How to Generate Dummy Filler Text (Lorem Ipsum) Automatically in Word

When designing a brochure, testing a new resume template, or establishing corporate formatting guidelines, you need text to see what the final document will look like. However, if the actual content has not been written yet, designers often resort to mashing their keyboard to create chaotic strings of letters like “asdfghjkl”, which makes judging fonts, line spacing, and paragraph breaks impossible.

The publishing industry traditionally uses “Lorem Ipsum”—a scrambled piece of classical Latin—as placeholder text because it mimics the natural flow and word lengths of English without distracting the reader with actual meaning. You do not need to search the internet to copy and paste this text; Microsoft Word has a hidden code that generates it instantly.

How to Generate Lorem Ipsum Text

Microsoft Word includes a built-in macro specifically for generating dummy text.

1. Open a blank Microsoft Word document.
2. Click on the empty page where you want the text to appear.
3. Type the following exact command: =lorem()
4. Press the Enter key.

Instantly, the code will vanish and be replaced by three standard paragraphs of classic Latin Lorem Ipsum text.

How to Control the Amount of Text

Three paragraphs might not be enough if you are trying to fill a four-page newsletter. The brilliant part of this hidden feature is that you can dictate exactly how much text Word generates by placing numbers inside the parentheses.

The syntax works like this: =lorem(Paragraphs, Sentences)

• The first number dictates how many paragraphs you want.
• The second number dictates how many sentences should be in each paragraph.

Examples:

• If you want 10 paragraphs, and you want each paragraph to be quite long (7 sentences each), you would type: =lorem(10, 7) and press Enter.
• If you only need a tiny snippet of text for a caption under a photo, you could request 1 paragraph containing 2 sentences by typing: =lorem(1, 2)

Generating Readable English Dummy Text

While Lorem Ipsum is the industry standard for graphic design, some clients find the Latin confusing. If you prefer your dummy text to be in readable English, Word has a second hidden command that generates standard English paragraphs (specifically, instructions on how to use Word features).

The process is identical, but you use the word rand (short for random) instead of lorem.

1. Type =rand() and press Enter to generate standard English paragraphs.
2. You can use the exact same numbering system to control the length. For example, =rand(5, 4) will generate 5 paragraphs of English text, each containing 4 sentences.

Using these two hidden commands saves you from constantly hunting for placeholder text online, allowing you to instantly populate your templates and focus entirely on the document’s design and typography.