WD: Cannot Insert FORM Field in Header or Footer

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1a

SYMPTOMS

You cannot insert a FORM field in a Word header or footer.

CAUSE

By design, Word prevents you from adding a FORM field to a header or footer because subdocuments are inaccessible while a document is protected for forms. (To protect a document for forms, choose the Protect Document command from the Tools menu, select the Forms option, and then choose OK.)

NOTE: As used in this article, the word "subdocument" refers to document components and not to the documents in a master document. The following document elements are examples of subdocuments or document components: headers or footers, footnotes, endnotes, annotations, text boxes, or callouts.

MORE INFORMATION

Word prevents you from inserting a FORM field in a subdocument with either of the following methods: choosing the Form Field command on the Insert menu and pasting a FORM field from the Clipboard. On the other hand, Word does not prevent you from inserting a FORM field in a header or footer (or other subdocument) by using either the AutoCorrect or AutoText command. However, Word does not activate FORM fields you insert using these methods and does not move to them when you protect the document for forms. This means that a FORM field in a header or footer has no functionality once you protect the document for forms.