Description of the Smart Tags in Word

You can save time by using Smart Tags to perform actions in Microsoft Word that you would normally start other programs to perform.

One action you can take is to add a person's name and address from your document to a Microsoft Outlook contact folder. With the Smart Tag, you do not need to copy the information in Word, start Outlook, and then paste the information into Outlook. Instead, click a Smart Tag, and then select the action Add to Contacts. The New Contact dialog box opens with the name and address already entered. If you want, you can fill out any additional information, and then continue with your work in Word.

How Smart Tags Work

Word recognizes certain types of data that it labels with Smart Tags. The type of action you can take depend on the type of data that Word recognizes and labels with a Smart Tag.

For example, "Nate Sun" is recognized as a "person name" Smart Tag with actions you can take such as Open Contact, Schedule a Meeting, Add to Contacts, or Insert Address. The Smart Tag indicators appear beneath the text as you type. They may also appear when you open a previously saved document.

How to Use Smart Tags

When Word recognizes types of data, the data is marked with a Smart Tag indicator, or purple dotted underline. To find out what actions you can take with a Smart Tag, move the insertion point over the text with a Smart Tag indicator until the Smart Tag Actions button appears. Click the button to see a menu of actions.

If you save a Word document that contains Smart Tags as a Web page, some tasks can be performed on the Web using Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later. You can also use Smart Tags in your Outlook e-mail messages and in Microsoft Excel.

You can use Smart Tags to perform actions in Microsoft Word that you would normally start other programs to do. The purple dotted lines beneath text in your document indicate Smart Tags.

Move the insertion point over text underlined with a purple dotted line until the Smart Tag Actions button appears.

Click the button to see the actions you can perform, and then select an action.

Change Smart Tag Options

To change Smart Tag options, use any of the following methods.

Turn Smart Tags on or off

  1. On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options, and then click the Smart Tags tab.

Show or Hide Smart Tags

You can show or hide the purple dotted lines that indicate Smart Tags.

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the View tab.
  2. Under Show, select or clear the Smart tags check box.

Note In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Word Options, click Advanced, and then select or clear the Show Smart Tags check box under the Show document content.

Show or Hide Smart Tag Actions Buttons

The Smart Tag Actions buttons appear when you move the insertion point over Smart Tags. Hiding the buttons hides the menu of actions that you can choose with Smart Tags.

    On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options, and then click the Smart Tags tab.

Save or Discard Smart Tags

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Save tab.
  2. Under Save options, select or clear the Embed Smart Tags check box.

Note In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Word Options, click Advanced, and then select or clear the Embed smart tags check box under Preserve fidelity when sharing this document.

Save Smart Tags as XML

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Save tab.
  2. Under Save options, select the Save smart tags as XML properties in Web pages check box.

Note In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Word Options, click Advanced, and then select or clear the Save smart tags as XML properties in Web pages check box under Preserve fidelity when sharing this document.

Turn Smart Tags on or off for E-mail Messages

Smart Tags can be saved in an e-mail message so that the recipient can use them. Recipients must view their e-mail messages in Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2003.

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.
  2. Click E-mail Options, and then click the General tab.
  3. Under HTML options, select or clear the Save smart tags in e-mail check box.

Note By default,Save smart tags in e-mail is set to Turn on in Word 2007.

Remove Download URLs from Smart Tags

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Security tab.
  2. Under Privacy options, select the Remove personal information from this file on save check box.

Note In Word 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, click Word Options, click Privacy Options, and then select the Remove personal information from file properties on save check box under Document-specific settings.

Remove Smart Tags

To remove Smart Tags, use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Remove a Single Smart Tag from Text

  1. Move the insertion point over the text until the Smart Tag Actions button appears.
  2. Click the Smart Tag Actions button, and then click Remove this Smart Tag.

Method 2: Remove All Smart Tags

This method removes all Smart Tags, including Smart Tags labeled by recognizers you may no longer have and Smart Tags recognized in a document opened on someone else's computer. You cannot undo this action.

    On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options, and then click the Smart Tags tab.

Method 3: Remove Specific Types of Smart Tags

This method removes some Smart Tags, but it leaves the feature turned on.

    On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options, and then click the Smart Tags tab.

How to Get More Smart Tags

The Smart Tags that come with Word are just the beginning. To get more Smart Tags, do either of the following:

NOTE: The Check for New Actions menu item is available if additional Smart Tags items have been downloaded from the Web or your company's intranet.

You may find additional Smart Tags created by Microsoft, by third-party companies, or by Information Technology (IT) professionals, who may design Smart Tags and actions for the specific products or services that you work with. For example, if you work in a sales department, you might be able to click a "product name" Smart Tag in your document that offers actions such as "check quantity" in stock or price.

NOTE: The types of Smart Tags that come with Word vary with the language that is enabled and the grammar checker that is in use.

References

For more information about troubleshooting Smart Tags, click Microsoft Word 2002 Help on the Help menu, type troubleshoot smart tags in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.