So if you open a document and see field codes instead of results, simply press Alt + F9 to toggle them all. To toggle all the fields in your document, press Alt + F9. To toggle between the field code and its resulting value, select the entire field and press Shift + F9. When entering a field manually, you press F9 to generate and display its results. Note: Don't try to enter a field by typing brace characters from the keyboard it won't work. You can also enter the field code (the text) first, select it, and press Ctrl + F9 to enclose the text in field braces.

With the cursor still inside the field, press F9 to calculate the field.

Press Ctrl + F9 to display an empty set of field braces, as shown in Figure C.

Doing so takes a bit of practice, so don't be discouraged if you find this process a bit awkward at first:

You can bypass the interface and enter fields manually. Figure B Choose a field to update the available options.įor a complete list of fields, read Field codes in Word.

Click OK when you're ready to insert the field.įigure A Fields are part of Word's Quick Parts feature.

Click the Field Codes button to see more advanced properties, such as switches (which I'll explain later).

Figure B shows the different options available for the Page field.

Select a field to update the available field properties.

Doing so will update the available fields in the Field Names list below.

Narrow your search by choosing an item from the Categories drop-down.

Click the Quick Parts drop-down in the Text group.

In Word 2003, choose Field from the Insert menu and skip to step # 5.

Position the cursor where you want to insert the field.

Using Word's interface to insert fields is great while you're learning or if you don't remember all of a field's options. In this article, I'll show you the basics you need to know to start utilizing this powerful and flexible feature in your Word documents. You can use them to ask questions, make decisions based on specific conditions, and perform calculations. They perform simple tasks, such as returning the current date or current page number, but they're much more than that.

Word fields are placeholders that store and display data.

How to lock fields in word