Continue placing the cursor at the beginning of paragraphs and repeat. On the Ruler at the top of the screen, the first-line indent marker (the marker pointing down toward the text) will move to the right by ½ inch.ģ. Place your cursor at the very beginning of the paragraph you want to indent.Ģ. This will create a first-line indent of ½ inch.ġ. The quickest way to indent is to use the Tab key. Click the checkbox next to Ruler in the left hand corner.This allows you to better position and customize your text spacing. But first, ensure the Ruler feature is displayed. There are multiple ways to indent in Microsoft Word depending on the style of document you’re creating and your preferences. Hanging indents are typically used in bibliography or reference sections. The steps are the same for Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.Īside from indenting the first line, it’s also possible to indent every line except for the first line, known as a hanging indent or second line indent. The images featured in this article are from Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), which is the same as Word 2019. As a general rule, block paragraphs are more common when writing for an online platform, and indented paragraphs are more common in print publishing and academic research. When creating a body of text in a Word document, indenting the first line adds structure and is the most common way to signal the start of a new paragraph or topic.īlock paragraphs are the default in Word, meaning that each line within a paragraph is aligned with the left margin, and the paragraphs only visually separated by line spaces. Indent using Microsoft’s indent markers.

First line indent in word