To set margins in Microsoft Word, go to the Layout tab, select Margins, and pick a preset such as Normal or Narrow. For exact sizes, choose Margins > Custom Margins, type the top, bottom, left, and right values, and select OK.
By default, Word gives every page a one-inch margin. You can change margins for the whole document or only part of it, make your choice the default for new documents, add extra space for binding, or drag the margins on the ruler. Steps for Windows, Mac, and Word for the web are below.
Quick Answer
- Open your document and select the Layout tab.
- Select Margins.
- Pick a preset, or select Custom Margins to type exact values.
- In Custom Margins, choose what to apply the change to, then select OK.
- To use these margins in every new document, select Set As Default before clicking OK.
In This Guide
- Before you start: margins vs. indents
- Method 1: Use a margin preset
- Method 2: Set custom margins
- Change margins for part of a document
- Make your margins the default
- Method 3: Adjust margins with the ruler
- Gutter and mirror margins for binding
- Set margins in Word for Mac
- Set margins in Word for the web
- Which option should you use?
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Start: Margins vs. Indents
Margins are the blank spaces around the edges of the page: top, bottom, left, and right. They control where text can go on every page in a section. Indents are different. They move a single paragraph in from the margin, like the first-line indent at the start of a paragraph. If only one paragraph looks off, you probably need to fix its indent, not the page margin. Our guide on removing an indent in Word covers that.
This guide covers, as of September 2026:
- Word for Windows in Microsoft 365, plus Word 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016.
- Word for Mac in Microsoft 365 and recent standalone versions.
- Word for the web, which has the basic margin tools.
Two more terms you’ll see:
- Section: a part of a document that can have its own page layout. A new document has one section. Section breaks split it into more.
- Gutter: extra margin space added on the side (or top) where pages will be bound, so the binding doesn’t hide text.
If you’re writing to a required format, such as a school paper or a court filing, check the exact margin sizes it asks for before you start.
Method 1: How to Use a Margin Preset
Presets are the fastest option and cover most everyday documents. These steps follow Microsoft’s training page Change margins.
- Open the document in Word.
- Select the Layout tab on the ribbon. In some older versions, this tab is called Page Layout.
- Select Margins in the Page Setup group. Expected result: A menu opens with presets, each showing its measurements.
- Click a preset. Expected result: The margins change right away and your text reflows to fit.
The measurements for each preset are shown in the menu. In US versions of Word, they typically look like this (values can differ by region, measurement unit, and version):
| Preset | Typical margins | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 1 inch on all sides | Most letters, reports, and school papers |
| Narrow | 0.5 inch on all sides | Fitting more on a page, like flyers or checklists |
| Moderate | 1 inch top and bottom, 0.75 inch left and right | Slightly more room without looking crowded |
| Wide | 1 inch top and bottom, 2 inches left and right | Documents with space for notes |
| Mirrored | Inside and outside margins instead of left and right | Two-sided printing and booklets |
| Office 2003 Default | 1 inch top and bottom, 1.25 inches left and right | Matching older documents |
The top of the menu may also show a Last Custom Setting entry, which reapplies the custom margins you used most recently.
Method 2: How to Set Custom Margins
Use custom margins when you need exact numbers. Microsoft describes this on its page Create custom margins.
- Open the dialog. Select Layout > Margins > Custom Margins. Expected result: The Page Setup dialog opens on the Margins tab.
- Enter the values. Type new numbers in the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right boxes, or use the arrows. Word uses your system’s measurement unit, usually inches in the US.
- Check the Preview. The Preview area shows a small sample page with your new margins.
- Choose where to apply them. Use the Apply to box at the bottom (explained in the next section).
- Select OK. Expected result: The document updates with the new margins.
The same dialog also has Orientation (Portrait or Landscape), Gutter settings, and a Multiple pages option, covered further down.
Note: If your document has more than one section, Microsoft notes that new margins only apply to the current section unless you choose otherwise in Apply to.
Margins, orientation, and paper size work together
Margins are measured from the paper’s edges, so changing orientation or paper size changes how much room your text has. If you switch a page from Portrait to Landscape in the Orientation area of the same dialog, Word rotates the page and the margins with it: what was the top margin becomes a side margin. Paper size is on the Paper tab of the Page Setup dialog. A good habit is to choose paper size and orientation first, then set margins, and only then fine-tune your text and images. Setting margins last means less rework, because every margin change reflows text across pages.
How to Change Margins for Part of a Document
The Apply to box in the Page Setup dialog decides whether your change affects the whole document or only some of it. Depending on your document and what’s selected, you’ll see choices such as:
- Whole document: every page gets the new margins.
- This point forward: Word inserts a section break at the cursor, and pages from there on get the new margins.
- This section: only the current section changes (shown when the document has several sections).
- Selected text: shown when text is selected; Word puts that text in its own section with the new margins.
Before you apply margins to part of a document: Word adds section breaks to make this work. Those breaks can also affect headers, footers, and page numbering in the new section, so check them afterward.
To give one page different margins:
- Click at the very start of the page you want to change.
- Select Layout > Margins > Custom Margins, enter the values, and set Apply to to This point forward. Select OK.
- Click at the start of the next page, open Custom Margins again, set your original margins, and apply them to This point forward.
Our guide to using different margins on different pages goes deeper into section breaks.
How to Make Your Margins the Default
If you always use the same margins, set them as the default so every new blank document starts with them.
- Select Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.
- Enter the margins you want.
- Select Set As Default. Expected result: Word asks you to confirm that you want to change the default settings.
- Select Yes, then OK.
According to Microsoft’s page margin basics, Set As Default makes your settings the standard for new documents based on the Normal template, the file Word uses as the starting point for blank documents. Documents you’ve already created keep their own margins.
Method 3: How to Adjust Margins With the Ruler
The ruler is handy for quick visual changes when exact numbers don’t matter.
- Show the ruler. Select View, then check Ruler. The vertical ruler only appears in Print Layout view. If it’s missing, go to File > Options > Advanced and, under Display, select Show vertical ruler in Print Layout view.
- Find the margin edge. On the ruler, the margin areas are shaded (usually gray) and the text area is white.
- Drag the boundary. Point at the line between the shaded and white areas until the pointer turns into a two-headed arrow, then drag. Expected result: The margin moves and the text reflows.
Be careful to grab the margin boundary and not the small indent markers (the triangles and rectangle) on the horizontal ruler. Dragging those changes paragraph indents instead. On many setups, holding Alt while you drag shows exact measurements. The ruler changes the margins of the current section only.
Gutter and Mirror Margins for Binding
If you’ll print on both sides and bind the pages, set a gutter so the inside edge has extra room. These steps follow Microsoft’s page Set gutter margins.
- Select Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.
- In the Gutter box, enter the extra width you need for binding.
- In the Gutter position box, choose Left or Top.
- Select OK.
The Multiple pages list in the same dialog controls how margins behave across facing pages:
- Normal: every page has the same margins.
- Mirror margins: left and right become Inside and Outside, and the gutter alternates sides so it’s always next to the binding.
- 2 pages per sheet: prints two pages side by side on one sheet.
- Book fold: creates a booklet layout with two pages per sheet, arranged for folding.
When you choose Mirror margins, 2 pages per sheet, or Book fold, Word sets the gutter position automatically and the Gutter position box is unavailable. For a full booklet walkthrough, see our guide on printing a booklet in Word.
How to Set Margins in Word for Mac
Word for Mac uses the same Layout tab and presets as Windows.
- Select the Layout tab, then Margins.
- Click a preset, or select Custom Margins to enter your own values.
- In the dialog, type the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins, choose Apply to, and select OK.
To make margins the default on a Mac, Microsoft’s instructions use Format > Document, the Margins tab, and the Default button. Newer versions may show the same dialog from Custom Margins, and button wording can vary by version. Gutter settings are in the same dialog. The ruler works as on Windows: turn it on from View > Ruler and drag the margin boundary.
How to Set Margins in Word for the Web
- Open the document in Word for the web and make sure you’re in Editing mode.
- Select Layout > Margins.
- Choose a preset, or select Custom Margins and enter your values.
Word for the web has fewer page setup options than the desktop app. If you don’t see gutter, section, or default settings there, open the file in the desktop app (look for Open in Desktop App under the Editing menu) and set them there. The margins you set in either version stay with the document.
Which Option Should You Use?
| You want to… | Best option |
|---|---|
| Use standard 1-inch margins or a quick tighter layout | Layout > Margins preset |
| Meet an exact requirement, like 1.5 inches on the left | Custom Margins |
| Change one page or one part of the document | Custom Margins with Apply to: This point forward |
| Use the same margins in every new document | Custom Margins > Set As Default |
| Nudge margins by eye | Ruler |
| Print a bound report or booklet | Gutter plus Mirror margins or Book fold |
Related: How to Remove Margins in Word.
Troubleshooting
Only part of the document changed
Your document has multiple sections, and the change went to the current section only. Select all text first (Ctrl+A, or Command+A on a Mac), open Custom Margins, set Apply to to Whole document, and select OK. To see section breaks, select Home > Show/Hide (the paragraph mark button).
Word warns that margins are outside the printable area
Most printers can’t print right to the edge of the paper. If Word warns that one or more margins are outside the printable area, select Fix if offered, or increase the margins slightly. Print preview (File > Print) shows how the page will come out.
Pages shifted after I changed margins
Wider or narrower margins change how many lines fit on each page, so page breaks, headings, and images move. Microsoft recommends previewing before printing, because layout changes applied to only part of a document can have unexpected results. Check File > Print and fix any headings stranded at the bottom of a page. Press Ctrl+Z right away if you want to undo a margin change.
A table or image sticks out past the margin
Margins limit text, but tables and floating pictures can extend beyond them. For a table, select it and use Layout (Table Layout) > AutoFit > AutoFit Window. For a picture, resize it or change its wrapping to In Line with Text.
New documents still open with the old margins
Set As Default only affects new blank documents based on the Normal template. Documents made from other templates use their own margins. If your default won’t stick, your Normal template may be read-only or managed by your organization.
One paragraph is still pushed in
That’s an indent, not a margin. Select the paragraph and set Left and Right indent to 0 on the Layout tab.
Related: Set 1-inch margins in Word.
Related: How to edit a resume in Word.
Related: How to set A4 paper size in Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the default margins in Word?
Word starts each page with a one-inch margin on every side, which matches the Normal preset in US versions.
How do I set 1-inch margins in Word?
Select Layout > Margins > Normal, or enter 1 in all four boxes under Custom Margins.
Can I use centimeters instead of inches?
Yes. On Windows, go to File > Options > Advanced and change Show measurements in units of under Display. You can also type a unit directly, such as 2.5 cm, in the margin boxes.
Do margin changes affect headers and footers?
Headers and footers sit inside the top and bottom margins. Very small top or bottom margins can make the header or footer crowd your body text, so preview the page after big changes.
What’s the difference between Mirrored margins and a gutter?
Mirrored margins swap left and right for facing pages so inside margins line up with the binding. A gutter adds extra space to that binding edge. You can use both together.
How do I give a single landscape page its own margins?
Click at the start of that page, open Custom Margins, choose Landscape, set the margins, and apply them to This point forward. Then go to the start of the next page and switch back to Portrait with your usual margins, again using This point forward.
Why is the Margins button gray?
The document may be in Read Mode or protected from editing. Switch to Print Layout (View > Print Layout) or select Enable Editing if a yellow bar appears at the top.
Summary
- Select Layout > Margins and click a preset for a quick change.
- Choose Custom Margins to type exact top, bottom, left, and right values.
- Use Apply to to change the whole document or only from a point forward.
- Select Set As Default to use your margins in new documents.
- Drag the shaded edge of the ruler for quick visual changes.
- Add a Gutter and Mirror margins for bound, two-sided documents.
Next step: Open your document, set the margins you need with Custom Margins, and check the result in print preview before you print or share it.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.