Best Practices for AutoFormat in Word and Docs
Have you ever noticed that there are times when you type something in and it changes? That the symbol or punctuation doesn’t look exactly as you planned. It’s probably the autoformat options.
You can find these options in both Microsoft and Google. Let’s take a closer look.
Google Docs
As we’ve seen in other posts, Google likes choosing different names compared to Microsoft.
The ‘AutoFormat’ option is no different.
Here in Google Docs, it’s the General Preferences.
Tools > Preferences > General (which is the default tab).
As you can see, there aren’t that many to choose from. 😁
Most of them are ones that are useful, and I’m sure you don’t realise that Docs is making these changes, they are so automatic for all of us.
What’s the best practice?
Honestly, that’s up to you. It’s going to depend on what you write, where you write for (business, personal, online, blogs, reports etc.)
Automatically capitalise words – After a full stop, or a new paragraph there ‘should be’ a capital letter. If you agree, and your typing isn’t as perfect as you want, this can be a useful option.
Use smart quotes – it simply changes the double straight quote marks, to the curly version.
Automatically detect links – typing in an obvious website or email address, or paste in a website, Google Docs makes it into an active link.
Automatically detect lists – type in the first option in a list, 1 or *, and it will now be made into the first item in an automatic list.
Automatically detect markdown – markdown is a quick formatting option using standard codes. E.g #Heading Level 1 to apply a Heading 1 format. Will you use it?
Automatically correct spelling – we all know and “love” the underline for a misspelt or typed word. This option not only underlines the error, but suggests the correction for you. Can be hit or miss, depending on what/how you type.
Show Smart Reply suggestions – using Artificial Intelligence (AI), Google Docs will offer suggested replies.
Show link details – when a link has been created (manually or automatically), this option shows a preview when you hover over it.
Insert emoji using the colon character – before we had the emoji symbols, we used the standard keyboard characters. With this option enabled, typing in these characters will automatically change them to the emoji symbols 😉
You can leave the default options, or edit them to your specific needs.
Microsoft Word
Moving over to Microsoft Word, we get a few more options…
Where are the AutoFormat options?
The first question is where can you find these options.
They are in the same dialog box as AutoCorrect, namely:
File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options
YouTube Video: Where has Microsoft hidden the AutoCorrect option
What’s the difference between the two AutoFormat options?
You’ll notice when you look at the dialog box, that there’s two tabs that say AutoFormat.
Namely AutoFormat and AutoFormat As You Type.
At first glance it appears that they are the same thing. There is a very slight difference between.
One thing you’ll note is that some of the options are listed on both tabs.
Like the other ‘Auto’ commands (e.g. AutoCorrect), AutoFormat As You Type kicks in when you press Space or Return.
AutoFormat is an (old) option that you can choose to apply to your document – so it’s more a manual process.
In my experience, I’ve used AutoFormat As You Type, and mostly ignored AutoFormat.
As with everything, best practice is what suits you, who and what you write for.
AutoFormat As You Type
These formatting commands are here to ‘help’ by making some of the most used commands happen without you having to think about them.
Let’s look at each section in turn.
Replace as you type
Straight quotes to smart quotes – the straight quotes, shown on your keyboard, become the curly versions.
Fractions with fraction characters – with your keyboard you type a fraction as three characters 5/8, this replaces it with the single character alternative – if it’s available.
*Bold* and _italic_ with real formatting – on some of the old systems to format with bold or italic you had to start and end with an asterisk (*) or the underline (_). Using them today will automatically apply the standard formatting.
Internet and network paths with hyperlinks – when Word can recognise a hyperlink, it makes it into an active link, on web and email addresses.
Ordinals with superscript – when you type in the digit version of first, second etc. this applies superscript formatting, making it smaller and above the line.
Hyphens with dash – you type in a standard single dash (-) and this option switches it for the longer dash line.
Apply as you type
Automatic bulleted lists – start typing a bulleted list with an asterisk (*) or dash (-), Word applies the equivalent bullet and starts a list.
Automatic numbers lists – type in a number to start a numbered list. E.g. 1 or 1.
Border lines – this is actually for a horizontal line across the page. Type in one of these characters ( ~, #, *, -, _, or =) three times and press Return.
Built-in Heading styles – Need to apply headings (that are 5 words or less) to your text as you’re typing, press Return twice, at the end.
Tables – use the plus sign (+) and single dash (-), to create the pattern for the first row of your table. For example, if you want three columns with four spaces you would type in +—-+—-+—-+ and press Return.
Automatically as you type
Format beginning of list item like the one before it – apply formatting to make your list look a certain way, e.g. the first word is bold., then Word will repeat this formatting for each item in the rest of the list, as you type them in.
Set left- and first-indent with tabs and backspaces – using the tab key to move your text towards the right, Word will take that space and make it into a left indent or a first-line indent for the next few paragraphs.
Define Styles based on your formatting – if you apply the same formatting a number of times, MS Word will make it into a style that you can apply again and again.
Next Steps
Curious about the AutoCorrect options in Word, take a look at the blog post (linked below) or my YouTube video: Say Goodbye to Spelling and Typing Errors: How to Use AutoCorrect in Word.
Think about what type of items you’re writing and consider which of these auto formatting commands are really helping, and which ones are not.
Take some time to have a play around with them – I use the Auto Borders option more than I thought I would.
Then makes sure that the ones you want are switched on, and the rest are switched off.
More Posts about Writing Tips
What else do you need to know about spellcheck?
Easy Navigation with Headings in your Document
How to deal with the tracked changes?
Do you make the most out of AutoCorrect?
Best Practices for AutoFormat in Word and Docs (current post)
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