Erin Wright Writing

Writing-Related Software Tutorials

How to Save Tables as Templates in Microsoft Word

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Paperwork on black desk with text overlay "How to Save Tables as Templates in Microsoft Word"

This tutorial shows how to save tables as custom templates in Microsoft Word. We will also look at how to use custom table templates and how to delete them.

If you want to save charts or graphs as templates, please see last week’s tutorial, “How to Save Charts as Templates in Microsoft Word.”

Table of Contents

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The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016. In addition, the steps will be similar in older versions of the software (i.e., Word 2013 and Word 2010); however, your interface may look different than the images shown here.

We will cover this topic in Word for Mac in a separate tutorial.

How to Save Tables as Custom Templates

These steps assume you have already created the table you want to turn into a template. For a full tutorial about tables, please see “Three Ways to Insert Tables in Microsoft Word.”

  1. Hover your cursor over the table and then select the handle (crossed-arrows in a box) at the top, left corner of the table in order to select the entire table.
Handle to select table in Word 365
Figure 1. Table handle (Table is selected in the image.)

1.a. (Alternative) To remove the text before saving your table as a template, press the Delete key on your keyboard. The text will be deleted, but the font formatting will be preserved in the cells. Then, reselect the handle in order to reselect the table.

Selected table with deleted text in Word 365
Figure 2. Selected table with deleted text
  1. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon.
Insert tab in Word 365
Figure 3. Insert tab
  1. Select the Table button in the Tables group.
Table button in the Insert tab in Word 365
Figure 4. Table button
  1. Select Quick Tables from the drop-down menu.
Quick Tables option in Word 365
Figure 5. Quick Tables option
  1. Select Save Selection to Quick Tables Gallery from the submenu.
Save Selection to Quick Tables Gallery option in Word 365
Figure 6. Save Selection to Quick Tables Gallery option
  1. Enter a name into the Create New Building Block dialog box.
Name text box in the Create New Building Block dialog box in Word 365
Figure 7. Name text box
  1. (Optional) Enter information about your custom table template into the Description text box.
Description text box in the Create New Building Block dialog box in Word 365
Figure 8. Description text box

Important Note: For best results, leave the remaining options in this dialog box in their default settings.

  1. Select the OK button.
OK button in the Create New Building Block dialog box in Word 365
Figure 9. OK Button

Your custom table template should be added to the Quick Tables Gallery, as shown in the next section.

  1. When closing the document, select the Save button in the dialog box asking if you want to save changes to “Building Blocks.”
Save button in the Save Changes to Building Blocks dialog box in Word 365
Figure 10. Save button

Pro Tip: Tables are part of Word’s Building Block system. Building Blocks are saved elements that can be reused in any of your documents. Quick Parts and AutoText are also part of the Building Block system.

How to Use Custom Table Templates

  1. Place your cursor in the text where you want to insert the table.
  2. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 3).
  3. Select the Table button in the Tables group (see figure 4).
  4. Select Quick Tables from the drop-down menu (see figure 5).
  5. Select your custom table from the General section in the submenu.
Custom table template in the Quick Tables menu in Word 365
Figure 11. Custom table template in Quick Tables

The table should appear in your document. Enter or edit the table text as you normally would.

How to Delete Custom Table Templates

This section shows how to delete any table in your document and how to delete a custom table template from the Quick Tables Gallery.

How to Delete a Table

  1. Hover your cursor over the table, and then select the handle (crossed-arrows in a box) at the top, left corner of the table in order to select the entire table (see figure 1).
  2. Right-click the table, and then select Delete Table from the shortcut menu.
Delete Table option in Word 365
Figure 12. Delete Table option

How to Delete a Custom Table Template from the Quick Tables Gallery

  1. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 3).
  2. Select the Table button in the Tables group (see figure 4).
  3. Select Quick Tables from the drop-down menu (see figure 5).
  4. Right-click the custom table template in the submenu, and then select Organize and Delete from the shortcut menu.
Organize and Delete option in the Quick Tables menu in Word 365
Figure 13. Organize and Delete option

The template will be automatically selected in the Building Blocks Organizer. Be careful not to select any other blocks.

  1. Select the Delete button.
Delete button in the Building Blocks Organizer in Word 365
Figure 14. Delete button
  1. Select Yes in the dialog box asking if you are sure you want to delete the selected building block.
Yes button in the delete selected building block dialog box in Word 365
Figure 15. Yes button
  1. Select the Close button.
Close button in the Building Blocks Organizer in Word 365
Figure 16. Close button

Your table template should be removed from the Quick Tables Gallery.

  1. When closing the document, select the Save button in the dialog box asking if you want to save changes to “Building Blocks” (see figure 10).

Related Resources

How to Insert Figure Captions and Table Titles in Microsoft Word

How to Add Heading Numbers to Table Titles and Figure Captions in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)

How to Save Tables and Figures as Images in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)