How PERRLA interacts with Word – Content Controls (Add-in)

The PERRLA Add-in interacts with Microsoft Word using Content Controls.

What is a Content Control?

Content Controls are digital boxes that allow PERRLA to insert text into your Word document.

The two most common Content Controls are for references and citations. When you add a reference or citation to your paper, PERRLA places it inside a Content Control box. This allows PERRLA to find, organize, and update those items as you continue writing.

For example, by placing references inside Content Controls, PERRLA can keep them sorted alphabetically in your paper.

Content Controls look like normal text most of the time. If you place your cursor inside one, you'll see it as a blue or grey outlined box. It appears as a solid grey box when you hover over it.

Do I need to do anything special with Content Controls?

There are two things to know when working with Content Controls.

First, you can't edit the text inside Content Controls. This keeps format-specific content correctly formatted and is part of how Word works.

If your cursor is inside a Content Control (like a citation), you'll see the blue/grey box and won't be able to type. Use the left or right arrow keys to move your cursor outside the Content Control. Once the box disappears, you can start typing again.

Second, Content Controls can be moved around your paper. Just like any other text or object, you can move Content Controls by cutting and pasting or by dragging them with their handle.

Editing the content inside a Content Control

We recommend using PERRLA's features to edit the content of a reference or citation. Learn how to edit references and citations in PERRLA.

However, there may be times when you need to remove a Content Control and edit its content directly. You can do this by right-clicking the Content Control and selecting Remove Content Control. This removes the box but leaves the content in place.

Note: Once a Content Control is removed, PERRLA will no longer be able to find or update that content. Make sure you won't need to update it again before removing it.