CHAPTER 30

Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar and Ribbon

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Customizing the QAT
• Adding Ribbon groups to the QAT
• Rearranging the QAT
• Resetting the QAT to the factory defaults
• Finding Ribbon customization settings
• Adding and removing tabs and groups with the desired commands
• Exporting and importing Ribbon customizations

The Quick Access Toolbar, or QAT, and Ribbon in Word 2013 present the most essential commands in Word front and center. Research has shown that the Pareto principle (80-20 Rule) often applies when it comes to software: 80 percent of users only use 20 percent of the features. If you are part of the 20 percent of users who need to explore the commands beyond what you see on the QAT and Ribbon, you can customize each of them to put the commands that are your personal essentials at your fingertips.

In this chapter, you learn how ridiculously easy it is to customize the QAT and Ribbon—how to remove commands that you don't use and how to replace them with tools that better match your needs. You also learn how to share Ribbon customizations by exporting what you create or by importing other customizations.

The QAT?

The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) is the collection of tools that appears above the Ribbon (by default) in the upper-left corner of the Word screen, shown in Figure 30.1. The default tools are Save, Undo, and Repeat. (The far-left button controls the application window; clicking it displays choices for working with the window size or closing Word.) Like the Ribbon, the QAT is somewhat context-sensitive. The Undo command is only available once you've performed an action that can be undone. The same applies for Repeat. If you do an action such as typing a word and pressing Spacebar, you can click Repeat to repeat that action for a period of time. If you click Undo, the Repeat button changes to the Redo button, and the ScreenTip for the Repeat button becomes “Repeat Bold.”

FIGURE 30.1

The default QAT appears above the Ribbon and contains just three tools.

There is no practical upper limit to the number of tools the QAT can contain. However, when it holds too many to display all at once, a More controls button appears at the right end of the QAT as shown in Figure 30.2. Clicking it displays the additional tools in a bar to the right and below. The Customize the Quick Access Toolbar button appears at the right end of the bar with the additional QAT tools.

FIGURE 30.2

When the QAT is full, clicking the More controls button displays additional tools.

As for many other customizable features in Word, you can choose where you want to store changes you make to the QAT. Many users place all of their everyday tools onto the QAT and store them in Normal.dotm. This makes the custom set of tools available all the time.

As an alternative, you can store special tools used only some of the time in templates and documents in which you need them. For example, you might use some tools only when creating forms. There's simply no reason for them to clutter up your QAT the rest of the time. In that case, store those tools only in forms templates.

Other tools might be useful only when writing long documents that have a bibliography, footnotes, and citations. Why not store those tools only in the templates you typically use for creating such documents?

Of course, if the only template you ever use is Normal.dotm, the issue of where to store tools is moot. If you heed the advice of this book, however, you will make use of a variety of templates. As you discover task-specific tools you need, consider having those tools at the ready only when they're needed.

Changing the Buttons on the Quick Access Toolbar

As suggested at the beginning of this chapter, customizing the Quick Access Toolbar could hardly be any easier. You can add any tool on the Ribbon directly from their location. Otherwise, you may have to open the Word Options dialog box, and then the only difficulty may be determining the proper name for the command you need to add.

Adding commands to the QAT

To help you hit the ground running, Word makes it easy to place up to 11 popular commands on the QAT without having to visit the Quick Access Toolbar customization choices in the Word Options dialog box, which you'll see shortly. At the right end of the QAT, as shown in Figure 30.3, click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar button. By default, three popular commands are already checked. Click to check (enable) or uncheck (disable) any or all of the commands shown.

FIGURE 30.3

Check or uncheck any of the 11 commands listed on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu.

To add a command/tool to the QAT directly from the Ribbon, right-click the command/tool and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar, as shown in Figure 30.4.

FIGURE 30.4

Right-click almost any Ribbon tool and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar to add a tool to the QAT.

Adding groups

You can also add entire sections or command groups to the QAT. This might be useful, for example, when creating a special QAT in a particular document template. To add a group to the QAT, right-click the title for that group and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar.

When you add a group to the QAT, the individual tools aren't added. Rather, a tool representing the group as a whole is added. When you click that tool, the group is then revealed, much the same way that the More controls button reveals tools that do not fit on the QAT.

When you add the Styles group (from the Home tab) to the QAT, it appears as shown in Figure 30.5. Clicking its button opens the whole Styles group, just as it appears in the Home tab. When you think about it, you could probably add the Ribbon groups you use most frequently to the QAT and never display the Ribbon at all. (Press Ctrl+F1 to toggle the Ribbon off and on, or double-click any Ribbon tab.)

FIGURE 30.5

You can add entire groups to the QAT.

Removing commands

Removing commands or other items from the Ribbon is even easier than adding them, because you don't have to go looking for them. Right-click the offending item and click Remove from Quick Access Toolbar.

The Customize Quick Access Toolbar Dialog Box

So far, the chapter has focused on the easy methods customizing the Quick Access Toolbar. When you know exactly what command to add and where it is in the Ribbon, it's very simple to add it. When it's not directly accessible on the Ribbon (for example, available only from inside a dialog box or other control) or not obviously available at all (as in the case for certain legacy commands), finding the correct command name takes a bit more effort. The chore isn't made any easier by the fact that command names used for the Quick Access Toolbar are not always the same as command names used in the Customize Keyboard dialog box. Hence, the cloverleaf method for discovering a command's name doesn't always help when it comes to the Quick Access Toolbar.

Displaying the main QAT customization dialog box

To display the main dialog box for customizing the QAT, right-click the QAT and choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar. Note that you can also get here by choosing File Options Quick Access Toolbar, but that takes more steps. Open the Choose commands from drop-down list to see the categories holding the commands, as shown in Figure 30.6, similar to the Customize Keyboard categories you saw in Chapter 29, “Keyboard Customization.” Of course, after you finish making the various QAT adjustments described next, click OK to close the dialog box and apply your changes.

FIGURE 30.6

To customize the Quick Access Toolbar, you can choose from among a number of categories.

Setting the storage location for the QAT

The customizations for the QAT can be stored in the current document or in Normal.dotm. As shown in Figure 30.6, the default storage location selected in the drop-down list under Customize Quick Access Toolbar at the upper right is called For all documents (default). This means Normal.dotm.

If you want to store the QAT changes in another document, such as a template you're creating, open that document before displaying the Word Options dialog box Quick Access Toolbar settings. Then open the drop-down list under Customize Quick Access Toolbar and click For Document Name. The changes that you make will then be saved in the specified document; if the document is a template, the custom tools will appear in any document based on that template.

Finding and adding commands

After you choose a category from the Choose commands from list, the list in the left half of the Word Options dialog box adjusts to display only the commands in the specified category. For commands ending in an ellipsis (…), you can hover the mouse over a command to see the full name and the Ribbon location of the command. The steps for reaching the command, usually indicated with in this book, are indicated using the | character, as shown in Figure 30.7.

FIGURE 30.7

If you hover the mouse pointer over a command, a tooltip tells you where the command “lives” and its full name.

To add a command to the Quick Access Toolbar, select it in the left list in the dialog box and click the Add button between the lists. Then, as noted earlier, use the up and down buttons to move the tool to where you want it.

Adding a separator

You can add one or more separators to group commands. For example, you might want to separate formatting commands from other commands. To add one, scroll to the top of the left list of commands, click <Separator> at the top of the list, and click Add.

Rearranging the QAT buttons

Work with the right list of the dialog box to change the order of the tools on the QAT. Click to select the command you want to move. Click either the Move Up (up arrow) or Move Down (down arrow) buttons to the right of the list as many times as needed to move the item into the desired position. As shown in Figure 30.8, you also can move inserted separators using the same method.

FIGURE 30.8

Use Move Up and Move Down buttons to rearrange the QAT to suit your needs.

Removing tools from the QAT

To remove a tool from the QAT via the Word Options dialog box, click the tool in the right half of the dialog box and click the Remove button between the lists. Note that it's usually easier to remove a button directly from the QAT by right-clicking and choosing Remove from Quick Access Toolbar as described earlier. You might use the Customize Quick Access Toolbar method when you're doing a number of changes at the same time.

Resetting the QAT to the default

If you decide for any reason that you want to remove all customizations made to the QAT, it's easy. With the QAT customization dialog box showing, first set the location of the QAT you want to reset by using the drop-down list under Customize Quick Access Toolbar at the upper right in the dialog box and then click either For all documents (default) to reset the QAT stored in Normal.dotm, or For Document Name to select another open document or template. Then click the Reset button below the right list and click Reset Only Quick Access Toolbar. Word prompts as shown in Figure 30.9; click Yes to confirm.

FIGURE 30.9

Word prompts to confirm before resetting customizations.

Making Changes to the Ribbon

If you're willing to invest a few minutes, you can turn Word 2013's Ribbon into a collection of tools that better suit your needs. If you're truly evil, you can even make your colleagues think they're going crazy. But, since this is a Bible, I'll leave the evil entirely up to your own devices.

Customizing the Ribbon

The easiest way to start is by right-clicking the QAT, any blank area in the Ribbon, or any Ribbon tab, and clicking Customize the Ribbon, as shown in Figure 30.10. This opens Word Options to the Customize Ribbon tab, shown in Figure 30.11. As for changes to the QAT, be sure to click OK when you finish making the various customizations to close the Word Options dialog box and apply your changes.

FIGURE 30.10

Right-click the QAT or a Ribbon tab for quick access to Ribbon customization settings.

FIGURE 30.11

The Customize Ribbon tab is also where you go to customize the keyboard.

Adding a custom group

You can't add or remove tools within an existing tab group. If an existing group contains tools you never use and the tools that you do want don't appear, build your own custom group and make room for it on the tab by hiding the unwanted built-in group.

Suppose that you never use the Online Video tool in the Media group of the Insert tab. Instead, you'd rather have the 5-Point Star tool in that slot. To do this, you would add a new group—which you might rename Star. Then, add the 5-Point Star tool to the group. Finally, hide the unneeded built-in group.

To add a group in the Customize Ribbon tab of the Word Options dialog box:

1. Choose Main Tabs from the Customize the Ribbon drop-down list at right.
2. In the right Main Tabs group, click the plus (+) beside the tab you want to customize to expand its groups.
3. Right-click the group you want to replace and click Add new group; or click the group and click the New Group button below the right list. If you don't need to replace a group, select the group to the right of which you want to insert the new group. The new group appears with a placeholder name, New Group (Custom).
4. With the new group still selected, either right-click the new group and choose Rename, or click the Rename button. The Rename dialog box appears as shown in Figure 30.12.
5. Type the group name into the Display name text box, and click OK. For example, Figure 30.12 shows Star entered as the new group name. Note that clicking an icon in this dialog box does not have any impact.
6. Add commands to the group as described later in the “Finding and adding Ribbon commands” section.
7. Finally, right-click the built-in group you want to remove, if any, and click Remove; or you can click the group and click the Remove button between the lists.
8. Click OK to see your customized group. The example in Figure 30.13 shows a new Star group near the center of the Insert tab.

FIGURE 30.12

Replace the placeholder name for the custom group.

FIGURE 30.13

A customized Insert tab with a group named Star.

Adding a custom tab

You could rebuild Word's interface completely, if needed, with the exception of the File tab, which cannot be user modified. You can replace all of the built-in tabs and groups with your own. As a practical matter, this might be useful for a specialized project and/or to reduce the amount of learning time needed by a certain set of users in your organization.

To add a custom tab:

1. Right-click a Ribbon tab and click Customize the Ribbon. The Customize Ribbon tab in the Word Options dialog box appears.
2. Choose Main Tabs from the Customize the Ribbon drop-down list at right.
3. In the right Main Tabs group, click a tab to specify the location where Word will insert the new tab. The new tab will appear immediately below the selected tab in the list, and will appear to the right of it on the Ribbon.
4. Click the New Tab button below the list; or right-click the selected tab and choose Add New Tab. It has the placeholder name New Tab (Custom) and contains a group with the placeholder name New Group (Custom). See Figure 30.14. You cannot add commands to a tab outside of a group, so Word automatically includes the first new group for you on the new tab.

   FIGURE 30.14

   When you create a new tab, it automatically includes a new group.

   

5. If you don't like the location, use the Move Up (up arrow) and Move Down (down arrow) buttons to the right of the right list to move the tab where you want it. Or drag it to the desired location.
6. For both the tab and group, click the placeholder name, type a new name in the Display name text box of the Rename dialog box that appears, and then click OK.
7. Add commands to the group as described next in the “Finding and adding Ribbon commands” section.
8. Click OK to see your new customized tab.

Finding and adding Ribbon commands

As shown earlier in the chapter during the discussion about customizing the QAT, use the left Choose commands from list of the Customize Ribbon tab in the Word Options dialog box to select the commands and macros you want to add to the Ribbon. Use the Choose commands from drop-down list to specify a category. If you don't know exactly where the command you seek resides, choose All Commands. On the other hand, if you have an idea of where the command resides, selecting the appropriate category or tab can save some time.

When looking for commands, click in the command list and press the first letter of the command name you're looking for to scroll down to that part of the alphabet. Unfortunately, the command list is not searchable, and it sometimes takes a bit of hunting to find any given command.

If you're looking for a command that normally resides in a specific tab, set Choose commands from to All Tabs. This organizes the list of commands by tab, showing only commands that are already somewhere in the Ribbon. Suppose, for example, that you're looking for the Bring Forward tools. After selecting All Tabs, click the plus (+) beside the desired tab, and then expand the desired group to see its commands.

Once you've found the desired command at left, use these steps to add it to the desired existing or custom group at the right:

1. Click the command or tool to add to the Ribbon in the left list once you've navigated to it.
2. Choose Main Tabs from the Customize the Ribbon drop-down list at the right.
3. In the right Main Tabs group, click the plus (+) beside the tab that holds the group where you want to add commands.
4. Within the tab you selected, expand the destination group if it has a plus sign beside it, and then click the group name to select it.
5. Click the Add button tvo add the command or tool selected in Step 1 to the selected group in the right Main Tabs list.
6. Continue the general process to add more commands from thve left list to the selected location as needed. Figure 30.15 illustrates several commands added to a custom Lists group in a custom Lisa's Favorites tab. You also can use the Move Up (up arrow) and Move Down (down arrow) buttons to rearrange the commands in the group you're working with in the right Main Tabs list.
7. Click OK when you've finished adding commands to groups.

FIGURE 30.15

Select commands from the left list to add to the selected group in the right Main Tabs list.

Turning tabs on or off

Rather than completely removing a tab and then having to figure out how to reinstate it, you can use the check boxes that appear with the tab names after you select Main Tabs from the right Customize the Ribbon drop-down list in the Customize Ribbon tab of Word Options. If you want to hide the tab, clear its check box and then click OK. To redisplay the tab, check its check box and then click OK. The ability to display and hide tabs enables you to create a library of custom tabs, essentially, and to turn them on or off as needed.

The Developer tab frequently gets turned on and back off by more experienced Word users. By default, Word has the Developer tab turned off, because it contains commands for creating and editing macros and other custom controls. Many Word users never need it, but a few more experienced Word users may need it from time to time. If you haven't yet turned it on, right-click a Ribbon tab and choose Customize the Ribbon. Make sure that Main Tabs is selected from the right Customize the Ribbon drop-down list, and note that Developer appears between View and Add-Ins in the list. Click the check box beside Developer to place a check in it, and then click OK. Suddenly, the Developer tab appears in the Ribbon!

Removing tabs and groups

You cannot remove built-in tabs, but you can hide them by unchecking them as just described. User-created custom tabs, however, can be hidden or removed.

Often, it's more likely that you don't use specific tools or groups, rather than entire Ribbon tabs. As noted earlier, even built-in groups can be removed when not needed, as well as easily reinstated

To remove a group or custom tab, expand the tab if needed to display the group. Right-click the group or custom tab and then, as shown in Figure 30.16, click Remove. Then click OK to close the Word Options dialog box.

FIGURE 30.16

Right-click a group and click Remove to deep-six it from a Ribbon tab.

Resetting tabs and removing all customizations

If you decide that you want to remove all customizations from a Ribbon tab, you do not need to remove them one at a time, or drag any removed items back to the tab. In the right panel in the Customize Ribbon dialog box, right-click the tab you want to restore and choose Reset Tab, as shown in Figure 30.17.

You can reset the selected tab using the Reset button drop-down list below the right Customize the Ribbon list. Click the button, and then click Reset only selected Ribbon tab to undo all customizations to the tab selected in the right list.

Not only can you reset a tab, you can, in fact, remove all Ribbon customizations as well. Click the Reset button near the bottom of the Customize Ribbon dialog box and choose Reset All Customizations. The message box shown in Figure 30.18 appears. Note that this option also deletes all QAT customizations, so be sure you want that to happen as well before clicking Yes.

FIGURE 30.17

Restoring a tab to its default contents is just a right-click away.

FIGURE 30.18

Reset All Customizations applies to the Ribbon and to the Quick Access Toolbar.

Note that as with other Ribbon customizations, the changes do not take effect until you click OK to close the Word Options dialog box. If you click Cancel instead, the reset won't happen.

Importing and Exporting Ribbon Customizations

You can export and import customizations. Doing so allows you not only to share your custom interface changes, but to quickly load either your own stored custom interface or one provided by someone else. To export your Ribbon customizations, right-click a Ribbon tab and click Customize the Ribbon. Below the right Customize the Ribbon group, click the Import/Export button, and then click Export all customizations. Word saves the file in Exported Office UI file (.exportedUI) format, saving to your My Documents folder within your Documents library.

To open a saved customization file, choose Import/Export, and then click Import customization file. The .exportedUI format is the only one supported so you should see your previously exported file of that format in the Document Library location that appears in the File Open dialog box. Click the customization file that you want to use, and then click Open.

Summary

In this chapter you've learned the easy ins and outs of modifying the Quick Access Toolbar and customizing the Ribbon. You've learned how to add and remove QAT commands, how to save QAT changes only to the current document, and how to reset your changes. For the Ribbon, you've learned how to copy built-in groups to different tabs, create your own groups and tabs, and rearrange custom tabs to suit your needs. Among many other things, you should now be able to do the following:

• Rearrange QAT commands
• Place the QAT above or below the Ribbon
• Work largely without the Ribbon by careful selection of QAT commands
• Find commands in the QAT Customization dialog box
• Turn built-in Ribbon tabs and groups on and off
• Create custom Ribbon tabs to house commands you need
• Effectively move anything around after creating your own tabs and groups