WPS Design Mode on Windows: Introduction

WPS Design Mode helps you edit and configure content controls in documents; this guide covers 2 core tasks, with 2 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	2	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	2	Matches the Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

Design Mode is a feature in WPS Writer on Windows for editing and configuring content controls in templates, forms, and structured documents.

Core tasks include:

Enter Design Mode from the Developer tab.
Edit existing content controls and then exit Design Mode when setup is complete.

This feature is useful for form creation, template maintenance, and structured document entry where you need to distinguish content controls from normal text.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows desktop environment
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office
Network	No mandatory network connection is required for local editing; download and account-related actions require internet access
Other	Open the document in WPS Writer and make sure the Developer tab is available

Download & Installation

Use Design Mode after installing the Windows version of WPS Office and opening your document in WPS Writer.

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install check	Launch WPS Writer, open a document, and confirm that the Design Mode entry is visible on the Developer tab

Source: WPS download center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Lets you switch to Design Mode from the Developer tab and edit content controls in document templates and forms.	Word provides content controls on the Developer tab for templates, forms, and documents.	Google Docs offers templates, building blocks, and dropdowns for structured content, but it does not present the same desktop content-control design mode workflow.	Notion Forms connects questions to database properties for online data collection, rather than document content-control editing.	Adobe Acrobat Sign provides field types for forms and signing workflows, mainly in PDF-based scenarios.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: You can work directly inside a writer document and switch between editing controls and normal use mode in the same file.	Compared with WPS: Also supports content controls, with documentation centered on the Developer tab and control management.	Compared with WPS: More focused on online collaboration and building blocks than document control editing in a desktop writer workflow.	Compared with WPS: Better suited to database-backed online forms than document template control editing.	Compared with WPS: Better suited to PDF form fields and e-signature workflows than writer document control editing.
Official Source	—	About content controls	Google Docs product page	Forms	Field types

Overall Conclusion
WPS Design Mode fits document-based template editing when you need to adjust content controls directly in a writer file. Other products are stronger in their own areas, such as online collaboration, database-driven forms, or PDF signing workflows.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main issue	How Design Mode helps
1	Building fillable forms	Admin staff, teachers, HR teams	Users need fixed areas for input	Edit content controls and their settings in the document
2	Updating template prompts	Template maintainers	Placeholder text is unclear	Select the control and revise its settings
3	Reviewing control boundaries	Document reviewers	Hard to distinguish controls from plain text	Turn on Design Mode and inspect each control
4	Returning to normal use mode	General office users	The file remains in editing state after setup	Click Design Mode again to exit editing state
5	Standardizing document entry	Team document managers	Multi-user input becomes inconsistent	Use content controls to define structured input areas

Membership & Benefits

Design Mode itself is available directly for the tasks listed here; this section summarizes general plan differences and subscription options.

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free users	WPS Premium
Design Mode entry	✅ Available	✅ Available
Content control editing	✅ Available	✅ Available
Advanced PDF tools and broader add-on benefits	Basic access as shown on the pricing page	More advanced capabilities and broader benefits
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Occasional content control editing	Free	Design Mode is available for the core document-control workflow
Broader office needs with more storage or advanced tools	WPS Premium	Better fit if you also need expanded office benefits beyond this feature

Subscribe here: WPS Office pricing page