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      Sync Fields in Word

      When editing documents in Concord, you may prefer Microsoft Word's formatting capabilities. The "Sync fields in Word" feature allows you to export your document to Word, make formatting changes, and then reimport it while preserving your fields

      How It Works

      When you export a document from Concord to Word, fields are converted to Content Controls in the Word document. When you reimport the document, Concord recognizes these Content Controls and converts them back to their original fields, maintaining their properties and positions.

      Current Capabilities and Limitations

      This feature is being released in iterations:

      Current Version:

      • Supports short text fields, paragraph fields, checkboxes, radio buttons and signer fields (Name, Title, Company, Signature)
      • Available only in Live Mode documents (not in Word mode or PDF documents)

      Coming Soon:

      • Support for Smart Fields (in future iterations)

      Important Rules to Remember

      1. Fields are locked in Word: You cannot edit the content of fields in Word. Even if you manage to unlock and change them, these changes won't be synchronized back to Concord.
      2. Concord controls field properties:
        • The Concord document controls the properties and values of fields
        • The Word document controls the position of fields
      3. Field management:
        • Fields must exist in the current Concord version when reimporting
        • If you delete a field in Concord before reimporting, it won't be restored from Word
        • If you edit or reassign a field in Concord before reimporting, it will maintain those changes
        • If you move a field in Concord before reimporting, it will appear at its position in the Word document

      Using the Sync Fields Feature

      1. Export your document from Concord to Word 
      2. Make your formatting changes in Word
        • You can move fields but cannot edit their content
        • Avoid copying fields within Word as this isn't supported yet
      3. Reimport the document to Concord 

      Known Limitations

      • Same document required: Fields will only sync when reimported to the same document they were exported from. Creating a new document from the Word file won't preserve fields.
      • Word Online limitations: Microsoft Word Online has known limitations with Content Controls. You can move fields but cannot edit or delete them.
      • Copied fields: Fields copied within Word won't be properly reimported. They will appear as plain text in Concord.
      • Duplicate signer fields: When using multiple instances of the same signer field (e.g., NAME), only the first instance will be properly reimported. Additional instances will be imported as short text. This limitation will be fixed in an upcoming update.

      Why does this matter?

      This feature bridges the gap between Concord's document management capabilities and Word's formatting tools. By maintaining field integrity during the export and reimport process, you can:

      • Leverage Word's advanced formatting without losing your field data
      • Maintain consistent workflows between Concord and Microsoft Office
      • Preserve document structure and data collection capabilities