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: Changing Default Tab Stops.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 18, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365
Normally, Word assumes that when you press the Tab key in a paragraph that you want to move the insertion point to the next half inch. This assumes, of course, that you have not set any tabs for the current paragraph. If you want to change the default tab stops for the document in which you are working, you can do so as follows:
Figure 1. The Tabs dialog box.
Remember that the change you make affects the current document and only those paragraphs that don't have any explicit tab stops set.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7067) 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: Changing Default Tab Stops.
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2023-08-22 10:11:23
Adrienne
Andrew, thanks for your response. I need to look up how to change the Normal template.
2023-08-21 09:37:30
Paul
"Remember that the change you make affects the current document and only those paragraphs that don't have any explicit tab stops set."
If you asked 100 people which paragraph(s) in which document(s) would be affected, exactly zero would answer correctly. Microsoft should explain this in a pop-up tip.
2023-08-21 09:15:07
Andrew
Adrienne, you make this change in the template on which your documents are based - usually this will be the Normal template (Normal.dotm).
Andy.
2023-08-18 13:29:00
Adrienne Scher
How can I change the default tab settings for all documents? Not just for the one I'm in. I don't want to have to reset them for every document. Thanks!
2021-04-24 22:50:36
Linda Smithers
I think this will help me greatly.
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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:
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