Scan Tab — Finding & Filling Fields

In-app help — This section is generated automatically from the add-in source. Edit src/taskpane/helpContent.ts in the Base_Addin repo, then commit to update this page.

The Scan tab detects placeholder fields in your Word document. Fields use formats like [{Label}], [{Label} Default], or [{Label} Option 1 OR Option 2] and can be text, option fields, or date fields. The curly-brace format is recommended.

Click "Find Fields" to scan the document. Fill in the values shown, then click "Apply Changes" to replace the placeholders with your entries. Scanning again when fields are already listed asks you to confirm first, because it replaces the current list.

Scanning also shades the placeholders it finds so you can see them in the document: fields in pale yellow, OR options in pale green. "Remove Fields & Highlighting" clears that shading along with the fill scaffolding — after it, Apply Changes needs a fresh scan.

For a date that fills itself in, use [{Label} <<TODAY>>] — or <<TODAY+7>> / <<TODAY-3>> to offset by days. The older %today spelling still works.

Not sure how to create a template? Visit the link below — the docs cover field syntax, options, sections, and more.

Use "Export" to save the field list as a JSON file — useful for sending to an LLM or sharing with a colleague. "Import" loads a previously exported file (or an AI-filled result) and pre-fills the values.

Tips

• To reverse Apply Changes, use Word's own Undo (Ctrl+Z). "Restore inputs" refills the fields with your last saved entries while the placeholders are still in the document.
• Enable "Combine identical fields" in Pro Features to link duplicate fields — change one and all update.
• The session is automatically saved as you fill fields, so you can close Word and resume later.
• Tick "Remove Headings" before Apply Changes to delete section headers as the fields are filled.
• Tick "Keep Highlighting" before Apply Changes to leave the yellow and green shading in place after filling.

Starting a scan

1. Open a Word document that contains bracketed placeholders.
2. Switch to the Scan tab in the Template Helper task pane.
3. Click Find Fields.

Template Helper searches the document body for any text enclosed in square brackets and displays the results in the task pane.

Understanding the results

After scanning, each detected field appears as an interactive row in the task pane. The type of control depends on the field syntax:

Field syntax	Displayed as
[{Client Name} John Smith]	Text input pre-filled with "John Smith" (recommended)
[Client Name: John Smith]	Text input pre-filled with "John Smith" (legacy)
[{Jurisdiction} England OR Wales OR Scotland]	Dropdown with three options (recommended)
[{Personal Details}]	Section header grouping the fields below it
[{{Optional Clauses}}]	Collapsible section (click to expand or collapse)
[{Date} <<TODAY>>]	Auto-filled with today's date (recommended)

Rescanning

If you edit the document after scanning, you can scan again to pick up new or changed fields.

• Click Find Fields a second time.
• A confirmation prompt appears: Rescanning will replace the current field list. Continue?
• Click Continue to rescan or Cancel to keep the current field list.

WARNING

Rescanning replaces all current field values in the task pane. If you have filled in values but not yet applied them, they will be lost.

Sections and grouping

Fields can be grouped under section headers. Template authors create sections by placing [{Section Name}] markers in the document. In the task pane, sections appear as bold headings with their fields indented below.

Collapsible sections ([{{Section Name}}]) start collapsed. Click the section header to expand and reveal the fields inside.

Profile Fields Auto-Fill

If you have saved Profile Fields in the Profile tab, Template Helper automatically pre-fills matching fields when you scan:

1. Save your personal details (name, firm, address) in Profile → Profile Fields
2. Scan a document containing fields with matching labels
3. Fields like [Your Name] are automatically filled from your profile
4. You can override any auto-filled value before applying

This reduces repetitive data entry across multiple documents.

Empty scans

If no fields are found, check that:

• The document contains text enclosed in square brackets [ ].
• Placeholders are in the document body (not in headers, footers, or text boxes).
• The brackets are standard ASCII characters, not "smart" or curly brackets.

Next steps

• Filling Fields — enter values for each detected field
• Applying Changes — write values into the document
• Sessions — save and restore your work
• Clips — save reusable text snippets
• Field Reference — complete syntax guide for placeholders