Introducing the Microsoft Word Template Protector Service (MWTPS)
I've developed my own service that helps clients to maintain formatting controls over their corporate templates.
The Microsoft Word Template Protector Service allows users to:
select controls in the Home tab that they'd like to deactivate, so users cannot use types of formatting that break brand guidelines.
change the way the Paste button behaves, to prevent unwanted changes made by pasting content.
Users can choose to have one or both parts of the service, so if you only want to deactivate buttons, or only want to change the Paste button, you can.
The difference between Restrict Editing and MWTPS
Microsoft Word has its own tool for restricting formatting changes, called Restrict Editing. I've written more about it in Part 1 of this blog series. It offers a different form of protection for text formatting. It will:
Switch off all but one of the commands in the Font section and all but three of the commands in the Paragraph section of the Home tab.
Switch off several commands in the Layout, Table Design and Table Layout tabs, which might matter if you want to create sections or format tables.
Only show approved styles in the Quick Styles area or Styles Pane and only those styles can be used.
Prevent the creation of new styles and changes to existing ones.
Force a user to open a file via the desktop app. If they are trying to open a file from a browser in SharePoint or OneDrive, it won't open in the browser.
Not be available to edit on Word for Mac, which uses an alternative command called “Protect Document”.
Its restrictions can be enforced with or without a password.
A summary of areas to note include:
If users are allowed to use some text formatting commands like Bold and Underline, these will have to be created as character styles and applied via the Styles Panes, not the Home tab.
If users are allowed to combine text formatting commands (e.g. Bold and Underline) these will also have to be created as character styles applied via the Styles Panes, not the Home tab.
Users will have to find alternative ways to enter page, column and section breaks.
Users cannot apply custom formatting to tables.
Unwanted changes still occur when pasting content. If the order and visibility of text styles is important (e.g. you don't want users to apply certain styles), this can change when copying and pasting into your file.
If the file you're copying from has multiple sections and has different headers and footers or a different page size, the document you paste into will also see its own headers and footers replaced and see some pages change page size, to match the original. Users will need to manually replace the headers and footers and change the page size back to what it should be.
Restrict Editing is not available on the Mac version of Microsoft Word (its alternative - called "Protect Document" - does not have the same settings as Restrict Editing).
If a user emails a document copy of a template that uses Restrict Editing, the copy will still have it applied, when the recipient receives it. This means if you want to ensure editing restrictions are still applied when you email a file, Restrict Editing will ensure this.
It is possible to bypass Restrict Editing and even turn it off - even if it has a password - via Microsoft's VBA macros.
Microsoft Word Template Protector Service:
Users have the flexibility to choose the commands they want to switch off.
The Table Design and Table Layout tabs remain unaffected, which allows users to manually format tables as normal.
Users can use the Layout tab as usual, so they can use the buttons to create page, section and column breaks, if necessary.
If users are allowed to use certain text formatting commands, such as Bold or Superscript, they can still apply them via the Home tab, if that's the method they're accustomed to.
Users can also combine text formatting (e.g. Bold and Underline) and clear text formatting via the usual methods.
Files can be used used on both PC and Mac versions of Microsoft Word.
The custom Paste command prevents changes to the Styles Pane, so the order and visibility of styles set by administrators will remain.
The custom Paste command prevents changes to page sizes and headers and footers being replaced.
A summary of areas to note include:
Users can still create new styles and make changes to existing ones.
For SharePoint or OneDrive users, files should be opened in the desktop app. Unlike files that use Restrict Editing, files will open in a browser or the app version of Microsoft Word, however all changes to the Home tab will not be visible. Macros, which are used to change the behaviour of the Paste button, are also not available in the browser or app version of Word, so the original Paste command will be in use instead.
Document copies should either be emailed as a hyperlink or a PDF. A hyperlink is best when you want the recipient to When a document copy of a template with these customisations is emailed, it may still retain the Home tab changes when received by a PC user, but they will not be there for a Mac user. should be sent via hyperlinks or converted to PDF and emailed to recipients. Emailed copies will not have access to the macros.
Files using this service are not suitable for storage and editing on Teams.
As both parts of the service use macros, PC users will need to put templates in a Trusted Location (please see my blog article on how to set this up). Mac users will need to put the template in their Templates folder, which is in the Library folder.
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