Template Issues

How to Fix Word Quick Parts That Disappear After Closing

Camila Milosovich Oct 14, 2026 869 views

Question details

User needs a reliable way to save Quick Parts and building blocks so they do not disappear when restarting Microsoft Word.

How to Fix Word Quick Parts That Disappear After Closing

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: The user creates and saves Quick Parts for document editing, but the saved items vanish as soon as the Word session ends.
Observed behavior: Quick Parts remain available during the active session but disappear entirely after all Word documents are closed due to unreliable template storage.

Before you start

Ensure you are using the desktop version of Microsoft Word, as Word for the web, OneDrive, and SharePoint have limited support for persistent building blocks and templates.

Solution 1Recommended

Save Quick Parts to a Local Custom Template

Store your building blocks in a custom local template rather than relying on default cloud-synced files.

Building blocks stored in templates hosted on OneDrive or SharePoint often fail to save properly across sessions. Using a local, trusted storage location ensures they persist.

Create a custom template

Open a new blank document in Word, configure your preferred styles, and click File > Save As. Save the file to your local drive as a Word Template (*.dotx).

Save to the new template

Select the text or object you want to save. Go to the Insert tab, click Quick Parts, and choose 'Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery'. In the 'Save in' drop-down menu, choose your newly created custom template instead of Normal or Building Blocks.

Confirm saving changes

When closing Microsoft Word, if a prompt appears asking if you want to save changes to the template or building blocks, always select 'Yes'.

Save Quick Parts to a Local Custom Template

Important: Avoid saving this custom template in folders that actively sync to OneDrive, as syncing can disrupt the template's availability.

Solution 2

Place the Template in the Word Startup Folder

Load your template globally by placing it in the Word Startup folder so your Quick Parts are automatically available upon opening Word.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my Quick Parts only disappear when using OneDrive?

OneDrive and SharePoint have limited support for syncing Word templates (.dotx) containing building blocks. Cloud syncing can lock or overwrite the template files upon closing, causing your saved Quick Parts to fail to register for the next session.

Can I recover Quick Parts that have already disappeared?

Unfortunately, if you did not click 'Yes' when prompted to save the building blocks template upon closing Word, or if the temporary file was overwritten by a cloud sync, the Quick Parts are lost and will need to be recreated.

Where is the default storage location for Word Quick Parts?

By default, Microsoft Word stores Quick Parts in either the Normal.dotm global template or a specific Building Blocks.dotx file located in the user's hidden AppData roaming folder.

Document & File Issues