How to Set Tabs in a Word Document

Setting tabs on your Microsoft Word document will let you align the text on a page. This will organize your text so it has a uniform look to it. You can set tabs to the right or left or even both sides of the document, and doing so is very easy and straightforward.

Steps

  1. Image titled Set Tabs in a Word Document Step 1
    1
    Open Microsoft Word. On your desktop, double-click the Microsoft Word icon to launch the application.
  2. Image titled Set Tabs in a Word Document Step 2
    2
    Make the ruler visible. By default, the ruler at the top of the document should already be visible. In the case that it is not, click the View option at the very top of the screen, and a window will drop-down. Click on “Ruler” to display it at the top of the document.
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  3. Image titled Set Tabs in a Word Document Step 3
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    Click the tab selector. At the top-left corner of the document, you can see the tab selector. It should be exactly on the left side of the ruler. Click it and you will be able to select the type of tab you want.
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    Set the tab position. Now click anywhere at the bottom edge of the ruler to set where you want the tab.
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    Adjust the tab. If you need some more adjusting to your tab, simply drag the tab you set left or right along the ruler.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I change tabs?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    To move left, press Ctrl + Tab; to move right, press Ctrl + Shift + Tab. Or you can just click on the tab you want.
  • Question
    Can I set tabs when I have already made a Word document?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes you can. Your Word document just needs to be aligned in paragraph format, then you are able to drag the tabs where you would like them.
  • Question
    How do I delete a tab in a Word document?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Click the tab stop on the ruler and drag down. Also, you can double-click the tab stop, select the position of the tab stop you want to delete, click clear, and click OK.
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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 192,634 times.
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Co-authors: 4
Updated: January 8, 2016
Views: 192,634
Categories: Microsoft Word
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