Template Issues

How the Word Interoffice Memo Template Uses Content Controls

Emma Brown Oct 16, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to understand how the Microsoft Word Interoffice Memo template utilizes content controls, styles, and paragraph formatting to create reusable layout elements.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Inspecting or customizing an interoffice memo template to understand its underlying structure, dynamic fields, and layout rules.
Observed behavior: The template displays gray shading when text is selected, small square markers next to paragraphs, and interactive fields like Company Name or Author.

Before you start

Before modifying the template, ensure you have enabled the Developer tab in your word processor's ribbon to access advanced content control settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Inspect Content Controls Using Design Mode

Enabling the Developer tab and turning on Design Mode allows you to see the exact boundaries and properties of the content controls used in the memo.

Document Property Content Controls create dynamic fields such as Company Name, Author, and Publish Date. By enabling Design Mode, you can safely inspect how these fields, instructional texts, and tables are structured without altering the document's underlying code.

Enable the Developer Tab

Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon. In the right pane, check the box next to Developer and click OK.

Turn on Design Mode

Click the newly added Developer tab on the ribbon and click the Design Mode button to reveal content control tags.

Inspect Document Properties

Click inside any field, then click the Properties button in the Developer tab to view how tags like Author or Company Name are configured.

Inspect Content Controls Using Design Mode

Identifying Controls: The gray shading that appears when selecting text typically indicates an active content control designed for reusable template data.

Solution 2

Identify Paragraph Formatting Markers

The small square markers in the template represent specific paragraph formatting rules used to keep the layout intact during pagination.

Create and Edit Templates with WPS Office

Use WPS Writer to Manage Template Content Controls

WPS Writer provides a comprehensive Developer tab that fully supports inserting, editing, and managing document content controls, making it easy to create and customize reusable templates.

1. Enable Developer Tools: Open WPS Writer, go to Menu > Options > Customize Ribbon, and check the Developer tab to add it to your interface.
2. Access Content Controls: Navigate to the Developer tab to find various interactive content controls like Rich Text, Plain Text, Drop-Down Lists, and Date Pickers.
3. Customize Control Properties: Select an inserted control and click 'Properties' in the ribbon to set titles, tags, locking rules, and specific formatting for your template fields.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word document templates (.dotx) and content controls.Free and lightweight word processor with a familiar, easy-to-navigate user interface.Easily insert text, date, and dropdown content controls to build dynamic, reusable forms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the small square markers next to text mean in Word templates?

The small square markers indicate that advanced paragraph formatting settings have been applied from the Line and Page Breaks tab. These settings usually include rules like 'Keep with next', 'Keep lines together', or 'Page break before' to prevent awkward page breaks.

Why does text turn gray when I select it in the memo template?

The gray shading indicates that the selected text is wrapped inside a Content Control. This is a special field used to create reusable form elements, such as author names or dates, ensuring consistency across the document.

Do I need to protect the document to use these template fields?

No, document protection for filling in forms is usually not necessary for this type of template. Standard Document Property Content Controls and Quick Style Sets are designed to be easily editable without requiring strict form protection.

Document & File Issues