In Word, use File > New to search online or choose a personal template; if older custom templates are missing from the gallery, configure Word’s personal templates folder. The exact labels vary by version and rollout, and the detailed save-and-edit steps below apply to desktop Word, not a verified Word for the web workflow.
Find templates in Word
Search the online catalogue
In desktop Word, select File > New. Depending on your version, choose Search for online templates, enter a search term, or select a suggested search. Microsoft also provides a template catalogue at create.microsoft.com/templates, where you can search for or create templates. The New screen’s wording and layout may vary.
Choose a personal template
If the template is already saved on your computer and Word recognizes its folder, open File > New and select Personal or Custom (the label depends on the version). Choose the template to create a new document from it; use the platform-specific instructions below if it is not listed.
Where are my custom templates?
Make older templates appear in Microsoft 365 for Windows
Microsoft says templates created with earlier versions of Microsoft 365 may still be on the computer but are not shown by default. Set the existing templates folder as Word’s default personal templates location:
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- Press Windows key + R, enter
%appdata%MicrosoftTemplates, and press Enter. - In File Explorer, copy the folder path shown in the address bar.
- In Word, open File > Options > Save.
- Under Save documents, paste the copied path into Default personal templates location, then confirm the change.
- Return to File > New and check the Personal templates area.
If you use multiple Office apps, Microsoft advises repeating the location change in each program. Setting this location also determines where new personal templates are saved.
Save or edit a template on Windows desktop
To make a reusable template from a document, save it in a Word template format: .dotx, .dot, or .dotm. Use .dotm only when the template contains macros and needs to retain them; it is the macro-enabled format.
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To edit an existing saved template rather than create a document from it, open File > Open, browse to the Custom Office Templates folder under My Documents, and open the template file. Make the changes, save, and close the template.
Save, locate, and use templates on Mac
These steps are for Word for Mac desktop. To save a document as a reusable template, select File > Save as Template, enter a name, and choose Microsoft Word template (.dotx). Choose Microsoft Word Macro-Enabled template (.dotm) when the document contains macros.
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Microsoft documents the default templates folder as /Users/username/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates. To change the folder, open Word > Preferences > Personal Settings > File Locations, select User templates, and modify the folder path.
To create a document from a template, choose File > New from Template and select it. Word starts a new file based on the template; save your work as a document so the reusable template remains available unchanged.
Use a template without changing the original
A template is a reusable starting point. When you choose one from Word’s New screen, Word creates a separate document based on it; make your one-time edits in that document and save the result as a document file. If you intend to change the reusable layout or content for future documents, open and edit the template file itself instead.
When you mean a global template or add-in
A normal document template provides a starting point; an add-in supplies additional commands or features. If you need a Windows desktop template or add-in to load globally in Word, Microsoft documents this path: File > Options > Add-Ins, set Manage to Word Add-ins, select Go, then use the Templates tab. A template or add-in saved in Word’s Startup folder is available whenever Word starts. This is separate from selecting a template to create one document.
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Microsoft notes that steps can differ in Word for the web. The detailed custom-template save, edit, and folder-location procedures here are for desktop Word; they should not be treated as a confirmed web workflow.
Microsoft’s support instructions: Where are my custom templates?, Save a Word document as a template, Create a template, Load or unload a template or add-in program, and Video: Create a file from a template.
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