Template Issues

How to Distribute Custom Word Building Blocks, Quick Tables, and Text Boxes

Nimra Malik Oct 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users need to share reusable custom document elements like Quick Tables, Text Boxes, and other Building Blocks so that other users can access them on different computers.

How to Distribute Custom Word Building Blocks, Quick Tables, and Text Boxes

Product: Word Processing
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Sharing customized reusable document components with a team or moving them to a new computer.
Observed behavior: To ensure custom elements appear for other users, they must be saved within a specific template file rather than a standalone document, and distributed correctly.

Before you start

Ensure you have created and selected the custom elements, such as tables or text boxes, that you want to save as reusable building blocks before attempting to distribute them.

Solution 1Recommended

Save and Distribute Elements via a Document Template

Save your custom building blocks directly within a template file so they can be easily shared and attached to new documents.

Building Blocks are permanently stored in templates. Documents can only use them when they have access to the relevant template. Distributing a standalone document will detach it from its template, making the AutoText unavailable to the recipient.

Open the template file

Open the specific template file (.dotx or .dotm) where you intend to store the custom elements.

Save to AutoText Gallery

Select the content you want to save. Navigate to Insert > Quick Parts > AutoText and select 'Save Selection to AutoText Gallery'.

Choose the appropriate gallery

In the properties dialog, ensure you choose the correct gallery. Use the Text Boxes gallery for text boxes and the Tables gallery for custom tables.

Distribute the template

Save and close the template. Send this template file to other users so they can generate new documents containing your custom building blocks.

Save and Distribute Elements via a Document Template

Keyboard Shortcuts: If you create custom keyboard shortcuts for these building blocks, ensure they are also stored in the exact same template file before distribution.

Solution 2

Make Building Blocks Available Globally

Place the template in the Startup or Building Blocks folder so the custom elements are available across all documents on a computer.

Manage Templates Easily

Create and Share Templates Easily with WPS Office

WPS Office provides an intuitive way to save reusable text, tables, and formats as custom templates. Share your customized designs seamlessly with your team while maintaining full compatibility with Microsoft Word formats.

1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Writer and design your custom tables, text boxes, or document layouts.
2. Save as Template: Click the Menu icon, choose 'Save As', and select 'WPS Writer Template (.wpt)' or 'Word Template (.dotx)'.
3. Share with Your Team: Send the saved template file to your colleagues so they can access your predefined elements for their own documents.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word templates (.dotx)Easily save custom AutoText and reusable document elementsLightweight, fast, and completely free to useIntuitive interface for managing team templates

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't my custom Quick Tables appear when I send my document to someone else?

Custom Quick Tables and building blocks are stored in the template attached to the document, not in the standard document itself. Once a document is sent independently, it becomes detached from its template. To share them, you must distribute the actual template file.

Where should I save my template so its building blocks are available in all my documents?

For global availability across all documents on a computer, the template file should be placed in the application's Startup folder or the specific Building Blocks folder.

Can I include custom keyboard shortcuts when distributing building blocks?

Yes, but you must ensure that your custom keyboard shortcuts are explicitly saved into the same template file as the building blocks before sharing it with other users.

Document & File Issues