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Restrict themes and styles to prevent users from changing a document's looks.

Restrict formatting

  1. Go to the Home tab and select the Styles Dialog launcher button Dialog Box Launcher.

  2. Select Manage styles button Manage Styles and then choose the Restrict tab in the Manage Styles dialog.

    Manage Styles button in Styles dialog

  3. Select a Sort order to use to view the styles.

  4. Under the list box of styles, select one of the following:

    Buttons to select styles to permit or restrict

    • Select Visible      This includes styles that appear by default in the recommended list. To add styles, go to the Recommend tab and select on any to add.

    • Select Built-in      This selects all of the built-in Word styles.

    • Select All      This selects all built-in and custom styles.

  5. Select one or more of the following check boxes:

    • Limit formatting to permitted styles      Select this to let users change formatting using only permitted styles. Users can't format text directly or use styles that are restricted.

    • Allow AutoFormat to override formatting      When Limit formatting to permitted styles is checked, this to allow reviewers to use restricted styles when automatically formatting text such as hyperlinks or automatic bullets.

    • Block Theme or Scheme switching      This prevents users from changing the themes used in the document.

    • Block Quick Style Set switching      This prevents users from changing the current style set.

  6. Under Set availability of selected styles, select Restrict

    .Restrict Permit buttons with Restrict chosen

    A lock icon Lock Styles icon appears next to restricted styles.

  7. Select OK.

  8. In the Start Enforcing Protection dialog, type and confirm a password in the Enter new password (optional) box if you want people to be able to remove the restriction, and select OK.

Permit formatting

  1. Go to the Home tab and select the Styles Dialog launcher button Dialog Box Launcher.

  2. Select Manage styles button Manage Styles and then choose the Restrict tab in the Styles dialog.

    Manage Styles button in Styles dialog

  3. Select the sort order that you want to use to view styles.

  4. Select the individual styles that you want to permit, or select groups of styles by using Select Visible, Select Built-in, or Select All.

  5. Under Set availability of selected styles, select Permit.

    Restrict Permit buttons with permit chosen

  6. Type a password if needed to unlock the styles.

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