How To Set Tabs In Microsoft Word 2013

When yous press the Tab key while working in Microsoft Word, your cursor moves to a specific location chosen a tab stop. Tabs can be used to indent paragraphs, but they tin can too be used for other purposes including creating single- and multi-column lists. This tutorial shows (1) how to alter Word's default tab and (2) how to create, modify, and delete tabs in Word on the ruler.

Important Note: Although tabs can be used to indent paragraphs, Give-and-take's congenital-in indent options are more efficient and reliable for longer documents. Encounter "Three Means to Indent Paragraphs in Microsoft Give-and-take" for more information.

Before starting the tutorial, permit's await at the different types of tab stops you can employ in Word.

Five Types of Tab Stops in Word

Word includes 5 different tab stops:

The left tab places left-aligned text to the right of the tab stop. (This is the most common tab stop.)
The center tab centers text on the tab stop.
The correct tab places right-aligned text to the left of the tab terminate.
The decimal tab aligns text based on the first decimal placed on the tab finish.
The bar tab creates a vertical line at the tab stop. (Technically, this is non a tab; it is for formatting multi-column lists.)

This tutorial is bachelor every bit a YouTube video showing all the steps in existent time.

Watch more than 150 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. The steps also utilize to Word 2022, Give-and-take 2022, Give-and-take 2022, Word 2022, and Give-and-take 2010.

How to Alter Word'due south Default Tab

Past default, Word moves your cursor half an inch to the right when you press the Tab primal on your keyboard. Yet, yous can alter the length of your default left tab stop without creating a new tab.

The following steps merely bear on your electric current document. If yous want to modify the default tab for all time to come documents, you have to modify your normal.dotm template. We volition cover that avant-garde topic in a carve up tutorial.

Select the Home tab in the ribbon.

Home Tab in Word 365 / Word 2022 — Figure 1. Domicile tab

Select the dialog box launcher in the Paragraph group.

Paragraph Dialog Box Launcher in Word 365 / Word 2022 — Figure ii. Paragraph group dialog box launcher

Select the Tabs button in the Paragraph dialog box.

Tabs button in the Paragraph dialog box in Word 365 / Word 2022 — Figure iii. Tabs push

Use the increment arrows to conform the default tab stop in the Tabs dialog box. Alternatively, you lot can blazon a new number directly into the text box.

Tabs dialog box Default Tab Stops in Word 365 / Word 2022 — Figure 4. Default tab stops text box

Select the OK button to shut the Tabs dialog box.

How to Create, Change, and Delete Tabs on Discussion's Ruler

The steps below employ the ruler. You tin can besides create and accommodate tabs using the Tabs dialog box. However, that process is less convenient than the ruler method, so information technology will be presented in a separate, advanced tutorial.

How to Create Tabs on the Ruler

Skip to stride 3 if your ruler is already visible.

Select the View tab in the ribbon.

View Tab in Word 365 / Word 2022 — Figure half dozen. View tab

Select Ruler in the Evidence group.

Ruler checkbox in Word 365 / Word 2022 — Effigy vii. Ruler checkbox

Printing Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select your unabridged document or select the portion of your document to which y'all want to apply the tab.

If y'all don't select all or part of your document before creating your new tab, it will but use to the paragraph your cursor is currently in or newly created content.

Click the tab selector button until information technology changes to the symbol representing the tab you want. (Hover your arrow over each symbol in the tab selector for a tooltip explaining each symbol.)

Tab selector button in the Word 365 / Word 2022 — Effigy eight. Tab selector push button

Click the location on the ruler where you would like to place the tab stop. The tab symbol volition and so appear on the ruler.

Left tab stop on the ruler in Word 365 / Word 2022 — Figure 9. Left tab terminate

Note that yous can identify multiple tab stops on the ruler. Each time y'all press the Tab fundamental, your cursor will move to the adjacent stop.

How to Change Tabs on the Ruler

[Optional pace] If you want to change the location of a tab stop and update all the text formatted with that tab, select only that text.
Slide the cursor symbol to a new location on the ruler. If your cursor is currently in a paragraph formatted with that tab, it will automatically update.

How to Delete Tabs on the Ruler

Ensure that no text or other content is selected.
Pull the tab symbol down and release information technology. It will be removed from the ruler.

Pro Tip: If you lot accidentally delete a tab, immediately press Ctrl + Z on your keyboard to disengage the deletion.

Related Resources

How to Create and Customize Headings in Microsoft Word

Three Ways to Insert Accent Marks in Microsoft Word

How to View the Give-and-take Count in Microsoft Word

Updated April 13, 2022