Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 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: Displaying the Ruler.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 5, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
The ruler appears at the top of every Word document window. The ruler is used to adjust formatting and align elements of your page. It is very helpful if you are using Word with a mouse.
Word allows you to control whether this ruler is displayed or not. To do this, simply display the View tab of the ribbon. Note the Ruler check box in the Show group. If the check box is selected, the Ruler is displayed; if it is not selected, the Ruler is hidden.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10198) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Displaying the Ruler.
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 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!
Word allows you to configure how your document is displayed rather extensively. One configuration that has been around ...
Discover MoreWhen you open a document that you previously edited, Word displays a message the right side of the screen about jumping ...
Discover MoreAll those little ScreenTips bug you when moving through the toolbars and ribbons of Word? You can turn them off by ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2023-04-29 21:27:44
Tom
i have Word version 2202, which is for the office i work in. the horizontal ruler does not show when you open word each time. you can make it display again, but when you close word and open it again, the ruler will be gone. can't find a solution. have heard of registry solutions but that is not an option for me since most of those things are locked to users at my company (I think).
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 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:
Comments