Import Styles from One Microsoft Word Document to Another
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated May 17, 2021
Applies to: Microsoft® Word® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)
You can import styles from one Word document to another in several ways. The best way to import styles is to use the Organizer. One way to access the Organizer is through the Developer tab in the Ribbon (which you'll need to display first).
Recommended article: How to Create a Table of Contents in Word (Insert, Format and Update a TOC)
Displaying the Developer tab
If you're going to access the Organizer through the Developer tab, you'll need to display this tab in the Ribbon first.
To display the Developer tab:
- Click the File tab in the Ribbon.
- Click Options at the bottom.
- Click Customize Ribbon in the categories on the left.
- Check Developer under Main tabs on the right.
- Click OK.
Below is the Options dialog box with Customize Ribbon selected in the categories on the left:
Accessing the Organizer
After you display the Developer tab, the next step is to click Document Templates to access the Organizer.
To display the Organizer:
- Click the Developer tab in the Ribbon.
- Click Document Templates in the Templates group. A dialog box appears.
- Click Organizer. The Organizer dialog box appears. You can use the Organizer to import styles from other documents and to copy to the Normal template.
Below is the Developer tab:
Importing styles using the Organizer
To import styles from another Microsoft Word document into the active document:
- Display the document to which you want to import styles.
- Click the Developer tab in the Ribbon.
- Click Document Templates in the Templates group. A dialog box appears.
- Click Organizer. The Organizer dialog box appears. You can use the Organizer to import styles from other documents and to copy styles to the Normal template.
- On the right (which displays the Normal template by default), click Close File.
- On the right, click Open File.
- Navigate to the file you want to open (which has the styles you wish to import).
- From the File Type drop-down menu, choose All Files.
- Double-click the file with the styles you want to import. Word displays the Organizer again. The styles that appear are the styles that have been used in each document.
- In the Organizer dialog box, click the style on the right you want to copy.
- Click Copy.
- If a dialog box appears asking if you want to replace the style, click Yes.
- Repeat the process for other styles.
- Click Close.
You can also press Ctrl-click multiple styles on the right and then click Copy. If a dialog box appears asking you to replace styles with the same name, click Yes or Yes to All.
Below is the Organizer with styles displayed in the active document on the left and in another document on the right:
You can also use the Organizer to copy new or modified styles to the Normal template. These would often include built-in heading styles and the Normal style.
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More resources
How to Insert, Format and Update Cross-References in Word
How to Create and Format Headings in Word (Using Heading Styles)
How to Create a Table of Contents in Word (Insert, Format and Update a TOC)
How to Insert Reusable Text Snippets in Word with Quick Parts (Great Timesaver)
How to Convert a PDF to Word in Microsoft Word (for Free – No Third Party Programs Needed)
Related courses
Microsoft Word: Intermediate / Advanced
Microsoft Word: Styles, Templates and Tables of Contents
Microsoft Word: Designing Dynamic Word Documents Using Fields
Microsoft Word: Long Documents Master Class
Microsoft Word: Accessible Word Documents
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