Watch the video below to learn more about creating and opening documents in Word.
To create a new blank document:
When beginning a new project in Word, you'll often want to start with a new blank document.
- Select the File tab to access Backstage view.
- Select New, then click Blank document.
- A new blank document will appear.
To create a new document from a template:
A template is a predesigned document you can use to create a new document quickly. Templates often include custom formatting and designs, so they can save you a lot of time and effort when starting a new project.
- Click the File tab to access Backstage view, then select New.
- Several templates will appear below the Blank document option. You can also use the search bar to find something more specific. In our example, we'll search for a flyer template.
- When you find something you like, select a template to preview it.
- A preview of the template will appear. Click Create to use the selected template.
- A new document will appear with the selected template.
You can also browse templates by category after performing a search.
To open an existing document:
In addition to creating new documents, you'll often need to open a document that was previously saved. To learn more about saving documents, visit our lesson on Saving and Sharing Documents.
Navigate to Backstage view, then click Open.
Select This PC, then click Browse. Alternatively, you can choose OneDrive to open files stored on your OneDrive.
The Open dialog box will appear. Locate and select your document, then click Open.
The selected document will appear.Most features in Microsoft Office, including Word, are geared toward saving and sharing documents online. This is done with OneDrive, which is an online storage space for your documents and files. If you want to use OneDrive, make sure you’re signed in to Word with your Microsoft account. Review our lesson on Understanding OneDrive to learn more.
To pin a document:
If you frequently work with the same document, you can pin it to Backstage view for quick access.
Navigate to Backstage view, click Open, then select Recent.
A list of recently edited documents will appear. Hover the mouse over the document you want to pin, then click the pushpin icon.
The document will stay in Recent documents list until it is unpinned. To unpin a document, click the pushpin icon again.
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