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 the Number of Columns in the Middle of a Document.

Changing the Number of Columns in the Middle of a Document

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated July 3, 2021)

For some document layouts, columns can be used to present your information clearly and concisely. What if you already have a document and you want to format only part of it in columns? As an example, let's assume you have a five-page document, and you want to format the center part of page two as three columns. You want the rest of the document to remain a single column. To accomplish this formatting challenge, you can follow these steps:

Place the insertion point at the beginning of the text that will appear in the columns.
Display the Layout tab of the ribbon.
Click on the Breaks tool. Word displays a list of break types.
Click on Continuous. Word inserts a continuous section break in your document.
Place the insertion point at the end of the text that will appear in the columns.
Repeat steps 2 through 4 to insert another continuous section break.
Place the insertion point anywhere within the text that will appear in the columns.
Click the Columns tool in the Page Setup group. Word displays a number of column options.
Choose the option that indicates how many columns you desire.

That's it; the section between the two section breaks is formatted to use the number of columns you specified.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9480) 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 the Number of Columns in the Middle of a Document.

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

Getting a Double-Spaced Printout

When working with printed documents, many people prefer to see the document double-spaced. If you have a single-spaced ...

Discover More

Specifying Your Target Monitor

When you create a worksheet that is destined for viewing on the Web, you will want to specify the monitor resolution you ...

Discover More

Measuring Efficiency of Formulas and Macros

As the limits on what you can store in Excel have increased, so has the need to consider how to make your workbooks and ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Mixing Column Formats On a Page

Want to switch the number of columns used for your text, in the middle of a page? You can do this very easily by ...

Discover More

Using Parallel Columns

Users of WordPerfect know what parallel columns are. There is no such capability in Word, but there are ways you can ...

Discover More

Making Columns the Same Length

Balancing the length of each column in a multi-column page layout can be a challenge. Here's a quick way to get Word to ...

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 3 - 3?

2021-11-20 18:03:38

Johnny Waldrip

That's all well and good but if you have footnotes they will start over at one after the section break. And if you just highlight the list and hit colums two lets say. word automatically puts a continuous section break and therefore starts your footnotes over. Is there a way around this. I want two column bulleted list but want the footnotes to run consecutively through the section.

2021-07-07 16:31:44

Annette Carlson

Hi Allen,
Another quick and easy way to change text to columns is to select the text, With the text still selected, go to the Layout Tab, click columns, and select the # columns you want. Done.

2021-07-03 10:36:52

Jane

You can replace steps 3-7 with a single step of selecting the text you want to appear in columns. The Columns tool automatically inserts the necessary continuous section breaks-- at least it does so in Word 2016.

2021-07-03 06:22:50

Padraig McCarthy

Number of columns: you list 9 steps. How about 4?
1. Within the document, select the passage in your usual way.
2. Alt+O (for Format) and type C (for Columns)
3. In the Columns dialog box, select parameters: Number of columns, Width & Spacing, and Line between if desired.
4. Click Okay.
Done!
I use Word 2010, so check for your version.
If your selection is to the end of the document and you want to revert to the original arrangement of columns, just click back one space at the end of the selection before doing the 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.