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Formatting and Using Footer in Word
I am creating process documentation that has one main document that lists out the different categories of processes and each category links to a different document that has different processes for that category.
Each document has a footer that contains links and a page number. To create these, I used the Blank (Three Columns) layout, erased the first text area, typed in the text/links into the middle, erased the text in the third column, and then added a Page Number from the Current Position.
I have a few questions here:
- When I open this document in OneDrive and in SharePoint, it opens up in my browser and the formatting is completely lost (first photo). I tried to recreate it using Word Online but I can only get it to look like the second picture. I would like everything inline rather than on a separate line. How do I achieve this so I can have a consistent look across both versions?
Ideally, I would like the different documents to open in the same version of Word as the main document. For example, if I have the main document open in desktop Word, I want the other links to open in the desktop version, not in browser. Is there a way to configure the URL to do this?
- I want to be able to click the links in the footer without actually clicking into the footer and clicking them from there. Is that possible without saving this as a PDF?
I've attached two documents that show an example of what I'm working with. The only main difference is that all the links are going to be linking to Word documents hosted on a SharePoint site rather than the dummy URLs I used.
Any help is appreciated here.
Considering this:
1. Consistent Formatting Across OneDrive and SharePoint
When you open documents in OneDrive and SharePoint, the formatting might differ between the desktop and online versions of Word. To achieve consistent formatting, consider the following steps:- Use Tables: Instead of using the Blank (Three Columns) layout, try using a table with three columns. This can help maintain the alignment and formatting across different versions.
- Avoid Complex Formatting: Simplify the formatting in the footer to ensure compatibility with Word Online.
- Check Compatibility: Use the "Check Compatibility" feature in Word to identify any elements that might not render correctly in Word Online.
2. Opening Documents in Desktop Word
To ensure that links open in the desktop version of Word, you can configure the URL to force the document to open in the desktop app. Here’s how you can do it:Modify the URL: Use the ms-word:ofe|u| protocol to create a link that opens in the desktop app:
ms-word:ofe|u|https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/site1/Shared%20Documents/filename.docxReplace yourtenant, site1, and filename.docx with your actual SharePoint details
3. Clicking Links in the Footer Without Entering Footer Mode
Please try the following workaround:Hyperlink in Body Text: Place the same hyperlinks in the body text of your document for easier access.
PDF Conversion: Convert the document to a PDF, which allows you to click links directly without entering the footer.
Your question has been well answered.
Here are some additional thoughts...
- You cannot control, as the writer, how a document you link is opened. You can include text at the start of your documents telling people to open and edit in the desktop application. Whether the desktop application or the browser app is used by default is a user option, which has been set by default by Microsoft to open in the browser. My opinions on various Word offerings in a pdf.
- You could put this information, the page number, and a link, in a Frame. Frames are paragraph formatting and can be defined as part of a paragraph style. You can position them to be anywhere on a page, but unlike the header and footer, they are in the regular document layer or story. You could place them in any of the margin areas or even in the middle of the page.
Once you have such a Frame, you can save it as AutoText or a Quick Part for easy entry. If you do this, I would recommend inserting at the end of your editing process, since they are actually on the page and if the text where they are is pushed to the next page, they will travel to the next page. Frames have been a part of Word for more than thirty years but they are often overlooked. The only use of them in distributed Word, of which I am aware, is in marginal page numbers.
You could have separate AutoText/Quick Part entries for top, bottom, left, and right Frames. - Page numbers are fields. In the Windows version, the shortcut to insert one of these fields is Shift+Alt+P.
Refereneces:
Considering this:
1. Consistent Formatting Across OneDrive and SharePoint
When you open documents in OneDrive and SharePoint, the formatting might differ between the desktop and online versions of Word. To achieve consistent formatting, consider the following steps:- Use Tables: Instead of using the Blank (Three Columns) layout, try using a table with three columns. This can help maintain the alignment and formatting across different versions.
- Avoid Complex Formatting: Simplify the formatting in the footer to ensure compatibility with Word Online.
- Check Compatibility: Use the "Check Compatibility" feature in Word to identify any elements that might not render correctly in Word Online.
2. Opening Documents in Desktop Word
To ensure that links open in the desktop version of Word, you can configure the URL to force the document to open in the desktop app. Here’s how you can do it:Modify the URL: Use the ms-word:ofe|u| protocol to create a link that opens in the desktop app:
ms-word:ofe|u|https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/site1/Shared%20Documents/filename.docxReplace yourtenant, site1, and filename.docx with your actual SharePoint details
3. Clicking Links in the Footer Without Entering Footer Mode
Please try the following workaround:Hyperlink in Body Text: Place the same hyperlinks in the body text of your document for easier access.
PDF Conversion: Convert the document to a PDF, which allows you to click links directly without entering the footer.
Lifesaver! Thank you so much!
