When you open Word and choose New, the New Document Gallery shows templates from Microsoft and any custom templates you have saved. Many business users create branded letterheads, invoices, or reports and want these templates to appear in the gallery for quick access. This article explains how to store your custom templates in the correct folder so they appear in the gallery every time. You will also learn how to organize them and what to do if they do not show up.
Key Takeaways: Adding Custom Templates to the Word New Document Gallery
- File > Options > Save > Default personal templates location: Set the folder path where Word looks for custom templates to display in the gallery.
- Save template as .dotx in the personal templates folder: Word only shows templates with the correct file extension and location in the gallery.
- Restart Word after moving templates: The gallery refreshes only when Word starts, so you must close and reopen Word to see changes.
How the New Document Gallery Works for Custom Templates
The New Document Gallery in Word displays templates from two sources: online templates from Microsoft and local templates stored on your computer. For your custom templates to appear under the Personal tab in the gallery, they must be saved in a folder that Word recognizes as the personal templates location.
By default, Word does not have a personal templates folder set. You must configure the folder path manually. After you set the path, any .dotx or .dotm file saved in that folder will appear in the gallery. Word organizes them alphabetically by filename. You can also create subfolders inside the personal templates folder to group templates by category, such as Invoices, Reports, or Letters.
The gallery does not refresh dynamically. If you add, remove, or rename a template file, you must restart Word for the gallery to update. This behavior is by design and applies to all versions of Word that use the ribbon-based New screen (Word 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365).
Steps to Add Custom Templates to the New Document Gallery
- Create or open your custom template
Open the document you want to use as a template. Format it with your branding, styles, headers, and any placeholder text. Remove any content that should not appear in every new document. When ready, click File > Save As. - Set the personal templates folder location
Click File > Options > Save. In the Save Documents section, locate the field labeled Default personal templates location. Enter the full folder path where you want to store your templates. For example: C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Custom Office Templates. Click OK to close the Options dialog. - Save the template as a .dotx file
Back in the Save As dialog, browse to the folder you just set as the default personal templates location. In the Save as type dropdown, choose Word Template (.dotx). If your template contains macros, choose Word Macro-Enabled Template (.dotm). Type a descriptive name for the template and click Save. - Restart Word
Close Word completely. Wait a few seconds, then reopen Word. Click File > New. You should see a Personal tab or a section labeled Personal next to the online templates. Click Personal to see your custom template. - Pin the template for faster access
In the New Document Gallery, right-click your custom template and select Pin to List. The template will appear at the top of the Personal section every time you open the gallery.
Common Issues When Custom Templates Do Not Appear
The Personal Tab Is Missing in the New Screen
If you do not see a Personal tab or a Personal section in the New screen, the Default personal templates location setting is likely empty or points to a folder that does not exist. Go to File > Options > Save and verify the path. The folder must exist on your hard drive. Word does not create it automatically. Use File Explorer to create the folder if it is missing.
Templates Saved in the Wrong File Format
The New Document Gallery only displays files with the .dotx or .dotm extension. If you saved your file as a regular document (.docx), it will not appear. Open the file, click File > Save As, choose Word Template (.dotx) from the Save as type list, and save it to your personal templates folder. Restart Word to see the change.
Templates Saved in the Wrong Folder
Word checks only the folder specified in File > Options > Save > Default personal templates location. If you saved your .dotx file in a different folder, it will not appear in the gallery. Move the file to the correct folder or change the Default personal templates location to match where the file is stored. Restart Word after making either change.
Word Does Not Refresh the Gallery Until Restart
After adding, removing, or renaming a template file, the gallery does not update until you close and reopen Word. This is a known limitation. If you are testing multiple templates, close Word after each change to see the result.
Network or Cloud-Stored Templates
The Default personal templates location must be a local folder or a local sync folder that is always available offline. If you use a network drive, Word may not display templates reliably. OneDrive folders that are synced to your computer work as long as the folder path is set correctly. However, if the folder is online-only and the files have not been downloaded, Word may not show them. Ensure all template files are downloaded to your device.
Local Templates Folder vs Default Personal Templates Location
| Item | Local Templates Folder | Default Personal Templates Location |
|---|---|---|
| Default path | C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates | Not set by default |
| Purpose | Stores Normal.dotm and other system templates | User-defined folder for custom templates shown in the gallery |
| Visible in New Gallery | No | Yes |
| Created automatically | Yes, by Word | No, must be created by the user |
| File types supported | .dotm, .dotx, .dot | .dotx, .dotm |
The local templates folder is where Word stores its own default template files. Do not confuse this with the personal templates location. The personal templates location is a separate folder you define. Word uses the personal templates folder exclusively for populating the Personal tab in the New Document Gallery. Saving templates to the local templates folder will not make them appear in the gallery.
After you set the Default personal templates location and save your .dotx files there, you can organize them into subfolders. Each subfolder appears as a category in the gallery. For example, a subfolder named Invoices will display all templates inside it under the Invoices heading. This organization works without any additional configuration.
If you need to share custom templates with colleagues, copy the .dotx files to each user’s personal templates folder or set a group policy to define the folder path. Word does not have a built-in sharing mechanism for the New Document Gallery, so manual distribution is required.