Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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.

Changing Default Tab Stops

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 18, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


7

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:

  1. Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
  2. Click the icon at the bottom-right of the Paragraph group. Word displays the Paragraph dialog box.
  3. Click the Tabs button. Word displays the Tabs dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Tabs dialog box.

  5. Change the value in the Default Tab Stops control. You can change it in .01-inch increments, from 0.01 inches to 22 inches.
  6. Click on OK.

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 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Changing Default Tab Stops.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Errors When Subtracting

When you subtract two numbers from each other, you have a certain expectation of what Excel should deliver. What if you ...

Discover More

Running a Macro when a Worksheet is Activated

Want to run a macro when you first select a worksheet? You can do so by using one of the event handlers built into Excel, ...

Discover More

ExcelTips: Powerful Lookup Functions

Want to access your data indirectly? The answer is to use Excel's lookup function. ExcelTips: Powerful Lookup ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Quickly Displaying the Tabs Dialog Box

Setting tabs in a paragraph is a common task. This is most easily done by using the Tabs dialog box. Displaying the ...

Discover More

Searching for Tabs

Tabs don't normally show up in your printed document, but Word allows you to still search for them. All you need to do is ...

Discover More

Understanding Decimal Tabs

Word offers a variety of tabs that define different ways to align text. If you need to align numeric values, you'll ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is eight minus 3?

2024-03-28 10:07:51

Andrew

GFIN Sunny,

The simple way is to select the column, and then set a manual tab for all the cells in that column at the space you want the title to start. Then when you edit the name, the titles should still line up.

Andy.


2024-03-28 03:29:38

GFIN Sunny

Within a Table of Name and Title in same Column, delineated by Tab(s) depending on the length of Name, I need help to easily change Name without affecting position of Title.
Is it possible to find and replace with appropriate number of Tab(s)?
Since this is a Word Template originated by another department, I cannot change the Template.


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.


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.