Create forms using word

You can use Word to create interactive digital forms that other people can fill out on their computers before printing or sending them back to you. It takes a little preparation but keeps you from having to decipher messy handwriting! Some of the tools you will use when creating a form include:

• Templates: Forms are normally saved as templates so that they can be used again and again.
• Content controls: The areas where users input information in a form.
• Tables: Tables are often used in forms to align text and form fields, and to create borders and boxes.
• Protection: Users can complete the form fields without being able to change the form’s text and/or design.

Show the Developer Tab

Before you can create a form, you’ll need to turn on the Developer tab to get access to the advanced tools.

1. Click the File tab.

   
2. Select Options.

   

   The Word Options window opens.

3. Click the Customize Ribbon tab on the left.

   The column on the right controls which ribbon tabs are enabled.

4. Check the Developer check box.
5. Click OK.

   

The Developer tab now appears on the ribbon. In addition to advanced tools for macro recording, add-ins, and document protection, we now have access to form controls.

Create a Form

Once you’ve enabled the Developer tab, and created the layout and structure of the form, you can start adding form fields to your document with Content Controls.

1. Place the text cursor where you want to insert the form field.
2. Click the Developer tab on the ribbon.

   The Controls group contains the different kinds of content controls you can add to a form, as well as the toggle button for Design Mode.

3. Click the Design Mode button in the controls group.

   While Design Mode is active, controls you insert won’t be active, so clicking a check box to move it around won’t also check it. You can also customize placeholder text for some controls.

   

4. Click a Content Control buttons to insert the selected type of control.

   The content control is inserted.

   Select a form field and click the Properties button on the ribbon to edit a control’s options. Depending on the type of control you’ve inserted, you can change its appearance, set up the options in a list, or lock the control once edited.

5. When you’re done, click the Design Mode button again to exit Design Mode.

   

You leave Design Mode, and the content controls that you’ve inserted can now be used.

Types of Form Controls

There are many different types of form controls you can add to a form that will allow people to add different types of responses.

Finalize a Form

When you’re ready to distribute a form so others can fill it out, you can restrict the form so that content controls cannot be removed or changed by those filling it out.

1. Click the Restrict Editing button on the Developer tab.

   The Restrict Editing pane appears on the right.

2. Check the Editing restrictions check box.
3. Click the Editing restriction list arrow.
4. Select Filling in forms.

   When this option is enabled, the only change that anyone else can make to this document is the filling in of form fields. They won’t be able to move, delete, or edit the fields themselves until protection is turned off.

   

5. Click the Yes, Start Enforcing Protection button.

   A password is not required to start enforcing protection, but you can add one if you’d like to prevent just anyone from turning this protection off.

6. Enter a password (optional), then click OK.

   

The document is now restricted, and anyone you send it to will only be able to fill in the forms.

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Although Word is most commonly used for creating documents, it can also be used for capturing data like a form. Word Forms do not require any programming knowledge. These are easy to create and will work across ALL versions of Word.

The Need for Word Forms

This is very useful for conducting quick surveys or quizzes where you want to control the responses. Of course, there are more sophisticated methods and tools available for bother these scenarios, Word is familiar to everyone and almost guaranteed to be available on every desktop. Hence it is a compelling option even today (2017).

How to create Word Forms?

Two steps. Create the survey by inserting editable items (form fields) and then lock the document so that only the form can be filled.

Adding fields to Word Forms

There are three types of fields.

1. The new type of fields which are better looking and more interactive.
   These do not work with older versions of Word.
2. The solution is to use the built-in form fields.
   These are available with any version of Word. So compatibility is never an issue.
3. ActiveX controls
   These are more sophisticated but not guaranteed to be available on every PC. ActiveX controls are being phased out globally. These are used by programmers who  want to extend Word and add business functionality to it.

In short, we will use the built-in Word Forms and related fields. To use these, we have to enable the developer tab.

Enable developer tab in Office 2007

File – Word Options – Popular – activate the Show developer tab option.

Enable developer tab in Office 2010 onwards

Open Word. File – Options. Click Customize Ribbon. In the list on the right side, scroll and identify the Developer item. This item is not selected by default. Select it and close the dialog.

Using Form Fields

Open the briefcase icon dropdown under Developer Tab – Controls group.

We will use only the upper part called Legacy forms. We have various types of fields available. Simple text, checkbox and box.

Create a document and choose a field. Let us add a text field for capturing the name.

The word Name is typed manually. Now select Text form field from the legacy tools area. Notice that the field is added with gray background. The width of this field looks small but it expands automatically.

Let us add another textbox for duration. To keep things simple, we will use another text field.

Let us add the leave type. Choose the Drop-down form field. Once added, double click inside the field to add various leave options.

Now let us add a Check box form field.  We will ask whether it is Paid or unpaid leave. Double click on the field to change the default to Checked (means Paid leave).

Now the form looks like this.

Restricting form filling in Word Forms

Right now the form is in edit mode. The captions and structure can be changed. We cannot type inside the fields properly. Checkbox cannot be unchecked and the dropdown does not appear.

Here is how you can make it a fillable form. With Office 2007, Choose Protect Document from the Review tab. Choose Restrict Formatting and Editing option. For newer versions of Office, the Restrict editing option is directly available in the Review tab.

Now a new window (pane) opens. Choose the Allow only this type of editing checkbox and choose the Filling in Forms option from the dropdown.

Now click the Yes, Start enforcing protection button. Specify a password and type it again to confirm it.

Now it is a real form.

How to fill Word Forms?

Click on any field to fill it. You cannot click and edit any other area in the Word file.

Dropdowns can be selected and checkboxes can be enabled or disabled.

How to save the data from filled Word Forms?

You will send this form as attachment to multiple people. They will fill it and then send it back to you. Unfortunately, you cannot extract data from multiple filled forms. You have to do it one-by-one. Here is a filled form.

In order to save only the data from the form, follow these steps:

1. Go to File – Options – Advanced
2. Scroll down and choose the checkbox as shown below. Left side is Office 2007 and right side is newer versions of Word.

Now the saved file will be just a TXT file containing the comma delimited data.  A preview is also shown before saving.

Practical Usage

This method works ever since Word was created. Although newer methods are available now, this method may still come in handy for quick and easy data capture.

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Creating Forms in Microsoft Word

Using a form for data entry is an excellent way to control what you allow a user to select and where you want them to type. Forms look professional, and have the ability to save the entered data as a text file. This data can then be easily imported into excel for data analysis.

This blog will take you through the basics of creating a form.

The Design Tab
Form Controls
Adding a Form Control to a Word Document
Restrict Editing to Filling in Forms
Test your form

The Design Tab

Before you start creating your form, you will need to add the Design Tab to your Ribbon.

1. Right click on any existing tab e.g. HOME, select Customize the Ribbon…

1. This will open up Word Options. Look to the right under Main Tabs, tick Developer. 
2. Select Ok, and observe the new Developer Tab.
   

Form Controls

The Controls we will be focusing on are:
1) Legacy Forms Text Form Field – This will allow the form user to add text 
2) Legacy Forms Check Box Form Field – This will allow the form user to make selections using a tick box 

Adding a Form Control to a Word Document

Before adding form fields to your document, you will want to build the layout of your form. The following example is based around a Membership Form.

Once you’ve designed your form, you can start adding the form fields.

1. Place your cursor where you want the field to be
2. Select the field you want to use

When all of the fields have added to the membership form it will look like this:

Restrict Editing to Filling in Forms

Now that the form is complete, the final stage is to restrict editing of the document so that we are able to fill in the form.

Select the Review Tab, go to the Protect group, and select the Restrict Editing command.

In selecting this command, the Restrict Editing Side Bar will appear.

You will need to select option 2, and from the dropdown list choose Filling in Forms, followed by Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.

Test your form

Your form is ready to use, try selecting a field and type/tick.

Tips:

1. You can use the Tab key to navigate through your form
2. You can use the space bar to tick a box

To learn more about Word forms keep your eyes out for Creating Advanced Word Forms, or book on to any of our Word Level 3 courses.