How to Change Margins in Word (Whole Document or One Section)

Margins are the white border round your text, and they quietly decide how a document feels. Squeeze a one-page CV onto a single sheet, give a printed workbook room for hole punching, or meet a publisher's formatting rules, and you'll be changing them.

Microsoft says every Word page starts with a one-inch margin on each side. Changing that takes seconds, but there are a few traps, especially in documents with several sections. Here's the lot, on desktop, the web and mobile.

Picking a preset margin in Word

1. Open the Layout tab.
2. Select Margins.
3. Choose one of the ready-made margin settings in the list.

Each preset shows its measurements in the menu, so you can see what you're getting before you click. That's the quickest route when you just want a bit more or less space.

Setting your own Word margins with Custom Margins

For exact values, such as a client's brand guidelines or a submission template, set them yourself:

1. Go to Layout, then Margins.
2. Select Custom Margins at the bottom of the list.
3. On the Margins tab of the Page Setup box, type new values for Top, Bottom, Left and Right.
4. Check the Apply to box (more on that below).
5. Select OK.

The steps are the same on a Mac: go to the Layout tab, select Margins, choose Custom Margins, enter your values and select OK.

Changing margins in Word for the web

In the browser, Microsoft says you first need to be in Edit view. If you're not, select Edit Document, then Edit in Word for the web. Then go to Page Layout, Margins, choose Custom Margins, set the values and select OK.

There's a limit worth knowing. Microsoft says Word for the web only supports changing the top, bottom, left and right margins. It'll keep a gutter that was set in the desktop app, but you can't add or change one in the browser.

Why Word margins only changed on some pages

This is the number one complaint, and it's almost always sections. Microsoft says that in a document with multiple sections, a margin change only applies to the current section. Look at the Apply to box in the Custom Margins dialog. According to Microsoft's page margin basics guide, it controls whether your changes affect the whole document or just the selected sections.

• Choose Whole document if every page should match.
• Choose the section option if only one part, such as a wide sideways table, needs different margins.
• Not sure where your sections start? Select Show/Hide on the Home tab to reveal the section breaks.

Making your Word margins the default for new documents

If you always use the same margins, save yourself the clicks. In the Custom Margins dialog, set your values and select Set As Default. Microsoft says this makes the settings the standard for new documents based on the Normal template. Existing documents won't change.

Margins for booklets and bound Word documents

If a document's going to be printed and bound, you need extra room on the inside edge. Word handles that two ways.

Setting	What it does
Gutter	Adds space for binding on the left or top edge
Mirrored	Flips the inside and outside margins on facing pages, so the gutter alternates left and right

To add a gutter, open Custom Margins, type a width in the Gutter box and choose Left or Top under Gutter position. Microsoft notes that Gutter position is set automatically and greyed out when you use mirror margins, two pages per sheet or a book fold layout.

Mirrored margins are ideal for workbooks and printed guides that open like a book, because the text never disappears into the spine.

Changing Word margins on iPhone, iPad and Android

On a phone, tap the Edit icon, then Home, switch to Layout and tap Margins. On an iPad or Android tablet, just tap Layout, then Margins. Pick a setting from the gallery, or choose Mirrored for facing pages.

Microsoft's mobile help is mixed on custom values. One part mentions a Custom Margins option for some users, while a general note says you can't create custom margins in the mobile apps. If you need exact numbers, set them on a computer, and the phone app will keep them.

Quick fixes when Word margins won't behave

• Text still looks too close to the edge? Check for paragraph indents on the Home tab, which are separate from margins.
• Only one section looks wrong. Reopen Custom Margins with your cursor in that section and check Apply to.
• Margins look fine on screen but print oddly. Check your printer's own settings and print a test page.

Margin choices for CVs, papers and business documents

A narrow margin can fit a CV onto one page, but don't go so tight that it looks crammed. A clean layout matters more than squeezing in one more bullet point, and my roundup of free resume templates worth downloading gives you layouts with sensible margins already set. If the words need as much work as the layout, try these ChatGPT prompts for resume writing before you fine-tune the spacing. For academic work, margins are usually set by the style guide, so check it before you submit.

Frequently asked questions

What are the default margins in Word?

Microsoft says each page automatically has a one-inch margin.

How do I set custom margins in Word?

Go to Layout, Margins, Custom Margins, enter values for Top, Bottom, Left and Right, and select OK.

Why did my margins only change on one part of the document?

Your document probably has more than one section. Microsoft says a margin change applies only to the current section unless you set Apply to for the whole document.

Can I change the gutter in Word for the web?

No. Microsoft says Word for the web keeps a gutter set in the desktop app but only supports changing the top, bottom, left and right margins.

How do I make new Word documents use my margins?

Set the values in Custom Margins and select Set As Default. Microsoft says that applies to new documents based on the Normal template.