How to Split a Word Document

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Once you create a document in Microsoft Word, you can split it into separate documents within the Word file. These are called subdocuments. It is even possible to split one subdocument into multiple subdocuments. Splitting a Word document into multiple subdocuments requires the use of commands that are likely not immediately available once you open the file. You need to open a couple of more toolbars in the program to locate the commands you need.

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Step 1

Open the Word document, and go to the "View" menu. Select the "Outline" command, which will open a new toolbar in the program, and place small boxes before every paragraph.

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Step 2

Highlight the first paragraph of the text by clicking on the box next to it, then go to the Style list in the formatting palette and assign it a heading. Repeat this for the first paragraph of each desired subdocument, assigning each the same heading.

Step 3

Click on the number icon in the Outline toolbar that matches the heading you gave each subdocument (click "1" if you assigned Heading 1). This will compress each future subdocument into just the headings, giving you more room to work.

Step 4

Go to the Maser Document icon at the very end of the Outline toolbar, which will open up the Master Document icon above the Outline one.

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Step 5

Click on the "plus" sign next to each heading, which is located where the box used to be. Select the "Create Subdocument" icon from the Master Document toolbar--it looks like a document with a smaller one inside it--to turn the text into one subdocument.

Step 6

Click on the subdocument icon in the top-left corner of the subdocument if you want to split it into separate documents. This activates the Split Subdocument icon, which looks like a document torn in half.

Step 7

Select the paragraph that will start the second of the split subdocuments, and click on the "Split" icon.

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