How do you use custom document properties to automate document updates?

2 Edit custom properties

To edit custom properties, you can use the same DIP window that you used to create them. Alternatively, you can use the Document Property content control in your document. A content control is a placeholder that you can insert in your document to display or collect information. To insert a content control, go to the Insert tab, then Quick Parts, then Document Property, and then select the custom property that you want to insert. The content control will show the value of the custom property in your document. You can edit the value by clicking on the content control and typing a new value. The value will be updated in the DIP and in any other content controls that use the same custom property.

3 Use custom properties

To use custom properties to automate document updates, you can insert them in various places in your document, such as headers, footers, text, tables, charts, or shapes. For example, you can insert the Project content control in your header to display the name of your project on every page. You can also use custom properties in formulas or functions to perform calculations or operations based on their values. For example, you can use the DATE function in Excel to insert the current date in your document based on the value of a custom property named Year. To do this, you can type =DATE(Year,1,1) in a cell or a content control.

4 Manage custom properties

To manage custom properties, you can use the Document Inspector tool in your file. The Document Inspector tool helps you find and remove hidden or personal information from your file, such as comments, revisions, or properties. To use the Document Inspector tool, click on the File tab, then Info, then Check for Issues, and then Inspect Document. In the dialog box that appears, select the options that you want to inspect, such as Document Properties and Personal Information, and then click Inspect. The tool will show you the results of the inspection and give you the option to remove any information that you want to delete. Be careful when removing custom properties, as they may affect the content or functionality of your document.

5 Benefits of custom properties

Custom document properties can offer several advantages to your document preparation process. For instance, they can save time and reduce the possibility of errors by automatically updating documents with accurate and consistent information. Furthermore, custom properties can help you organize and manage your files by adding searchable metadata to them. Additionally, custom properties can be used to customize and personalize your documents with dynamic and interactive elements.

6 Tips and tricks

To use custom document properties effectively, it is important to use descriptive and unique names for your custom properties. Additionally, the appropriate type should be used for your custom properties to ensure compatibility and validity of your values - Date for dates, Number for numbers, and Text for text. The Link to content option in the DIP can be used to link custom properties to a cell or a bookmark in your document; this allows you to update your custom properties by changing the value of the linked cell or bookmark. The Update automatically option in the DIP can also be utilized to make custom properties update automatically depending on certain conditions or events - a custom property named Date can be set up to update with the current date each time you save or print your document.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?