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: Indenting a Paragraph.

Indenting a Paragraph

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 6, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

If you want to quickly indent a paragraph from the left margin, you can do so by any of these means:

Display the Home tab of the ribbon and click the Increase Indent tool in the Paragraph group. This moves the left margin to the position of the next tab stop.
Press Ctrl+M. Each time you press it, the left margin is moved to the position of the next tab stop.
Use the mouse to drag the indent markers on the Ruler. Release the mouse button where you want the paragraph indented.
Use the Paragraph dialog box by displaying the Home tab of the ribbon and clicking the small icon at the lower-right corner of the Paragraph group; make sure the Indents and Spacing tab is selected. You can then precisely set the indent in the Left field.

This final method of setting the indent is the most precise, and is also a great way to precisely indent a paragraph from the right margin. If you want to do this, simply enter the desired indent in the Right field. You can double-indent a paragraph by entering values in both the Left and Right fields.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7874) 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: Indenting a Paragraph.

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...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Inserting Today's Date

When writing letters, reports, or other date-dependent documents, you need to regularly insert the current date in the ...

Discover More

Putting More than One Hyperlink in a Cell

Excel allows you to put a single hyperlink in a cell. If you have a need to put multiple hyperlinks in a cell, then you ...

Discover More

Rounding Up to a Value Ending in 9

Need to round values up to the next value that ends in 9? There are a number of ways you can accomplish the task through ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Centering a Paragraph with the Keyboard

Need a quick shortcut that you can use to center your paragraph between the margins? The answer is here.

Discover More

Adjusting Spacing After a Paragraph

There is no need to press Enter a second time at the end of each paragraph. Let Word take care of the spacing ...

Discover More

Double Indenting

Indenting a paragraph is easy in Word. In fact, the program provides shortcut keys that make it a snap. Indenting from ...

Discover More

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.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 9 - 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

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.