Edit Answers at the Document Preview Tab

The ability to edit answers at the Document Preview tab is available to Microsoft Word users only. Additionally, this option is available only if the template provider has allowed it.

If you are viewing the Document Preview tab, you can edit answers you've entered. Additionally, you can move from an answer in the document to its question in the interview and vice versa. Seeing answers in the context of the document helps you pinpoint errors and makes it easy for you to correct them without having to go back to the interview.

To help you review answers in the document, you can use the Document Navigation Bar. Just like the Interview Navigation Bar, this toolbar can help you move between answers, unanswered fields, and matching answers.

Some template providers may prohibit you from changing answers at the Document Preview tab. If so, the buttons and commands that control this feature will be disabled.

To change answers while previewing the document

  1. At the HotDocs library window, select a template and begin assembling the document. (See Assemble a Text or Form Document.)
  2. After providing the required answers, click the Document Preview tab. The assembly window changes to show a preview of the document.
  3. Click the Highlight Fields button. This assigns colors to both answered questions and unanswered questions in the document. (You can change the default colors assigned to answered fields as well as unanswered fields. See Set Properties for Viewing Answers and Editable Text in the Assembled Document.)
  4. Double-click on an answer field. A pop-up interview appears, showing the dialog in which the question is used.
  5. Change your answer and click Next or Finish. The pop-up interview closes and the answer is updated in the document.
  6. Use any of the following commands to help you edit answers in the document:
To Do This
Jump to the place in the interview where the question is asked Place your cursor in the answer field and click the Go to Answer in Interview button. You can also right-click on the answer field and select Go to Answer in Interview from the menu. While viewing the Interview tab, you can go to the place in the document where the answer is merged. To do this, place your cursor in the answer field and click the Go to Answer in Document button. Because of scripting in the template, sometimes you will not be able to move between the Interview and Document tabs in this manner. In the Document tab, if you place your cursor in the answer field of an answer generated from a computation, the Go to Answer in Interview button in the tool bar will be grayed out. If you right-click in the answer field the menu will show Computed Value and you will be unable to select it. Similarly, in the Interview tab, if you place your cursor in the answer field of an answer that is not directly used in the document HotDocs will not display the document tab and you will see an error message.
Move between answers in the document Click Next or Previous to move to the next or previous answer in the document.

Click the Next Unanswered or Previous Unanswered button to move to the next unanswered or previous unanswered question in the document.

Press Ctrl+M or Ctrl+Shift+M to move between matching answers in the document (for example, those answers in the document that are exact matches). (You can also press Shift as you click the Next or Previous button.)

Click End or Beginning to go to end of the document or the beginning of the document.

If you experience a delay when changing answers in your document, click the Document Instant Update button (so it isn't pressed in). Then, when you change an answer, HotDocs will just update the field you are editing (and any other fields that merge the exact same answer). Be aware, however, that turning Instant Update off may cause some of the information in the document to be out of date if you change answers. (You can tell when the document is out of date by the appearance of the Instant UpdateInstant Update button. To update the document, click the button again. (The document will automatically update if you attempt to save it, print it, or send it to the word processor.)

Once your cursor is in an answer field, you can press Enter and the pop-up interview will appear.

If the template provider has allowed it, you can also edit the text of the document. See Edit Document Text at the Document Preview Tab for details.