- You can indent the first line or an entire paragraph using the Tab key in Word.
- Microsft Word also offers a ruler that you may adjust to indent different parts of the document.
- The Microsoft Word Paragraph dialog box offers a more comprehensive indentation option list.
Method 1: Indent First Line or Entire Paragraph Using the Tab Key
The Tab key on your keyboard is the quickest method for indenting paragraphs. However, it is best used when indenting individual paragraphs in your Word document. Here’s how to use it:
Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Word app.
Step 2: Open your desired document.
Step 3: Place your cursor on the paragraph in the document you want to indent. Place your cursor at the start of the paragraph for the first line indent. While for standard indent, place your cursor at the start of any other line in the paragraph.
Step 4: Press the Tab key on your keyboard. For the first-line indent, pressing the tab key should leave a gap between the left page margin and the first line. For the standard indent, leave a gap between the left page margin and the entire paragraph.
Method 2: Indent a Whole Document Using the Ruler
You can use the Ruler to indent your paragraphs in Microsoft Word. The Ruler has markers that you can adjust to create paragraph indents. This makes it easier and faster to simultaneously adjust the indent for multiple paragraphs. Here’s how to do so:
Step 1: Open Microsoft Word.
Step 2: Open your desired document.
Step 3: Place your cursor on the Word document.
Step 4: Press the Control + A keyboard shortcut to select all text in the Word document. Alternatively, click the Select All option in the Editing group of the Word Home Ribbon.
Step 5: Click the View tab on the Word Ribbon.
Step 6: Tick the box beside Ruler to ensure the Ruler is visible on the Word canvas.
Step 7: Hover your cursor over the markers on the Word Ruler, and it should show the First Line Indent , Left Indent , and Right Indent .
Step 8: Drag the markers to get the desired indent.
Note: You can use the Word Ruler to adjust page margins and add tab stops to a document.
Method 3: Use Paragraph Dialog Box For More Indentation Options
The paragraph dialog box method allows you to choose the type of indent you want for the paragraphs in your document. You can also decide on the width of the indent gap between the page margins and the lines of text in the paragraph. Here’s how to do so:
Step 1: Launch your Microsoft Word.
Step 2: Open the desired document.
Step 3: Place your cursor on the Word document.
Step 4: Press the Ctrl + A keys on your keyboard to select all text in the Word document. Alternatively, click the Select All option in the Editing group of the Word Home Ribbon.
Step 5: In the Home tab of the Word Ribbon, click the dialog box launcher beside the Paragraph group.
Step 6: Click the Indents and Spacing tab in the Paragraph dialog box.
Step 7: In the Indentation section, click the drop-down beneath Special .
Step 8: Choose your preferred indentation from (none) , First line , and Hanging .
Step 9: In the By field, select the width of the indent using the increment arrows.
Step 10: Click the OK button to save your choices and close the dialog box.
