Entering Text and Graphics Automatically with AutoText and AutoCorrect
Word has two main features for entering text and graphics automatically: AutoText (the older feature that's available only in Word) and AutoCorrect (newer, and available throughout Office).
→ To learn how to speed up repetitive text entry, see "Using AutoCorrect to Automate Documents".
When you type an AutoCorrect entry followed by the Spacebar, Enter key, or any punctuation mark, Word swaps out the text you've typed and replaces it with the indicated text (and graphics) in the entry. For example, you can set up an AutoCorrect entry to change tpfp into "the Party of the First Part." You see no warning that the change will take place; it just happens.
On the other hand, when you start to type an AutoText entry, after the first four letters Word puts a ScreenTip on the screen reminding you that an entry exists: type octo, for example, and a ScreenTip saying October (Press Enter to Insert) appears. If you want to accept the AutoText entry—in this case, replace the octo you've typed with the word October—you need to press Enter, or the Tab key, or F3 (they're all equivalent).
In addition, you can insert an AutoText entry into a document by clicking Insert, AutoText, and either choosing the entry directly (they're grouped into categories) or by choosing Tools, AutoCorrect Options, and choosing the AutoText tab (see Figure 15.6). You can also put an AutoText toolbar on the screen by right-clicking any blank spot on a toolbar and choosing AutoText.
Figure 15.6. The Add button creates a new AutoText entry. The Insert button inserts the selected entry into the document.
Tip from 
AutoText category names are taken from the style of paragraph in which the entry was originally created. To see it, try this: Type an AutoText result, format the paragraph as style "Company," select the AutoText result, and then click Insert, AutoText, New to create a new AutoText entry. That entry will be in a category called "Company."
The current date, days of the week, months of the year, your company name, username, and initials are all picked up automatically by Word and turned into AutoText entries.
AutoText entries are stored in templates, so you can have separate "global" entries stored in Normal.dot, and "local" entries that apply only to documents based on specific templates.
Both the AutoText toolbar and the lengthy Insert, AutoText menu command change depending on the style of the paragraph you're working on. For example, if you create an AutoText entry in the "Company" category (see preceding tip), and the insertion point is in a paragraph formatted as "Company" style, both lists are limited to "Company" category entries.
Note
You can get at all the accessible AutoText entries by clicking Insert, AutoText, AutoText to open the AutoText tab on the AutoCorrect dialog box (refer to Figure 15.6).
If you can't find a specific AutoText entry in the list, chances are good it's stored in a template that isn't currently accessible.
In most cases, you'll find AutoCorrect superior to AutoText:
AutoCorrect entries (at least unformatted entries) are available to all Office applications.
When AutoCorrect is done, if you hover your cursor over the AutoCorrected entry, the "lightning bolt" icon gives you access to the full array of AutoCorrecting options, both for this individual entry and for AutoCorrect in general. That's handy.
It takes an extra keystroke—Enter, Tab, or F3—to put an AutoText entry into a document. Many typists, especially fast typists, find that distracting.
However, in some circumstances AutoText is superior:
You can create AutoText entries for words without fear of accidentally triggering a replacement. For example, you could create an AutoText entry called pater that expands into The Paternal Order of Ornery Fellows. If you had an AutoCorrect entry with the same name, should you type the Latin phrase pater familias, you would end up with The Paternal Order of Ornery Fellows familias.
AutoText ScreenTips warn you about the contents of the replacement. AutoCorrect gives no warning.
AutoCorrect entries are global. Super-global, in fact, in that they take effect throughout Office. AutoText entries can be localized to specific templates.
To create an AutoText entry:
Type and, optionally, format the replacement text (or graphics) that you want.
Select the text. Include the paragraph mark, if you want to include it and the paragraph's formatting in the AutoText entry.
Click Insert, AutoText, New. Give the new AutoText entry a name and click OK.
To add your AutoText entry to a document, type the AutoText entry and press Alt+F3.
Word includes tools for copying and moving AutoText entries in the template organizer (choose Tools, Templates and Add-Ins, Organizer, AutoText).