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w:sdt (Structured Document Tag)

A region of content with an associated content control or custom XML data binding.

Parent elements

Child elements

Description

w:sdt (Structured Document Tag) is a content control that wraps a named, typed region of content in the document. It is defined in ECMA-376 Part 1 §17.5.2.29.

SDTs can appear at the block level (wrapping paragraphs), inline level (wrapping runs), or row/cell level in tables. They are used for form fields, placeholder text, data bindings, rich-text controls, combo boxes, and date pickers. Each SDT has three parts:

  • w:sdtPr — properties (type, binding, alias, ID)
  • w:sdtEndPr — end properties (optional, contains run properties for separator)
  • w:sdtContent — the actual content

Attributes

Attribute Type Possible Values Description
(none) — — All properties are expressed via w:sdtPr, w:sdtEndPr, and w:sdtContent children.

Examples

<w:sdt>
  <w:sdtPr>
    <w:tag w:val="authorName"/>
    <w:alias w:val="Author Name"/>
    <w:showingPlcHdr/>
  </w:sdtPr>
  <w:sdtContent>
    <w:p>
      <w:r><w:t>Click here to enter your name.</w:t></w:r>
    </w:p>
  </w:sdtContent>
</w:sdt>