How to group and open multiple Word documents at once

If you often work on projects, reports, or client documents in Word, chances are you open the same files over and over again. Doing it one document at a time quickly becomes tedious and interrupts your focus. While Word makes it easy to reopen recent files, it doesn’t provide a built-in way to group related documents and open them all together.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through several practical ways to open multiple Word documents at once. We’ll start with the simplest native option using File Explorer, then look at how Kutools for Word lets you organize documents into reusable groups that behave like folders inside Word. You’ll also see how a VBA macro can automate the process for fixed document sets, along with a simple workaround for pinning important files so they’re always easy to find.

• Method 1: Open multiple Word documents at once using File Explorer
• Method 2: Group and open documents with Kutools for Word
• Method 3: Open a set of documents using VBA
• Workaround: Pin frequently used documents in Word Favorites

Open multiple documents at once using File Explorer

This is the simplest native method. Put related Word documents in one folder, then open them all at the same time.

1. In File Explorer, store all related Word documents in the same folder.
2. Select all documents you want to open (hold Ctrl or Shift if needed).
3. Right-click the selection, then click Open to open all documents at once.

   

Group and open documents with Kutools for Word

Kutools for Word includes a document grouping feature named Favorites. It allows you to organize documents into groups that work like folders in Word, where you can open a single document from a group just like opening a file from a folder, or open all documents in the group at once with one click.

Step 1: Create a group

1. Open Word, then click Kutools Plus > Favorites > Organize Document Group.

   

2. In the Organize Document Group dialog, click New.
3. In the Favorites dialog that appears, enter a name for the new group, then click OK.

   

Step 2: Add documents to the group

1. After the group is created, click Kutools Plus > Favorites, then click the arrow icon beside the newly created group name to expand the submenu.

   

2. Choose one of the options from the submenu:
   • Add to this Group – Add the current document to the group.
   • Add All to this Group – Add all currently opened documents. Documents that already exist in the group will be skipped automatically.
   • Add Files to this Group – Browse your computer to select and add documents to the group.

After adding documents, they will appear under the group name in the Favorites menu:

Step 3: Open all documents in the group with one click

1. Click Kutools Plus > Favorites.
2. To open all documents in the group at once, click the group name directly, or select Open This Group from its submenu (as demonstrated in the screenshot, highlighted in red).

   

This method is ideal if you want true “document grouping” inside Word, because your groups stay available and can be reused anytime.

Open a document set using VBA

If you repeatedly open the same fixed set of files, a VBA macro can open them all with one run. You only need to maintain the file paths.

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1. Press Alt + F11 to open the VBA editor.
2. In the VBA editor, click Insert > Module to add a new module.
3. Paste the following macro into the module, and replace the file paths with your own:

   Sub OpenMultipleDocsAtOnce()
       Dim docList As Variant
       Dim fn As Variant
   
       docList = Array( _
           "C:\YourFolder\Doc1.docx", _
           "C:\YourFolder\Doc2.docx", _
           "C:\YourFolder\Doc3.docx" _
       )
   
       For Each fn In docList
           If Len(Dir(fn)) > 0 Then
               Documents.Open FileName:=fn
           End If
       Next fn
   End Sub

   Tip: Replace the file paths with the actual locations of your documents, and include additional paths if you need to open more documents.
4. Press F5 to run the macro to open all listed documents.

Workaround: Pin frequently used documents in Word Favorites

If you don’t need “groups” but want fast access to certain documents, you can favorite (or pin) them in Word so they always stay on top.

1. In Word, click File.
2. Find the document you always need to open (usually under Recent or Open).
3. Hover over it and click the star (or pin) icon to add it to Favorites.

   

Favorited documents will be pinned to the top, making them faster to access. However, this is best for a few key files, not for opening an entire set at once.

Which method works best for you?

Conclusion

If you only need to open multiple Word documents occasionally, using File Explorer is the quickest and most straightforward option. It requires no extra tools, but it works best for one-time selections rather than repeated workflows.

For users who regularly work with the same sets of documents, Kutools for Word offers the most efficient solution. Its Favorites feature lets you organize documents into reusable groups, open individual files as needed, or open an entire group with a single click.

VBA macros are a powerful alternative for advanced users who prefer a customizable, code-based approach, while pinning documents in Word Favorites is ideal for keeping a few important files within easy reach.

By choosing the method that best matches how you work—whether quick access, reusable groups, or automation—you can save time and make working with multiple Word documents much more efficient.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. If you’d like to explore more Word tips and practical solutions, please click here to browse our full collection of Word tutorials.