# Using Sub-templates in Text Control Reporting > Sub-templates in TX Text Control Reporting allow developers to reuse shared document sections such as page headers, footers, and address blocks across multiple templates. Using the IncludeText field, changes to a sub-template file propagate automatically to every referencing report. - **Author:** Bjoern Meyer - **Published:** 2014-01-17 - **Modified:** 2026-03-05 - **Description:** Sub-templates in TX Text Control Reporting allow developers to reuse shared document sections such as page headers, footers, and address blocks across multiple templates. Using the IncludeText field, changes to a sub-template file propagate automatically to every referencing report. - **2 min read** (394 words) - **Tags:** - Reporting - Tutorial - **LLMs.txt URL:** https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/01/17/using-sub-templates-in-text-control-reporting/llms.txt - **LLMs-full.txt URL:** https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/01/17/using-sub-templates-in-text-control-reporting/llms-full.txt - **Canonical URL:** https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/01/17/using-sub-templates-in-text-control-reporting/ --- Using sub-templates is a powerful feature to reuse text parts such as consistent page headers and footers, terms of business or address areas. Those parts can be modified separately without changing them in each and every template. During the merge process, the sub-templates are evaluated separately and inserted into the currently merged template. ![Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2014/01/17/a/assets/tx_header.webp "Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting")In Text Control, those sub-templates can contain all elements such as merge fields, repeating blocks or sub-templates itself (don't panic, Text Control takes care of potential endless loops). This tutorial shows how to insert a page header using sub-templates. 1. Open the shipped template designer **TX Text Control Words**. Start a design for a header with typical elements that should be displayed in your page header including a company logo and the address details. 2. **Important: Create the header design in the main text of the document, not in the header:** ![Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2014/01/17/a/assets/tx_header_1.webp "Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting") 3. Save this document and name the file *header.docx*. 4. Create a new document and choose *Edit Header* from the *Header* drop-down button: ![Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2014/01/17/a/assets/tx_header_2.webp "Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting") 5. From the *Insert Special Field* drop-down button, insert an *IncludeText* field. ![Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2014/01/17/a/assets/tx_header_3.webp "Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting")In the opened dialog box, type in the name of the header file created in step 2. ![Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2014/01/17/a/assets/tx_header_4.webp "Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting") 6. From the *Select Data Source* drop-down button, select *Load Sample Database* and choose *Preview Merge Fields*. ![Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2014/01/17/a/assets/tx_header_5.webp "Using sub-templates in Text Control Reporting") If you modify the *header.docx* template, these changes are applied to all templates where this header is included. You can download both templates [here](https://s1-www.textcontrol.com/assets/dist/blog/2014/01/17/a/assets/templates.zip). --- ## About Bjoern Meyer As CEO, Bjoern is the visionary behind our strategic direction and business development, bridging the gap between our customers and engineering teams. His deep passion for coding and web technologies drives the creation of innovative products. If you're at a tech conference, be sure to stop by our booth - you'll most likely meet Bjoern in person. With an advanced graduate degree (Dipl. Inf.) in Computer Science, specializing in AI, from the University of Bremen, Bjoern brings significant expertise to his role. In his spare time, Bjoern enjoys running, paragliding, mountain biking, and playing the piano. - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernmeyer/) - [X](https://x.com/txbjoern) - [GitHub](https://github.com/bjoerntx) --- ## Related Posts - [Creating Your First ASP.NET Reporting Application](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2020/01/01/creating-your-first-aspnet-reporting-application/llms.txt) - [New Online Sample: Build your First Report](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2019/07/03/build-your-first-report/llms.txt) - [Create your First Document with ReportingCloud](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2019/02/19/create-your-first-document-with-reportingcloud/llms.txt) - [MailMerge: Starting Each Merge Block on a New Page](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2016/09/09/mailmerge-starting-each-merge-block-on-a-new-page/llms.txt) - [Using MailMerge with JSON Data](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/08/04/using-mailmerge-with-json-data/llms.txt) - [Merging Documents with RESTful Web API's](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/07/31/merging-documents-with-restful-web-apis/llms.txt) - [Windows Forms: Printing Multiple Pages Per Sheet](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/07/24/windows-forms-printing-multiple-pages-per-sheet/llms.txt) - [Inserting Watermark Images to All Pages Dynamically](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/07/17/inserting-watermark-images-to-all-pages-dynamically/llms.txt) - [Reporting: Sorting Merge Block Rows by Column Name](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/07/15/reporting-sorting-merge-block-rows-by-column-name/llms.txt) - [MailMerge with the Entity Framework Using Database First](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/06/24/mailmerge-with-the-entity-framework-using-database-first/llms.txt) - [Checked and Unchecked Check Boxes with IF Fields](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/03/25/checked-and-unchecked-check-boxes-with-if-fields/llms.txt) - [Reporting: Conditional Formatted Text Blocks](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/03/13/reporting-conditional-formatted-text-blocks/llms.txt) - [Reporting Best Practices and How-To Guides](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/02/05/reporting-best-practices-and-how-to-guides/llms.txt) - [MailMerge: Master Table and Client Tables](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/01/28/mailmerge-master-table-and-client-tables/llms.txt) - [MailMerge: Formatting Numeric Strings in Merge Fields](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/01/22/mailmerge-formatting-numeric-strings-in-merge-fields/llms.txt) - [MailMerge: Merge CheckBoxes During the Merge Process](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/01/12/mailmerge-merge-checkboxes-during-the-merge-process/llms.txt) - [MailMerge: Conditional INCLUDETEXT Fields](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2015/01/08/mailmerge-conditional-includetext-fields/llms.txt) - [HTML5 Technical Considerations - The Concept Explained](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/10/16/html5-technical-considerations-the-concept-explained/llms.txt) - [TX Text Control Web: Attaching Events to Ribbon Elements](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/10/07/tx-text-control-web-attaching-events-to-ribbon-elements/llms.txt) - [TX Text Control Web: Customize the Ribbon Bar](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/10/03/tx-text-control-web-customize-the-ribbon-bar/llms.txt) - [Text Control Web - Fundamental Concepts: The Data Source](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/10/02/text-control-web-fundamental-concepts-the-data-source/llms.txt) - [Reporting: Removing Empty Table Rows](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/09/30/reporting-removing-empty-table-rows/llms.txt) - [MS Word Content Controls Field Adapter Classes](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/08/05/ms-word-content-controls-field-adapter-classes/llms.txt) - [Reporting: Merge Blocks and Structured Numbered Lists](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/07/29/reporting-merge-blocks-and-structured-numbered-lists/llms.txt) - [Creating Avery Labels Using Text Control Reporting](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/07/22/creating-avery-labels-using-text-control-reporting/llms.txt)