How to Import Styles from One Word Document to Another

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).

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:

  1. Click the File tab in the Ribbon.
  2. Click Options at the bottom.
  3. Click Customize Ribbon in the categories on the left.
  4. Check Developer under Main tabs on the right.
  5. Click OK.

Below is the Options dialog box with Customize Ribbon selected in the categories on the left:

Microsoft Word Options dialog box with Developer option selected.

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:

  1. Click the Developer tab in the Ribbon.
  2. Click Document Templates in the Templates group. A dialog box appears.
  3. 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:

Developer tab in Microsoft Word with document template command.

Importing styles using the Organizer

To import styles from another Microsoft Word document into the active document:

  1. Display the document to which you want to import styles.
  2. Click the Developer tab in the Ribbon.
  3. Click Document Templates in the Templates group. A dialog box appears.
  4. 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.
  5. On the right (which displays the Normal template by default), click Close File.
  6. On the right, click Open File.
  7. Navigate to the file you want to open (which has the styles you wish to import).
  8. From the File Type drop-down menu, choose All Files.
  9. 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.
  10. In the Organizer dialog box, click the style on the right you want to copy.
  11. Click Copy.
  12. If a dialog box appears asking if you want to replace the style, click Yes.
  13. Repeat the process for other styles.
  14. 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:

Organizer in Microsoft Word used to import styles from another document.

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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