Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: Using Outline Numbering in a Table.
Greg wondered if it was possible to use outline numbering in a table. He questions this because whenever he presses the Tab key to advance to different bullet tiers (as he does outside of tables), he is instead taken to the next cell in the table.
To answer the question, yes, it is possible to use outline numbering in a table. The problem here is how you are choosing to advance between bullet tiers. The Tab key, in a table, is always used to move from one cell to another. To change indent levels—which gives you the next level of bullets or numbering—you need to use the Promote tool on the Outlining tab of the ribbon and, conversely, the Demote tool to return to a higher level.
If you prefer to not use the toolbar buttons, but instead want to use the keyboard, you can change the outline level by using Shift+Alt+Left Arrow or Shift+Alt+Right Arrow. These provide the same functionality as the Increase Indent and Decrease Indent buttons. If, for some reason, you want to actually add a tab character in the text appearing in a cell, you need to press Ctrl+Tab.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8380) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Using Outline Numbering in a Table.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
Need a quick shortcut to jump to the top or bottom of a table column? Here's the two shortcuts you are searching for.
Discover MoreFor those times when you remove the borders from your tables, Word provides a way that you can display non-printing ...
Discover MoreWhen you print a table that includes borders, those borders should be crisp and clear on the printout. If you get some ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2018-10-01 12:24:15
Paul Sforza
Was great learning this, but the keystroke option doesn't seem to be working for me. Instead it underlines text or moves it. Doesn't seem to advance to next level of outline. Any tips?
Thanks!
2015-01-07 07:09:27
Nick London
Implied but not stated
I use the Increase Indent buttton on the Home tab of the ribbon to change the level of the paragraph numbering. Decrease Indent has the opposite effect.
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2019 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: 
Comments