Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Default Click and Type Paragraph Style.

Default Click and Type Paragraph Style

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 9, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365

Normally, when you enter a paragraph by using the Click and Type method, the paragraph is essentially formatted using the Normal style. Granted, there are some changes to the basic formatting of the style (such as right alignment, center alignment, or indentation), but it is nonetheless the Normal style. You can control what style Word uses as the base style for any paragraph you enter using Click and Type. To do this, follow these steps:

Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 or a later version display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
At the left side of the dialog box, click Advanced.
In the Editing area of the dialog box, use the Default Paragraph Style drop-down list to specify a style to use for your Click and Type paragraphs. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Editing area of the Word Options dialog box.

Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6000) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Default Click and Type Paragraph Style.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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