Many things in Word that look like plain text are actually fields: page numbers, dates, tables of contents, cross-references, mail merge placeholders, and more. Showing the underlying field codes lets you see and edit how they work, which is essential for troubleshooting a table of contents, fixing date formats, or building templates. This guide shows how to display field codes, toggle them back, and edit or update them safely.
Quick Answer
Press Alt + F9 to show all field codes in the document (press it again to hide them). To toggle just one field, click it and press Shift + F9, or right-click it and choose Toggle Field Codes. On a Mac, use Option + F9 (you may need to hold Fn).
Method 1: Keyboard Shortcuts
- Alt + F9: show or hide field codes for the whole document.
- Shift + F9: show or hide codes for the selected field(s).
- F9: update the selected fields (select all with Ctrl + A first to update everything).
- Ctrl + F9: insert empty field braces to type your own field code.
On laptops, you may need to hold Fn for F-keys.
Method 2: Right-Click Menu
- Right-click a field, such as a page number, date, or table of contents.
- Choose Toggle Field Codes.
Method 3: Word Options (Always Show)
- Click File > Options > Advanced.
- Under Show document content, check Show field codes instead of their values.
- Set Field shading to Always to highlight fields in gray so they’re easy to spot (shading doesn’t print).
- Click OK.
Reading Common Field Codes
| Field code | What it does |
|---|---|
{ PAGE } |
Current page number |
{ NUMPAGES } |
Total pages |
{ DATE \@ "MMMM d, yyyy" } |
Today’s date in a chosen format (updates each time) |
{ CREATEDATE } |
Date the document was created (doesn’t change) |
{ TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u } |
Table of contents for heading levels 1 to 3 |
{ REF bookmark } |
Cross-reference to a bookmark |
{ MERGEFIELD FirstName } |
Mail merge placeholder |
Edit a Field Code
- Show the field code with Shift + F9.
- Edit the text between the braces (for example, change a date format to
\@ "dd/MM/yyyy"). - Press F9 to update and show the result.
Don’t type the braces with your keyboard; field braces must be inserted with Ctrl + F9. You can also right-click and choose Edit Field for a guided dialog.
Troubleshooting
- Document shows codes instead of values: press Alt + F9, or uncheck Show field codes instead of their values in Options.
- “Error! Reference source not found”: the bookmark or heading was deleted. Update the cross-reference or remove it.
- Fields print as codes: go to File > Options > Advanced > Print and uncheck Print field codes instead of their values.
- Want to freeze a field: select it and press Ctrl + Shift + F9 to convert it to plain text.
Summary
- Press Alt + F9 to show or hide all field codes.
- Use Shift + F9 or right-click > Toggle Field Codes for one field.
- Turn on field shading in Word Options to spot fields.
- Edit codes carefully and press F9 to update.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.