How to Indent Text in a Microsoft Word Document

Introduction

Indenting text adds structure to your document by allowing you to separate information. Whether you'd like to move a single line or an entire paragraph, you can use the tab selector and the horizontal ruler to set tabs and indents.

Indenting text

In many types of documents, you may want to indent only the first line of each paragraph. This helps to visually separate paragraphs from one another.

It's also possible to indent every line except for the first line, which is known as a hanging indent.

To indent using the Tab key:

A quick way to indent is to use the Tab key. This will create a first-line indent of 1/2 inch.

1. Place the insertion point at the very beginning of the paragraph you want to indent.

2. Press the Tab key. On the Ruler, you should see the first-line indent marker move to the right by 1/2 inch.
3. The first line of the paragraph will be indented.

Indent markers

Word provides indent markers that allow you to indent paragraphs to the exact location you want. They are located on the left of the horizontal ruler:

• First-line indent marker: Adjusts the first line of a paragraph.
• Hanging indent marker: Adjusts every line except the first.
• Left indent marker: Moves both markers at once, indenting the whole paragraph.

To indent using markers:

1. Place the insertion point in the paragraph, or select multiple paragraphs.

2. Click and drag the desired indent marker (e.g., the left indent marker).
3. Release the mouse. The text will be indented.

Using Indent commands:

On the Home tab, you can click Increase Indent or Decrease Indent to adjust the indent by 1/2-inch increments.

Tabs

Tabs give you more control over text placement. By default, pressing Tab moves the text 1/2 inch, but adding tab stops to the Ruler allows you to change this distance and alignment.

The tab selector

The tab selector is located above the vertical ruler on the left. Click it to cycle through different types of tab stops:

• Left Tab: Left-aligns text.
• Center Tab: Centers text around the stop.
• Right Tab: Right-aligns text.
• Decimal Tab: Aligns numbers by the decimal point.
• Bar Tab: Draws a vertical line.

To add tab stops:

1. Select the paragraphs you want to modify.
2. Click the tab selector until the stop you want (e.g., Right Tab) appears.
3. Click the location on the horizontal ruler where you want the stop.
4. Place the insertion point in front of the text and press Tab.

Removing and Viewing Tabs

To remove a tab stop, click and drag it off the Ruler. To see where tabs and spaces are located, use the Show/Hide ¶ command on the Home tab.

1. Open our practice document.
2. Use the Tab key to indent each paragraph in the cover letter.
3. On page 2, select all text below Training & Education.
4. Place a right tab at the 6" (15.25 cm) mark and tab the date ranges to that stop.
5. Select job descriptions under Experience and move the left indent to the 0.25" mark.

Frequently Asked Questions