Document Editing Problems

How to Remove a Date Placeholder from a Word Form

Muhammad Talha Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to remove the 'Click or tap to select a date' text or content control from a document.

How to Remove a Date Placeholder from a Word Form

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing or preparing a fillable Word form that contains date content controls.
Observed behavior: The date placeholder text 'Click or tap to select a date' appears on the screen and remains visible when the document is printed.

Before you start

Before removing content controls from your document, ensure you no longer need the interactive form fields, as removing them will convert the fields into static text.

Solution 1Recommended

Convert Document to .doc Format

The quickest way to permanently strip all content controls and their placeholder texts from a document is to save it in the older Word 97-2003 format.

Older versions of Word do not support modern content controls. Saving your file in the .doc format forces the application to convert these interactive elements into standard, editable text.

Open Save As

Open your document and navigate to 'File' > 'Save As'.

Change File Type

Choose your save location. In the 'Save as type' dropdown menu, select 'Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)'.

Confirm Compatibility

Click 'Save'. A Compatibility Checker dialog may appear warning you that content controls will be converted to static text. Click 'Continue'.

Re-save as .docx

To continue working with modern features, go back to 'File' > 'Save As' and save the document again in the standard '.docx' format.

Controls Removed: All placeholders and interactive fields are now converted to plain text, which you can easily delete or edit.

Solution 2

Manually Remove the Content Control

If you only want to remove a specific date placeholder without altering the rest of the document's formatting, you can delete the content control directly.

Efficient Document Editing

Easily Manage Forms and Placeholders with WPS Writer

WPS Office provides comprehensive document editing tools, making it incredibly easy to manage, remove, or modify form controls and placeholders in any Word document.

1. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the .docx file containing the date placeholders.
2. Select the Placeholder: Click on the date form field you wish to remove.
3. Remove the Control: Press 'Delete' to remove the field, or edit it directly within the document view.
4. Save Document: Click 'Menu' > 'Save' to apply your changes. Your file remains 100% compatible with Microsoft Word.

Effortlessly insert or delete date placeholders and form controls.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word .docx and .doc formats.Lightweight, free-to-use software with an intuitive interface.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the 'Click or tap to select a date' text print on my document?

By default, content control placeholders are treated as visible text by the word processor. If a date is not selected to replace the placeholder before printing, the default instructional text will be printed.

Can I remove a content control without deleting the text I already entered into it?

Yes. When you right-click the content control and choose 'Remove Content Control', it deletes the interactive boundary and placeholder settings, but any actual date or text you have typed inside it will remain as standard text.

How do I access the Developer tab to change content control settings?

To manage content controls in depth, you need the Developer tab. Go to 'File' > 'Options' > 'Customize Ribbon'. In the right pane, check the box next to 'Developer' and click 'OK'. You can now use this tab to modify content control properties.

Document & File Issues