Pop-Up Text in Microsoft Word

Scope: Desktop versions of Word. Word 2003 and later (may actually work with Word 97 as well). Windows and Mac versions.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Note: This is an Article that was created on the Microsoft Answers site that I saved so it could be edited. Despite appearances, it is not on a Microsoft site, now.

How do I add pop-up or mouse-over information in Word?

There are two methods I know; both involve repurposing fields designed for other purposes.

• The fields are the Hyperlink field and the AutoTextList field.

• Both can give "tooltips" when the mouse hovers over them.

• Both require that your Word option/preference is set to show document tooltips on hover (screenshot below).

• Both are limited to 255 characters for the tooltip. Lene Fredborg has a paid utility that can allow much more than that with the Hyperlink field.

• The Hyperlink field's pop-up includes a nonsensical message about following the non-existent link; the AutoTextList field does not.

• With neither field does the pop-up text convert to pdf.

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Hyperlink field

(above is a link to Microsoft documentation on this field)

MVP Lene Fredborg's macro that does this, with shading.

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Essentially, when creating the field, the \o switch is added to create the pop-up text. A drawback is that it adds the language Ctrl + click to follow link or Click to follow link. The screenshot above is from my Pop-Up Text Add-in which also looks at the Hyperlink field in the documentation. Note the blue underline indicating the hyperlink and the hint to Ctrl + click to follow link.

This method is explored further by Word MVP Lene Fredborg on her site. `Add Screentips to Text in Word. She supplies a macro to use to insert such a tip with shading for the underlying text. That macro eliminates the blue underline as well. She also has an Add-In available that provides for tips longer than 255 characters (2040 characters). Here is a screenshot from her page that shows pop-up text produced using her free macro.

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Screenshot from Lene Fredborg's page showing results from her macro. - Note: Shading and no blue underline!

She also has a paid Add-In that allows for much more pop-up text.

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AutoTextList Field

(above is a link to Microsoft documentation on this field)

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{ AutoTextList “Display text” \s NoStyle \t “This is a screentip” }

The syntax is: { AUTOTEXTLIST "Literal text" \s ["Style name"] \t ["Tip text"] }

Above documentation is from my free Add-in Pop-Up Text in Microsoft Word.

Here is what such a field looks like in action:

This does not include the confusing language about clicking to follow the link. The pop-up text from an AutoTextList field, like that from a Hyperlink field, does not convert to pdf.

You cannot just type fields. The field delimiter braces { } are special characters that must be entered by Word's creation of a field. You can use the word dialog to insert a field or use Ctrl+F9 (Mac: Cmd+F9) to insert them. Using Fields in Microsoft Word

These fields can be inserted using the dialogs rather that typing them.

AutoTextList field

QuickParts > Fields > AutoTextList

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Hyperlink field

Ctrl+ K

or Insert > Hyperlink

or Insert > QuickParts > Field > Hyperlink

To use the Insert Field dialog to insert this field, you will need a destination for the link.

Otherwise, the dialog will not insert the field. Insert > Bookmark (or Insert > Links > Bookmark). 
Again, you would want to create the bookmark before adding the hyperlink.

See my response following about constructing the field manually without the dialog not needing a destination.

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Once you have assigned the bookmark to your display text, you can use the Insert Hyperlink dialog to insert the field.

Windows: Ctrl+K (Mac: Cmd+K)

or Insert > Hyperlink

or Insert > QuickParts > Field > Hyperlink

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You could, then, use direct formatting to remove the blue and underlining formatting and add shading. (This is done automatically using Lene Fredborg's macro or my Add-In.)

Note, the above dialogs are from the Windows version. Mac dialogs are similar but require a different path to get the dialogs to pop up.

Contrast: Here is the dialog from my free Add-In.

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This is reproduced and expanded here. It was originally written as an answer on the Word Super User forum.