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To make formatting apply to every new blank document in desktop Word, change and save Word’s Normal.dotm template. To use a separate custom template only for chosen documents, save it as .dotx or .dotm and select it when creating a document.
Choose the right kind of template
| What you want | Use | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Use your formatting in new blank documents | Normal.dotm |
Future documents created from Word’s blank-document defaults. See Microsoft’s Normal.dotm instructions. |
| Use a different design for selected documents | A separate .dotx or .dotm template |
Documents you choose to create from that template; the new document is saved separately. See Microsoft’s instructions for saving a Word template. |
Use .dotm if the template needs macros; use .dotx for a template without macros. Saving a separate template does not, by itself, make it the basis for every new blank document.
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Set the default template in Word for Windows
- Open Word and select File > Open > Browse.
- Go to
C:Usersuser nameAppDataRoamingMicrosoftTemplates. Replaceuser namewith your Windows account name. TheAppDatafolder may be hidden; enter the path in the file picker if you cannot see it. - Open
Normal.dotm. Make the changes you want new blank documents to use, such as formatting or styles. - Save the template through Word, then close it.
Microsoft’s steps apply to Word for Microsoft 365 and the desktop versions listed on its Normal.dotm support page. Word uses the saved settings for documents created in the future; existing documents are not retroactively reformatted.
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Set the default template in Word for Mac
- Open Word and use Word’s Open command to locate and open
Normal.dotm. Do not open the file from Finder: Microsoft warns that doing so may create a blank document based on the template instead of opening the template itself. - Change the settings you want future blank documents to use.
- Save and close
Normal.dotm.
The location depends on the Word version. Microsoft’s guidance labeled Word 2019 for Mac lists /Users/username/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates for Word 2016 for Mac. It also lists a different location for Word for Mac 2011, so do not assume the 2016 path applies to every Mac installation. See Microsoft’s Mac default-settings guidance for its version-specific details.
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Use a custom template for selected documents
- Create or open a document with the formatting and content you want to reuse.
- Choose Word’s option to save the document as a template, then select
.dotxor.dotmdepending on whether it needs macros. - When you need that design, create a document from the saved template. Word creates a separate document, leaving the template available for reuse.
In Microsoft 365 for Windows, if older personal templates do not appear on the Personal tab, set the personal templates location under File > Options > Save. Enter the folder where those templates are stored. Microsoft describes this setting in Where are my custom templates?
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to expect in Word for the web
Microsoft’s cited guidance specifically says custom margins set in a document do not carry over to the next new Word for the web document; the new document returns to its Normal margin setting. That statement concerns margins and does not establish how every other template-related setting behaves in Word for the web. For desktop Word’s blank-document defaults, edit Normal.dotm.
Quick Recap
If your changes do not stick
- Check that Normal.dotm is writable. For a default-font change that reverts, Microsoft advises checking whether the file is read-only and whether your account has permission to write to it. See Microsoft’s default-font troubleshooting steps.
- Check add-ins if permissions are adequate. Microsoft suggests temporarily disabling add-ins to see whether one is resetting the default font. Add-ins or macros can also cause Word to repeatedly detect changes to the global template; see Microsoft’s Normal.dotm troubleshooting guidance.
- Know what happens if Normal.dotm is replaced. If it is renamed, damaged, or moved, Word creates a fresh copy with original defaults the next time Word starts. The customizations in the old file are not transferred to that new copy.
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