You have a Word document with fonts, colors, paragraph spacing, and heading styles you want to reuse in future projects. Instead of rebuilding the formatting each time, you can save the document as a template. A template preserves all custom styles and makes them available every time you create a new file. This article explains how to save a document as a template with custom styles and how to apply that template later.
Key Takeaways: Save a Word Template With Custom Styles
- File > Save As > Browse > Save as type > Word Template (.dotx): Saves the current document as a template in the default Templates folder.
- File > New > Personal (or Shared): Opens the saved template as a new document with all custom styles loaded.
- Developer tab > Document Template: Attach a different template to an existing document to change its style set.
What a Word Template Does With Custom Styles
A Word template is a file with a .dotx extension that stores page layout, default text, macros, and all style definitions. When you create a new document based on that template, Word copies the styles into the new file. This means any font family, size, color, paragraph spacing, heading hierarchy, or list format you defined in the original document becomes immediately available in the new document.
The default template in Word is called Normal.dotm. Every blank document uses its settings. But you can create additional templates for specific projects such as company reports, client proposals, or branded newsletters. These templates live in the Custom Office Templates folder by default, though you can choose any location.
Prerequisites Before Saving a Template
Before you save, confirm that the document contains the styles you want to keep. Open the Styles pane by pressing Alt+Ctrl+Shift+S. Review the list of styles at the top. If a style is missing, create it using the New Style button at the bottom of the pane. Remove any content that is not part of the template, such as placeholder text or images you do not want repeated. The template should contain only the structure and formatting you intend to reuse.
Steps to Save a Document as a Template With Custom Styles
The following method works in Word 2019, Word 2021, and Microsoft 365. The steps are identical for Windows 10 and Windows 11.
- Open the document with your custom styles
Open the Word document that contains the fonts, colors, heading styles, and paragraph formatting you want to reuse. Make sure the document is complete from a style perspective but does not include content you do not want in every new file. - Click File > Save As
In the Backstage view, click Save As. If you see a list of locations, click Browse to open the standard Save As dialog box. - Choose a save location
Navigate to the folder where you want to store the template. The default location is C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\Custom Office Templates. Word shows templates from this folder on the New screen under the Personal tab. You can also save to a network drive or a cloud folder if you plan to share the template. - Set the Save as type to Word Template
Open the Save as type drop-down list. Select Word Template (.dotx). If the template will contain macros, select Word Macro-Enabled Template (.dotm) instead. - Name the template and save it
Type a descriptive name in the File name field. Click Save. The template is now stored in the selected folder.
How to Use the Saved Template
After saving the template, you can create new documents based on it. The custom styles will be available in the new document without any extra steps.
- Click File > New
In the Backstage view, click New. - Click Personal or Shared
Under the New heading, click the Personal tab. If you saved the template to a different location, click Shared to browse to it. - Select your template
Click the template thumbnail. Word creates a new document that contains all the styles from the template. The original template file remains unchanged.
Common Mistakes, Limitations, and Things to Avoid
Custom styles are missing when I create a new document from the template
This usually happens when the template was saved as a .docx file instead of .dotx. A .docx file does not behave as a template. When you double-click a .docx file, Word opens the file itself, not a copy. To fix this, open the .docx file and use Save As to save it as Word Template (.dotx). Then delete the original .docx if you no longer need it.
The template does not appear on the Personal tab
Word displays templates only if they are stored in the default Custom Office Templates folder. If you saved the template elsewhere, it will not appear under Personal. Move the .dotx file to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\Custom Office Templates. Alternatively, use File > Open and navigate to the template file, then double-click it to create a new document.
Styles from the template override my current document formatting
Attaching a template to an existing document can overwrite the current styles. To avoid this, open the Developer tab. If the tab is not visible, right-click the ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon. Check Developer in the right pane. Click Developer > Document Template. In the Templates and Add-ins dialog, check the box Automatically update document styles. This forces the document to adopt the attached template’s styles. If you want to keep the existing formatting, leave this box unchecked.
The template file is read-only or prompts for a password
If you set the template file to read-only in Windows File Explorer, or if you assigned a password when saving, Word will not allow you to create a new document from it. Right-click the .dotx file in File Explorer, select Properties, and uncheck Read-only. If a password was set, you must open the template, click File > Info > Protect Document, and remove the password before saving again.
Template (.dotx) vs Normal.dotm vs Document (.docx)
| Item | Custom Template (.dotx) | Normal.dotm | Document (.docx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Store reusable styles and layouts for specific projects | Default template for all new blank documents | Store final content and formatting for one file |
| Opens as | New document based on the template | New blank document | The file itself |
| Styles available | Only styles saved in that template | Global styles plus any loaded add-ins | Only styles used in the document |
| Can contain macros | Only if saved as .dotm | Yes | Only if saved as .docm |
| Location | Custom Office Templates folder or any folder | C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates | Any folder |
You can now save any Word document as a template that preserves your custom styles. Use the File > Save As method with the .dotx format. Place the template in the Custom Office Templates folder so it appears on the New screen under Personal. To attach a template to an existing document, use the Developer tab and the Document Template button. For advanced control, open the Organizer by pressing Alt+F11 and then F2 to copy individual styles between templates.