter," or "Email."

3. Click the "Options" button to open the "AutoCorrect" dialog box. The "AutoFormat" tab will be selected.

4. Choose the options you want to apply as you type: built-in heading styles, list styles, or other paragraph styles.

5. Select the options you want to replace: straight quotes with smart quotes; ordinals with superscript; fractions with fraction characters; hyphens with dashes; bold and italic with real formatting; and Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.

6. Add a check mark to "Styles" to preserve them (or leave the box blank).

7. Add a check mark to "Plain text WordMail documents" to always autoformat them (or leave it blank). Then click "OK." You will be redirected to the "AutoFormat" dialog box. Click "OK" to apply automatic formatting.

References

• Microsoft Office Online: Format Documents Automatically