Work more efficiently in Microsoft Office with custom AutoCorrect entries

Microsoft Office includes a vast library of commonly mis-spelled words and shortcuts for adding special symbols through the AutoCorrect feature. You can also create your own custom AutoCorrect entries that let you type entire sentences with just a few keys.

I wrote this post about using AutoCorrect to work more efficiently in Microsoft Office.

AutoCorrect is a pretty amazing thing…most of the time. I’m not a huge fan of the autocorrect function in iOS all the time—or it’s tendency to correct words that are actually spelled correctly because Siri thinks some other word should go there instead. In general, though, I appreciate being able to just hammer away on the keyboard and let Microsoft Word make those minor corrections for me on the fly. Recently, though, I started using the AutoCorrect function of Microsoft Word in a completely different way.

You probably know that if you type something like orginized or acheive that Word will instantly correct them to organized and achieve respectively as soon as you hit the space bar. You might not realize that AutoCorrect in Word can also be used for a variety of symbols and emojis. If you type “(c)” Word will automatically convert it to the copyright symbol, and if you type “:-)” Word will replace it with a smiley face emoji.

Here’s where things get good, though. You can also add or create your own AutoCorrect entries. I receive a lot of emails from vendors and PR firms—like a hundred or more per day. Some want to tell me about a new product. Some want to set up a call or briefing with a company executive. Some want to verify that I will honor an embargo before sending me sensitive information. Whatever the emails are for, it is a tedious pain in the ass to type the same three or four responses over and over (and over and over) all day.

So, I stopped doing that. Instead, I created AutoCorrect entries that automatically replace what I type with the appropriate boilerplate response.

In Word 2016 just click File in the Menu bar at the upper left, and select Options. Click or tap on Proofing in the menu pane on the left side, and then choose AutoCorrect Options. You will see the complete list of AutoCorrect entries—both the common mis-spellings or shortcuts and the text that Word will replace them with. Just above the list you will see text boxes labeled “Replace” and “With”. Just type the text you want to replace in the “Replace” field and the text you want to replace it with in the “With” field and click OK. Voila! Now you have a shortcut to add a quick boilerplate response.

Learn more about how to work more efficiently with custom AutoCorrect entries in this Forbes article: Use AutoCorrect In Microsoft Office To Create Your Own Boilerplate Responses.