In this lesson
Build a form with four input controls and check that users can fill them while the labels stay protected.
Example
A simple equipment request
The equipment form asks for a name, required date, one of three categories and a delivery confirmation checkbox. Typing over underscore lines breaks its layout. Replace those lines with controls and fill a test copy using invented details.
How it works
Content controls give users a place to enter text, pick a date or choose an option. Use a dropdown for the three equipment categories and a checkbox for Delivery confirmed. Give each control a clear label and placeholder.
Restrict Editing controls which edits are allowed. It does not encrypt confidential data or replace secure storage. Test keyboard navigation and longer entries as well as the appearance of an empty form.
Steps
Create a DOCX with Name, Required date, Equipment category and Delivery confirmed labels. Leave room after each label for its control.
In Windows, enable Developer under File › Options › Customize Ribbon. In Developer › Controls, insert a plain-text control after Name. Mac’s form tools differ; use Windows for this exact control set.
Open Properties for the text control and set its title and placeholder. Choose whether users may delete the control itself. Add a date picker after Required date and choose a clear date format.
Add a dropdown after Equipment category, with Laptop, Monitor and Headset in its Properties. Add a checkbox content control after Delivery confirmed.
Save the editable original and a copy named Request-Form-Test.docx. Enter an invented request. Use the keyboard to move through the fields and try a longer name.
In the test copy, open Review › Restrict Editing and choose a form-filling restriction. Keep the original unprotected and retain any practice password. Reopen the protected copy and try each input.
Run Review › Check Accessibility. Inspect the labels, contrast and any layout tables. Print or export a blank copy to see whether its instructions still make sense on paper.
Use the unprotected original for future changes. Tell recipients which Word edition you tested and whether to return a DOCX or a paper form. A PDF export does not turn these controls into interactive PDF fields.
Try it yourself
- Enter a Monitor request for 2026-10-20, leaving Delivery confirmed unchecked. In the protected copy, try editing a label, then try filling each input. Keep the editable original.
Show expected result
- The dropdown has exactly Laptop, Monitor and Headset. The Monitor request can be entered without changing the labels.
- The protected copy blocks label edits while allowing the intended inputs. The original remains editable.
If something goes wrong
- The required controls are missing.
- Check that you are using desktop Word with Developer enabled. Mac and browser editions do not expose the same control set; use Windows for the controls shown here.
- The PDF has no fillable fields.
- Send the tested DOCX for completion in Word. If recipients need an interactive PDF, create its form fields with a PDF-form authoring tool.
Quick check
Try these questions after the exercise. Check the result in your app before marking the lesson complete.
Choose an answer for all 3 questions to check your understanding.
Optional: try it with Copilot
If you have Copilot, try this after the exercise. Keep the original file and compare its suggestions with your own result.
Write short instructions for Name, Required date, Equipment category and Delivery confirmed. Keep the equipment choices Laptop, Monitor and Headset, and identify unclear fields without collecting staff details.
More from Microsoft
These Microsoft guides cover the tools used in this lesson.
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