essay paragraph indent

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

A Guide to Indenting Paragraphs

4-minute read

• 9th July 2022

Indentation refers to the gap between the left-hand margin and the beginning of text on the page or screen. Like font choice and line spacing , indentation might seem like a trivial formatting decision, but using indentation effectively makes your writing more professional-looking and easier to read.

In this guide, we’ll summarize the rules for indentation given by three of the most common style guides. Then we’ll explain the simplest way to apply paragraph indentation in Microsoft Word. First though, what are the different types of indentation?

Indentation Options

Microsoft Word offers three choices of indentation style:

●  Standard: Each line of text is indented by a specified amount. This type of indentation is useful for block quotes and other sections of text that you want to set apart.

●  First line: Indentation is applied to the first line of each paragraph. This provides a visual clue to readers that you’re shifting focus or introducing a new idea.

●  Hanging: An indent is applied to the second and subsequent lines of each paragraph. Hanging indentation is most often used in works cited lists and bibliographies, as it enables readers to easily scan the list of authors.

Indentation in APA Style

In APA , you should indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5” (1.27 cm). This rule also applies to the abstract, except for the first line, which should be left aligned.

Standard indentation of 0.5” is applied to block quotations, and if the quote runs to more than one paragraph, you must indent the first line of the second and subsequent paragraphs by a further 0.5”.

The entries in an APA reference list should have a hanging indent of 0.5”.

Indentation in MLA Style

The guidelines for MLA are very similar to those of APA with a slight difference in the formatting of block quotes. In MLA, the first line of the second and subsequent paragraphs of block quotes should be indented by only 0.25”. Moreover, if the beginning of the first paragraph of the block quote begins a paragraph in the source text, it too should be indented by 0.25”.

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

Indentation in Associated Press Style

The Associated Press Stylebook says that you should not use indentation to indicate the start of a new paragraph. Instead, you should hit the Enter key twice at the end of a paragraph (like we do in our blog posts). Block quotes should have standard indentation of 0.5”.

How to Apply Indentation in MS Word

One quick way to indent text is to hit the Tab key when the cursor is at the beginning of a line. This will indent the line by 0.5”. Pressing Tab again will increase the indent by a further 0.5” and so on. However, if you want to apply a consistent indentation style throughout a section or an entire document, it’s more efficient to use the options in the Paragraph section of the Home tab.

To automatically apply indentation to the first line of every paragraph, select Paragraph Options on the Home tab, then choose First line from the list of special indentations. Finally, enter the size of indentation you require in centimeters (e.g., 1.27).

Hanging indentations work in much the same way. You simply choose Hanging instead of First line .

For block quotes, you can use the Increase Indent button, which appears on the Home and Layout tabs. Each time you press it, the indent increases by 0.5”. You can then reduce or remove the indent with the Decrease Indent button.

Alternatively, you could create a custom style for block quotes using the Styles feature. To do this, follow these steps:

• Select the relevant text and apply indentation either with the Increase Indent button or by entering the required size in Paragraph Options .
• With the text still selected, click on the Styles Pane and select New Style.
• A Create New Style from Formatting box should appear. Enter a name for your newly created style (e.g., Block quote ).

You will then be able to choose the same style and easily apply it to all of the block quotes in your document.

Flawless Formatting

We hope you now feel confident about when and how to apply indentation in your writing. When you upload a document to us for proofreading , you can add full formatting as an extra option. Or, if your writing has already been checked for errors, we offer a formatting-only service— contact us today for a quote.

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

2-minute read

How to Cite the CDC in APA

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

5-minute read

Six Product Description Generator Tools for Your Product Copy

Introduction If you’re involved with ecommerce, you’re likely familiar with the often painstaking process of...

3-minute read

What Is a Content Editor?

Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...

The Benefits of Using an Online Proofreading Service

Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...

6 Online AI Presentation Maker Tools

Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...

What Is Market Research?

No matter your industry, conducting market research helps you keep up to date with shifting...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

How and When to Use Indentation in Academic and Professional Writing

Writing an essay, research paper, and assignments involves coordinating many things simultaneously. You can only achieve good academic writing when you adhere to the correct formatting style of a paper. Often, indenting the paragraphs is an ingredient to paper formatting that most students either ignore or are unaware of. Apart from setting up the right 1-inch margins around the paper, setting the paper in double or single-spacing, having page numbers, and titling your work, you need to ensure that you indent it appropriately.

In academic writing, which is usually done on Microsoft Word, indentation means formatting the paragraphs so that the first sentence is slightly pushed forward, leaving a space between the margin and the first word. Indenting your paragraph helps in organization and distinguishing a paragraph from the next. You should always indent your topic sentences, conclusion paragraphs, and the first sentence of the introduction paragraph.

Should you indent every paragraph in your essay or research paper?

You should indent every paragraph when writing an essay, research paper, term paper, thesis, or dissertation. This applies to the APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard writing formats. Ensure that each of the first lines for every new paragraph you are writing is indented 0.5 inches from the left margin.

To indent in a word document, use the tab key or press the space bar five times. Using the tab key is far much accurate because it sets the cursor at the exact place where you need to type your first sentence in the paragraph.

When writing a long research paper or essay that needs an abstract, ensure that you indent the paragraphs of the paper but not the abstract. An abstract is never indented. Instead, when writing an abstract, left-align the entire paragraph so there is no indent. Again, this special formatting technique for the abstract helps to distinguish it from the rest of the paper.

Having answered the most pertinent question, let us have an overview of what this means for the formatting styles such as MLA, APA, Chicago, or Harvard formatting.

Related reading:

• How to write good paragraphs in an essay.

Main formatting Styles and Indentation

In high school, college, or university, essays and other academic assignments and homework are written following academic writing conventions. It is a requirement to stick to a specific formatting and citation style when writing a specific paper. The formatting styles depend on the subject.

For instance, most English papers are written in MLA, APA, Harvard, and Chicago. If you are a nursing student, you will write most papers in APA, ASA, Harvard, or AMA formatting style. Humanities such as religious studies, history, arts, and literature will use the Chicago style. Most social sciences, such as criminology, will use Harvard and APA formatting styles. The list is endless.

Whenever you doubt the style requirements, check out the style guides available online to proceed with writing when you are sure about what to include and what not to include.

MLA Formatting Requirements

When writing a paper in MLA format, you should indent each paragraph in the essay or research paper. Besides, you should also indent the block quotes 0.5 inches and not include quotation marks.

You can indent the paragraphs by pressing the tab key or setting the indentation from the word processor you are using.

The works cited page is left-aligned but set in a hanging indent of 0.5 inches. Everything in the paper is left-aligned and not justified.

APA Formatting Requirements

When writing an essay in APA format, ensure that you indent the lines of all the paragraphs in your essay or paper except for the abstract that is not indented.

You should indent the first lines of the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. Ensure that you press one-tab space in the next line where you are about to begin a new paragraph so that you make a 0.5” indentation.

You can set automatic indentation in a word document and ensure that there are no spaces between paragraphs and that the entire paragraph is left-aligned.

However, for your references in the list of references, ensure they are left-aligned and formatted with a hanging indent. The same applies when writing an annotated bibliography; the reference and the annotation should be in a hanging indent.

When writing a direct quotation, you should also indent it if you are lifting a block quote from a text. This applies if the quote is longer than three lines. Indent the entire quote0.5 inches from the margin and do not include the quotation marks.

Harvard Formatting Style - Indentation

When writing a paper that follows the Harvard Style guideline, ensure that you indent your essay as you type and not after the writing process. It might take a long time to write the paper, but you will complete it with the deserved organization that is easy to follow.

If you are writing a dissertation, thesis, scientific paper, or proposal in Harvard format, waiting until the end to indent the paragraphs will disturb your flow. You will also have a challenge distinguishing the paragraphs.

Note that indentation in Harvard formatting style follows the same conventions as that of APA, which we explained in the previous section. In Harvard formatting, indent all the paragraphs and block quotes but the reference list. Like APA, MLA, Chicago, and Oxford, the reference list has a hanging indent where the first line flashes to the left and the rest of the lines 0.5 inches to the right.

Chicago Formatting Style

In Chicago style formatting, you should double-space your text, including the notes and the bibliography sections. While doing so, ensure that the first line in each new paragraph in your essay or paper is indented. You can achieve this by hitting the tab key.

The footnotes or endnotes in Chicago formatting:

• The paper has a uniform 1-inch margin around the paper
• Use a hanging indent of 0.5 inches on the bibliography entry, and it should be single-spaced but double-space between entries
• Ensure that the block quotations are indented 0.5 inches and double-spaced
• Indent all the paragraphs in the body of the paper
• Indent all the footnotes and the endnotes 0.5 inches from the left margin. The notes are single-spaced
• The introduction and the conclusion must be indented 0.5 inches

Setting Indent in Microsoft Word

If you are using a Microsoft Word processor, select the paragraphs you want to indent , then on the home button, click on the dialog box launcher. Choose the right indent and set the line spacing, and click OK.

Related reading: the standard number of paragraphs in an essay .

Even though indentation is a critical formatting technique in academic writing, most people wonder when to do it. Luckily, we have demystified everything in this article, including how to do it in Microsoft Word.

When writing your next essay or research paper, ensure that you do it right. And as you proofread for errors and style, check if you have indented your paper correctly. Whether you are writing the paper in APA, Harvard, Chicago, or MLA, you are now aware of what to do with indentation.

Indenting your paragraphs in an essay helps break and determine the small paragraphs, and your readers can follow the paragraphs and connect the ideas in them. Now that you know how to indent ensure that you break paragraphs using indentation and write as you indent.

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

What Is an Indentation?

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In a composition , an indentation is a blank space between a margin and the beginning of a line of text .

     The beginning of this paragraph is indented. Standard paragraph indentation is about five spaces or one-quarter to one-half of an inch, depending on which style guide you follow. In online writing , if your software doesn't allow indentation, insert a line space to indicate a new paragraph.

The opposite of first-line indentation is a format called hanging indentation . In a hanging indent, all the lines of a paragraph or entry are indented except the first line. Examples of this kind of indentation are found in résumés, outlines , bibliographies , glossaries , and indexes.

Indentation and Paragraphing

• "The whole idea of a paragraph  is to make things easier for the reader. You indent at the beginning of a paragraph to signal, 'Hey, Reader! I'm shifting gears now.' All of the ideas in this paragraph are about the same main thing. ... The indent—a nice big indent of at least half an inch—also makes things easier on the reader's eyes." (Gloria Levine,  The Princeton Review Roadmap to the Virginia SOL . Random House, 2005)
• "The most common use of indentation is at the beginning of a paragraph , where the first line is usually indented five spaces. ... Another use of indentation is in outlining , in which each subordinate entry is indented under its major entry. ... A long quotation [that is, a block quotation ] may be indented in a manuscript instead of being enclosed in quotation marks . The indentation varies, depending on what documentation style you are following. If you are not following a specific style manual , you may block indent one-half inch or ten spaces from both the right and left margins for reports and other documents." (Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu, The Business Writer's Handbook , 7th ed. Macmillan, 2003)
• "Paragraph structure is part and parcel of the structure of the discourse as a whole; a given [unit of discourse] becomes a paragraph not by virtue of its structure but because the writer elects to indent, his indentation functioning, as does all punctuation , as a gloss upon the overall literary process under way at that point. Paragraphs are not composed; they are discovered. To compose is to create, to indent is to interpret." (Paul Rodgers, Jr., "A Discourse-Centered Rhetoric of the Paragraph." CCC , February 1966)

Formatting for Dialogue

•  "Formatting for dialogue involves several steps: * Use quotation marks before and after the actual spoken words. * Put end punctuation (such as a period ) inside the end quotation mark. * Indent when a new speaker begins." (John Mauk and John Metz,  The Composition of Everyday Life: A Guide to Writing , 5th ed. Cengage, 2016)
•      "Haven't you ever had people coming over and no time to shop? You have to make do with what's in the fridge, Clarice. May I call you Clarice?" "Yes. I think I'll just call you—" "Dr. Lecter—that seems most appropriate to your age and station," he said. (Thomas Harris,  The Silence of the Lambs . St. Martin's, 1988)

The Origin of Paragraph Indentation

• "Paragraph indention, by the way, arises from that habit of early printers, following the practice of scribes, which consists in leaving a blank space for the insertion of a large initial by the illuminator." (Eric Partridge, You Have a Point There: A Guide to Punctuation and Its Allies . Routledge, 1978)
• "By the seventeenth century the indent was the standard paragraph break in Western prose. The rise of printing encouraged the use of space to organize texts. A gap in a printed page feels more deliberate than a gap in a manuscript because it is made by a slug of lead rather than a flux in handwriting." (Ellen Lupton and J. Abbot Miller, Design, Writing, Research . Princeton Architectural Press, 1996)
• How to Indent Paragraphs With CSS
• How to Use Block Quotations in Writing
• Definition and Examples of Spacing in Composition
• The Correct Usage of the HTML P and BR Elements
• 140 Key Copyediting Terms and What They Mean
• How to Make Spaces in HTML
• Definition and Examples of Paragraph Breaks in Prose
• Formatting Papers in Chicago Style
• Justification (Typesetting and Composition)
• MLA Sample Pages
• Margin (Composition Format) Definition
• How to Use HTML and CSS to Create Tabs and Spacing
• What Is Justification in Page Layout and Typography?
• How to Create Whitespace With 'p' and 'br' Tags
• Create HTML Whitespace
• What Is a Citation?

• [email protected]

Top Rules to Indent Paragraphs in an Essay

Should you indent every paragraph in your essay? By the end of this text, you will be familiar with rules for indentation in various citation styles. We will also explore indentation in MLA and APA styles.

What is indentation anyway?  Indentation is a style of formatting a paragraph that leaves a blank space between the first word and the beginning of your line of text. An indent in word does more than making your paragraphs appealing. It signals flow of ideas and continuity in an essay.

Do You Indent Every Paragraph in an Essay?

Every first line of a succeeding paragraph should be indented 0.5 inches from the left margin. To indent a paragraph, press Tab key once or 5 spaces using the space key.

Why do you indent a paragraph?

• Reader guidance: First, it organizes the essay into sections that are readable. A reader will easily track whenever the writer is introducing a new concept.
• Aesthetic appeal of the essay: Second, indentation enhances the overall appearance of the essay, giving it a polished and professional look. No one wants to read an entire block of text like a robot.
• Consistency in academic work: In many academic and professional writing contexts , indentation is a standard formatting convention. It makes students’ work recognizable. Adhering to this convention helps to maintain consistency and professionalism in written work.

Indentation Rules for MLA

MLA formatting follows all specific writing guidelines that include a half-inch indentation too.

• Paragraphs:  Indent the first line of each paragraph one-half inch from the left margin (five spaces or a tab).
• Block Quotes:  For quotes longer than four lines, create a block quotation. Indent the entire block quotation one inch from the left margin (ten spaces or two tabs). Don’t use quotation marks for block quotes.

Indentation Rules for APA 7th Edition

• APA format for indentation requires that all lines of your first paragraph except the the abstract.
• The very first line of paragraphs should be indented. This includes the introduction and the conclusion. 
• For reference lists, the APA formatting requires hanging indentation too, but this is done on the second and subsequent lines of the citation.
• The 0.5’’ indentation for the first line begins to the right of the page where the next line starts.

Except for your first line of each paragraph, start all lines of text from the left margin. Indent every line of a new paragraph by pressing Tab button once space. This should be already set to a standard of 1.27 cm or 0.5.

The University of Arizona , Global Campus provides an example of Abstract and best formatting practices.

If you want to up an automatic indentation of the first line of a paragraph, navigate to the Paragraph formatting settings in Microsoft Word, and then under “Indentation,” select “First line.” Proceed under “Special” and set the preferred indentation under “By” to 0.5 in or 1.27 cm.

Unless otherwise instructed by an instructor or the program handbook, double-space “the whole work, including the title page, the abstract, your entire text headings, block quotes, reference list, table notes and figure comments, as well as appendices” (American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 45).

Indenting the Abstract

Unlike the regular essay paragraphs, there is no indentation for the first line of an abstract. Abstracts appear on their own page after the title page and are typically limited to a single paragraph of less than 250 words without indentation.

If you’re writing a long essay or even a research paper that requires an abstract, the rules of indentation remain the same except for the abstract.

The lines in the Abstract should be left aligned but without an indent.

Types of APA indentation

APA style distinguishes two forms of indentation. These are: first line and hanging. The first line of indentation begins to the right of where the next line begins.

APA specifies that most paragraphs use first line indentation. Hanging indentation should place your first line of a paragraph leftward where your next line begins. 

When completing your reference list, APA requires you to use hanging indentation. Writers need to manually adjust the reference point for indents to 0.5 inches from your page’s left margin.

Make sure to double space information that includes tables, headings, direct quotations, and references.

There are variations in the number of indentation spaces depending on the writing style. Formal presentations only need to have a few spaces of indentation, but when writing casual content, you can have more indentation spaces.

Harvard Style   Indentation

The Harvard style guideline encourages indentation as you type rather than indenting after your work is finished. Although this method takes longer, it has a reasoning behind it. 

Writers who use indents while they write structure their text by creating paragraphs. Writers who wait until they have completed a rough draft of their manuscripts frequently struggle to identify the ideal places to divide the content into paragraphs.

How to Indent a Paragraph in Microsoft Word

Technology today makes it easy to format paragraphs and has removed the laborious typing of indentation gaps from the hands of writers. When setting indentations, we now use word processing programs such as Microsoft Word. To set good paragraph indentation in Word, move your cursor in the paragraph you wish to indent or highlight that specific paragraph. Navigate to the Format menu then select the Paragraph option.

While still in the Paragraph dialog box, proceed to enter the appropriate indent width. Select the type of indent you want. Click OK to close the formatting dialog box.

ENG 1002 Writing Resources | R. Rambo Home Page

English Composition 2

The proper format for essays.

Below are guidelines for the formatting of essays based on recommendations from the MLA (the Modern Language Association).

• Fonts : Your essay should be word processed in 12-point Times New Roman fonts.
• Double space : Your entire essay should be double spaced, with no single spacing anywhere and no extra spacing anywhere. There should not be extra spaces between paragraphs.
• Heading : In the upper left corner of the first page of your essay, you should type your name, the instructor's name, your class, and the date, as follows: Your Name Mr. Rambo ENG 1002-100 24 February 2017
• Margins : According to the MLA, your essay should have a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, left, and right. However, for this course, just keep the default margins in Word.
• Page Numbers : Your last name and the page number should appear in the upper right corner of each page of your essay, including the first page, as in Jones 3 . Insert your name and the page number as a "header." Do not type this information where the text of your essay should be.
• Title : Your essay should include a title. The title should be centered and should appear under the heading information on the first page and above the first line of your essay. The title should be in the same fonts as the rest of your essay, with no quotation marks, no underlining, no italics, and no bold.
• Indentation : The first line of each paragraph should be indented. According to the MLA, this indentation should be 1/2 inch or five spaces, but pressing [Tab] once should give you the correct indentation.

Putting all of the above together, you should have a first page that looks like the following:

Copyright Randy Rambo , 2019.

Do You Indent Every Paragraph in an Essay?: How to Indent in Microsoft Word

Indenting paragraphs may appear to be a minor formatting choice, much like the font and line spacing choices. However, properly employing indentation gives your paper a more polished appearance and facilitates its readability. It illustrates a flow of thoughts and coherence in your essay.

Nevertheless, many learners and professional writers forgo or do not fully grasp the idea behind the indentation of paragraphs. This article tackles this concept by answering some of the most pertinent questions about this issue. For example, do you indent every paragraph in an essay? When do you indent a paragraph?

Read on to answer these and more fundamental questions, and get a clearer understanding of indentation in writing.

Do You Indent Every Paragraph in an Essay?

When writing an essay, you should indent the first line of every paragraph. Indentation also applies to dissertations, research papers, theses, and term papers. Note that all formatting styles, including APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago, demand indentation when writing paragraphs. Every new paragraph you write should have its initial line indented by ½ inch from the left margin.

New Service Alert !!!

We are now taking exams and courses

Make sure to indent the paragraphs of an essay and exclude the abstract when composing a paper that requires an abstract. Never indent an abstract. When writing it, position the whole paragraph to the left to avoid an indent. Remember, the unique layout of the abstract makes it stand out from the remainder of the work.

Also see: When do you start writing a new paragraph

Nevertheless, indenting every paragraph in your essay is also subject to your institution’s policies and instructor’s guidelines. Some do not require students to indent paragraphs, especially when the essays should be typed. They prefer students to leave empty lines between paragraphs. Line spacing is also effective in making paragraphs coherent and easily distinguishable.

Do You Indent Paragraphs in APA 7th Edition?

Ensure to indent the lines of each paragraph in your essay or paper when writing it in APA 7th Edition style. You only exclude the abstract, which should not be indented.

In this writing style, the introduction and conclusion paragraphs’ initial lines need to be indented. Therefore, ensure to hit the one-tab space key to indent the line by 1/2 inch when starting a new paragraph. In a word document, you can allow automatic indentation to eliminate blanks between paragraphs and position each paragraph to the left.

Additionally, when using a block quote from a text in a direct quotation, you must indent it. This is true if the quotation spans more than three lines. Indent the full quote 1/2 inch from the left margin, and remember to exclude the quotation marks.

However, make sure to arrange your citations with a hanging indent and left-align them in the referencing list. Furthermore, note that the citation and the commentary should both be in a hanging indent when producing an annotated bibliography.

Do You Indent Every Paragraph in MLA?

In your MLA-formatted essay, you must indent each paragraph. Please ensure to read the MLA formatting special writing requirements. You will notice that the formatting style necessitates every essay writer to include a half-inch indent at the first line of every paragraph.

In MLA, you should indent block quotes too. Any quoted text, four lines or more, is considered a block quote. These lengthy quotations are formatted uniquely. The entire block has an indentation that is 1 inch long rather than the typical ½-inch. Remember, the block’s left margin should be constant; avoid indenting the first line further.

When Do You Indent a Paragraph?

Several instances would demand you as a writer to indent paragraphs when writing your essay. Please keep scrolling to learn and understand these instances.

When Shifting from a Concept or a Subtopic to Another

It’s time to create a new paragraph through indentation when the content, facts, details, or thoughts change to address a different aspect of the subject. Therefore, you can indent a paragraph when you want to explore a new concept, slightly independent from the previous paragraph.

The much-despised formatting method of indentation gives readers a sense of order. Readers are informed by indentations when they are about to explore a new subject or begin a new portion of a text. Indenting supports the logical material presentation.

When Shifting from One Setting to another

Using indentation in paragraphs to illustrate a change of setting is most common in narrative essays. When there is a change in time, place, emotion, occasion, date, direction, or dimension, you, as the writer, should indent to let your readers know. Doing so enhances the flow of information and events for your instructor and readers.

When Changing Speakers During a Dialogue

It is vital to indent paragraphs every time characters in your essay have a dialogue. It helps your readers to identify the shifts in speakers and, therefore, appreciate the flow of the dialogue.

How to Indent in Microsoft Word

There are several ways to indent paragraphs in Microsoft Word. Below are two of the most applicable ones and their explanations.

Using the Tab Key to Indent Individual Paragraphs

When using this technique, you press the Tab key after moving the cursor at the start of the topic sentence. Doing so will leave a 1/2-inch indent in the row. Remember, you can raise the indentation by another ½-inch by pressing the Tab button again, and so on.

Using the Ruler Technique

This technique is the fastest if you wish to indent all the paragraphs in your essay as a group. Below is a guideline on how to maneuver through this method

• Go to the ribbon and select the Home tab.
• Put the cursor at the start of a paragraph.
• Move to the Editing group at the top right corner of the page and click “Select.”
• Press the “Select Text with Similar Formatting” from the drop-down menu.
• Then, click the “View tab” in the ribbon.
• In the Show group, choose Ruler.
• Moving the top ruler marker toward the right will find the required indent length.

So, do you indent every paragraph in an essay? Most students are unsure whether to use indentation, despite it being a vital formatting strategy in writing academic papers. Fortunately, this article has clarified most aspects of indentation by answering some of the most fundamental questions on the concept.

Please ensure you write your next essay correctly by utilizing the above information. Additionally, ensure you have appropriately indented your document while you review for inconsistencies and style.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to secondary menu
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Erin Wright Writing

Writing-Related Software Tutorials

How to Indent Paragraphs in Microsoft Word

By Erin Wright

This tutorial shows how to indent paragraphs in Microsoft Word. Specifically, we will look at how to indent paragraphs with the Tab key, the ruler , and the Paragraph dialog box.

Table of Contents:

How to Use the Tab Key to Indent Paragraphs

How to use the ruler to indent paragraphs, how to use the paragraph dialog box to indent paragraphs.

Watch all the steps shown here in real time!

Explore more than 250 writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel .

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.

Are you on a Mac? Please see “ How to Indent Paragraphs in Word for Mac .”

The quickest way to indent individual paragraphs is to use the Tab key on your keyboard.

• Insert your cursor at the start of the paragraph.
• Press the Tab key on your keyboard.

By default, the Tab key will indent paragraphs one half inch (.5”).

Pro Tip: How to Change the Default Tab Indent Length

• Select the Home tab.
• Select the dialog box launcher in the Paragraph group.

• Select the Tabs button in the Paragraph dialog box.

• Enter a new length into the Default tab stop text box.
• Select the OK button.

See “ How to Create, Change, and Delete Tabs in Microsoft Word ” for more information about using tab stops.

The ruler can be used to indent single paragraphs, multiple paragraphs, or the entire document.

Use the Ruler to Indent Single or Multiple Paragraphs

Skip to step 3 if your ruler is already visible.

• Select the View tab.
• Select Ruler in the Show group.

• Select the paragraph or paragraphs.
• Slide the First Line Indent marker (top ruler marker) to the right to the desired indent length.

Your paragraphs should be indented as you move the ruler marker.

Use the Ruler to Indent the Entire Document

• Select Ruler in the Show group (see figure 5).
• Insert your cursor into a paragraph.
• Select the Home tab (see figure 2).
• Select the Select button.
• Select Select All Text With Similar Formatting from the drop-down menu.

This option selects all the paragraphs in the document without selecting other items that are not normally indented, such as headings.

• Slide the First Line Indent marker (top ruler marker) to the right to the desired indent length (see figure 6).

The Paragraph dialog box lets you indent all the paragraphs in your document while also making additional adjustments to alignment and line spacing .

• Select the Select button .
• Select Select All Text with Similar Formatting from the drop-down menu (see figure 7).

All your paragraphs should now be selected.

• Select the dialog box launcher in the Paragraph group (see figure 2).
• Select First line in the Special menu in the Paragraph dialog box.
• Use the increment arrows to adjust the length of the indent in the By text box.
• Make any additional adjustments to alignment or line spacing.

The Paragraph dialog box should close, and your paragraphs should be indented.

Related Resources

How to Change the Unit of Measurement for the Ruler, Margins, and Indents in Microsoft Word

How to Adjust Paragraph Spacing in Microsoft Word

How to Create Hanging Indents in Microsoft Word (Step-by-Step)

Updated September 23, 2023

• Microsoft Word Tutorials
• Adobe Acrobat Tutorials
• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Writing Tips
• Editing Tips
• Writing-Related Resources

One final thing you will need to apply is proper formatting around your paragraphs. This includes indenting your paragraphs. To review how to properly format your paragraphs (including indenting) in Word, please review the graphics and steps below.

• Step 1: Select the Home tab at the top left of your screen.
• Step 2: Select the left aligned icon.
• Step 3: Indent every new paragraph by pushing the Tab key on your computer’s keyboard.

Your successful use of these basic principles will go a long way in helping you develop your academic writing skills so that you are prepared to write for lots of different purposes and audiences.

Need More Help?

• Study other Writing Lessons in the Resource Center.
• Visit the Online Tutoring Resources in the Resource Center.
• Contact your Instructor.
• If you still need help, Schedule a Tutor .

Cookies on our website

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use our site. And we'd like to serve you some cookies set by other services to show you relevant content.

• Accessibility
• Staff search
• External website
• Schools & services
• Sussex Direct
• Professional services
• Punctuating Essays and Letters

Paragraphing

• Guide to Punctuation
• Introduction
• Why Learn to Punctuate?
• The Full Stop, the Question Mark and the Exclamation Mark
• The Colon and the Semicolon
• The Apostrophe
• The Hyphen and the Dash
• Capital Letters and Abbreviations
• Miscellaneous
• Titles and Section Headings
• References to Published Work
• Bibliography
• Punctuating Letters

Maintained by the Department of Informatics , University of Sussex

Copyright © 2024, University of Sussex

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, should i indent my college essay.

Hi there! I'm in the process of writing my college essays, and I'm not sure whether I should indent the beginning of each paragraph. Is there a proper format for the application essays, or is it up to personal preference? I appreciate any advice!

Hello! Great question—and one that many students wonder about as they're putting the final touches on their application essays. It's good that you're attentive to the details of your essay's presentation, as it can reflect your commitment to submitting polished work. For most college essays, especially those submitted through the Common Application or similar platforms, there is no strict rule requiring indentation. Many application systems have a text box editor that will remove formatting. However, having a clear visual separation between paragraphs can aid readability. One common approach is to include a space between paragraphs instead of indenting. Therefore, to keep the appearance of your essay consistent across different platforms, I recommend separating paragraphs with a single blank line and ensuring that you're adhering to any specific guidelines provided by the college or application system you're using. Good luck with your college essays!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Understanding Indentation – What Does ‘Indent’ Mean and How to Use It Correctly

What does indent mean.

Introduction

Indentation plays a crucial role in writing, serving as a visual cue that enhances readability and organization. In this blog post, we will explore the definition, types, correct usage, and importance of indentation in various writing formats, including academic writing, coding and programming, and creative writing. Additionally, we will discuss common mistakes to avoid when using indentation and provide practical tips for achieving consistent and proper indentation in your writing.

Definition of Indentation

In basic terms, indentation refers to the practice of starting a line of text further to the right than the surrounding lines. It is commonly used to visually separate or highlight specific parts of a document, creating a more structured and organized layout. Indentation is widely employed in various forms of writing, such as essays, code scripts, and storytelling.

Why is Indentation Used in Writing?

The main purpose of indentation in writing is to improve readability and comprehension for the readers. By visually separating different parts of the text, indentation helps readers locate and understand the logical flow of information, hierarchy of ideas, and relationships between different sections or elements.

Types of Indentation

There are two primary types of indentation commonly used in writing: block indentation and hanging indentation.

Block Indentation

Block indentation involves indenting an entire block of text or a paragraph further to the right. This indentation style is commonly used in academic writing, where each paragraph is indented to indicate a new section or idea within the larger context of the paper.

Block indentation offers several benefits, including:

• Enhancing visual separation between paragraphs
• Improving clarity and organization of ideas
• Creating a more structured and professional appearance for the document

Hanging Indentation

Hanging indentation is the practice of indenting all lines of a paragraph except for the first line. This indentation style is commonly used in bibliographies, reference lists, and citations, where the first line is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented.

Benefits of hanging indentation include:

• Clearly distinguishing the first line as the beginning of a new entry
• Saving space and reducing clutter in lists or references
• Providing a consistent and professional appearance to the document

How to Use Indentation Correctly

Rules for indentation.

When utilizing indentation in your writing, it is essential to follow certain rules to ensure consistency and clarity:

• Consistency in Indentation: Maintain a consistent indentation style throughout the document. Whether you choose block or hanging indentation, apply it consistently to all relevant sections.
• Match Indentation Level with Content Hierarchy: Indentation should reflect the hierarchical structure of the content. Major sections or headings may have no indentation, while subsections or paragraphs within them can be indented.
• Indent Only Text, Not Other Elements: Avoid indenting images, tables, or other non-textual elements. Indentation should be applied only to textual content, maintaining a clear visual distinction between textual and non-textual elements.

Practical Tips for Indentation

To achieve proper indentation in your writing, consider the following practical tips:

• Utilize Tab Stops or Spaces: Depending on your preferred writing software, you can utilize tab stops or configure spaces to achieve consistent indentation.
• Adjusting Indentation Settings in Word Processors: Most word processors have indentation settings that allow you to customize the indentation style and size. Make use of these settings to match your desired formatting.
• Checking and Correcting Indentation Errors: Before finalizing your document, review the indentation of each paragraph or section to ensure consistency and accuracy. Rectify any indentation errors to maintain a polished and professional appearance.

Importance of Indentation in Different Writing Formats

Indentation in academic writing.

In academic writing, proper indentation is crucial for organizing and structuring ideas effectively. It helps readers differentiate between paragraphs and highlights the logical development of arguments or concepts. Additionally, academic style guides, such as APA or MLA, often require specific indentation formats for citations and reference lists.

Indentation in Coding and Programming

In coding and programming, indentation plays a significant role in improving code readability and maintainability. By indenting code blocks, programmers can quickly identify the hierarchy and nesting of statements, making it easier to debug or modify the code in the future.

Indentation in Creative Writing and Storytelling

Even in creative writing, indentation can be used to enhance the reading experience. It helps authors structure their stories or poems, creating visual breaks between paragraphs or stanzas. Indentation can also help indicate dialogue, emphasize certain phrases, or guide the reader’s attention to specific details or twists in the narrative.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

While indentation is a useful formatting tool, it is essential to avoid common mistakes that can negatively impact the readability and aesthetics of your writing:

• Over-Indentation: Excessive indentation can make the text appear cluttered or unclear. Avoid over-indenting paragraphs and instead, strive for a subtle and visually appealing indentation style.
• Under-Indentation: Insufficient or inconsistent indentation can lead to confusion and make it challenging for readers to follow the structure or logical flow of your writing. Ensure that each relevant section or paragraph is adequately indented.
• Mixing Indentation Styles: Mixing block and hanging indentation within the same document can create visual inconsistencies and confuse readers. Stick to a single indentation style for a given context or formatting requirement.

In conclusion, understanding and implementing proper indentation is crucial for improving the readability, organization, and overall impact of your writing. By following the rules of consistency, matching content hierarchy, and avoiding common mistakes, you can enhance the clarity and comprehension of your documents in various writing formats.

So, the next time you embark on an academic essay, code script, or creative writing piece, remember the power of indentation and its ability to guide readers smoothly through your content. Start applying proper indentation techniques today, and witness the positive impact it has on your writing!

Related posts:

• Mastering CSS Indentation – How to Perfectly Indent Paragraphs for a Polished Look
• Mastering HTML Tab Indentation – Tips and Tricks for Clean Code Structure
• Mastering HTML – The Ultimate Guide to Creating Effective Paragraph Breaks
• Mastering Python Indentation – How to Fix Unexpected Indent Errors
• Mastering Python Indentation – A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Indent in Python

• Grammar Lessons
• Grammar Exercises
• Grammar Quizzes
• Mixed Tests
• PDF Worksheets
• Beginners Lessons
• Easy Worksheets
• Beginners Tests
• Reading Exercises
• Drag & Drop Grammar
• English For Kids
• Kids Word Games
• Picture Vocabulary
• Reading Tests
• Short Dialogues
• Short Sentences
• Closest in Meaning
• Irrelevant Sentence
• ESL Paragraphs
• GRE Reading
• Text Completion
• GRE Equivalence
• SAT Sentence
• Essay Writing
• Vocabulary Exercises
• Study Skills Tips
• Drag & Drop Vocab

Essay Paper Format and Indentation

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

MLA General Format 

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

MLA Style specifies guidelines for formatting manuscripts and citing research in writing. MLA Style also provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages. 

Writers who properly use MLA also build their credibility by demonstrating accountability to their source material. Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the purposeful or accidental uncredited use of source material produced by other writers. 

If you are asked to use MLA format, be sure to consult the  MLA Handbook  (9th edition). Publishing scholars and graduate students should also consult the  MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing  (3rd edition). The  MLA Handbook  is available in most writing centers and reference libraries. It is also widely available in bookstores, libraries, and at the MLA web site. See the Additional Resources section of this page for a list of helpful books and sites about using MLA Style.

Paper Format

The preparation of papers and manuscripts in MLA Style is covered in part four of the  MLA Style Manual . Below are some basic guidelines for formatting a paper in  MLA Style :

General Guidelines

• Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
• Double-space the text of your paper and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are each distinct from one another. The font size should be 12 pt.
• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise prompted by your instructor).
• Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
• Indent the first line of each paragraph one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the “Tab” key as opposed to pushing the space bar five times.
• Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow your instructor's guidelines.)
• Use italics throughout your essay to indicate the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, provide emphasis.
• If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page. Entitle the section Notes (centered, unformatted).

Formatting the First Page of Your Paper

• Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested or the paper is assigned as a group project. In the case of a group project, list all names of the contributors, giving each name its own line in the header, followed by the remaining MLA header requirements as described below. Format the remainder of the page as requested by the instructor.
• In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.
• Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks. Write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.
• Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text. For example:  Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas  as Morality Play; Human Weariness in "After Apple Picking"
• Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
• Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number. Number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit the last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.)

Here is a sample of the first page of a paper in MLA style:

The First Page of an MLA Paper

Section Headings

Writers sometimes use section headings to improve a document’s readability. These sections may include individual chapters or other named parts of a book or essay.

MLA recommends that when dividing an essay into sections you number those sections with an Arabic number and a period followed by a space and the section name.

MLA does not have a prescribed system of headings for books (for more information on headings, please see page 146 in the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing , 3rd edition). If you are only using one level of headings, meaning that all of the sections are distinct and parallel and have no additional sections that fit within them, MLA recommends that these sections resemble one another grammatically. For instance, if your headings are typically short phrases, make all of the headings short phrases (and not, for example, full sentences). Otherwise, the formatting is up to you. It should, however, be consistent throughout the document.

If you employ multiple levels of headings (some of your sections have sections within sections), you may want to provide a key of your chosen level headings and their formatting to your instructor or editor.

Sample Section Headings

The following sample headings are meant to be used only as a reference. You may employ whatever system of formatting that works best for you so long as it remains consistent throughout the document.

Formatted, unnumbered:

Level 1 Heading: bold, flush left

Level 2 Heading: italics, flush left

Level 3 Heading: centered, bold

Level 4 Heading: centered, italics

Level 5 Heading: underlined, flush left

Do You Indent Each Paragraph In An Essay?

College education demands that you know the various writing styles to have an easy time writing a paper that meets all the requirements –grammar, structure, flow, citation, referencing, and authenticity. The various writing styles (Harvard, MLA, APA, and Chicago) have rules which may be similar or different.

The article below will focus on indentation. Do you indent each paragraph in an essay? Why should you indent? What are the rules for indenting paragraphs in the various writing and referencing styles? I will address the stated questions in detail and supplement your knowledge by showing you how easy it is to indent in Microsoft Word.

You should indent all paragraphs in an essay except the first paragraph. Although some style guides recommend indentation for all paragraphs, it is unnecessary to do the same for the first paragraph because it is standard that all essays begin with one. Additionally, if a section follows a subhead, the indent becomes superfluous and can get omitted.

Ensure that you maintain consistency when writing all your papers. If you see it fit to indent all paragraphs, including the first one, do so every time.

Also see: Can an essay be one paragraph? 

Reasons for Indentation

All essays, regardless of the type, demand that you organize content into paragraphs, where each represents a break. Avoid long paragraphs because the reader becomes tired of trying to read and understand your thoughts. Try to explain each point in a separate section to improve the overall look of your paper.

Indentation, therefore, helps the reader to know the beginning of a new paragraph. Consequently, they are able to follow your thought flow, giving them an easy reading time. Review any long sections in your content and separate various points into standalone paragraphs.

Secondly, indentation enhances organization and structure and thus allows the paper to have a professional feel. Consequently, you increase your chances of getting a better grade.

What Are The Rules For Indenting Paragraphs In An Essay?

Ensure to indent the first line of all paragraphs. The space should be 0.5 inches, starting from the left margin. You can achieve automatic indentation by using the tab key. Alternatively, use the paragraph-formatting function on your word application.

The default indentation is 0.5 inches, and you should not create one by using the space bar.

Below are some exceptions and additional rules for APA style;

• Indent level four and five headings like regular paragraphs.
• Incorporate a 0.5-inch hanging indent for reference lists.
• Block quotations should have 0.5-inch indents from the left margin. If the quote has more than one paragraph, indent the first line of each.
• Flush left all tables, titles (italics), notes, and figure numbers (bold).
• Center level one headings
• Align level 2 and 3 headings to the left. They should be in bold.
• Do not indent the first line of your abstract, but flush left.
• Achieve the default indentation of 0.5 inches by pressing the Tab key after you place the cursor before the first word of each starting line.
• For block quotes, the second and following paragraphs should have a 0.25-inch indentation. If you begin a section in your source text using a block quote, you should also indent by 0.25 inches.
• Do not indent the abstract. Instead, flush left.
• Your reference list should have a hanging indent (the first line should remain normal but indent the second). Each input should be 0.5 inches.
• Level four and five subheadings should be treated like normal paragraphs where you indent o.5 inches.
• Incorporate 1-inch margins all around your paper, and all the content should be left justified.

There is not much difference between MLA and APA, except for the block quotations when the indentation values differ by 0.25 inches.

For Chicago

• Indent all body paragraphs in your essay (0.5 inches) by hitting the tab key once. All paragraphs should be double-spaced and do not incorporate an extra space between them.
• For the bibliography, do not indent the first line. However, indent the second line (hanging indent of 0.5 inches). Although paragraphs in Chicago style should have double space, bibliographies should have single-spacing, and there should be a double space to separate each entry.
• The whole paper should have uniform margins (at least 1 inch) at the right, left, bottom, and top.
• Incorporate 0.5-inch indents for all blocks and long quotations. They should be double-spaced.
• Footnotes and endnotes should have 0.5-inch indents for all first lines. Single-space each note.

Do not use parentheses for in-text citations. Use footnotes and proceed with standard indentation as stated above.

For Harvard

Harvard referencing and citation styles differ across various institutions. It is up to you to consult or research the specific requirements of your college. That said, some basic rules apply to all. They include;

• Ensure you maintain 1-inch margins on all sides of your paper.
• Align all text to the left.
• The first line of each paragraph should have a 0.5-inch indent.
• Align the title page at the center.
• All subheadings should be in sentence case, and they also are aligned to the left.
• Your title should be at the center, just above your text.
• Each reference should start in a new line and should not be indented.
• Always flush level two and three headings to the left.

How to indent in Microsoft word

There are several ways you can indent your paragraphs in Microsoft Word. As mentioned earlier, the easiest way is to press the Tab key once. Ensure the cursor is at the beginning of the line you want to indent. If you prefer a larger indent, you can hit the Tab key several times to increase the space by o.5 inches each time you press.

Other ways include;

1. Automatic Indentation

• Select the paragraph option under the Home tab.
• Select special indentation and then choose the first line from the emerging list.
• Specify the indentation you require (usually in centimeters).

2. Hanging Indentation

If you wish to incorporate hanging a hanging indentation, follow the above procedure, and instead of selecting the first line, choose the second line.

3. Block Quotes

Utilize the Increase Indent function by pressing the Home and Layout keys to indent block quotes. You can increase the indentation further by pressing the button many times, each increasing it by 0.5 inches.

4. Custom Indentation for Block Quotes

• Use the styles feature to create your customized design. Observe the following procedure;
• Select the text you want to indent and then press the Tab key.
• With the text still highlighted, go to the Styles Pane and then choose New Style. A dialog box will appear, and you get to name your new style and select your preferred options.

Our Network

Coming soon, coming later, text indent adder.

World's simplest browser-based utility for adding indentation to text. Load your text in the input form on the left, set the indentation length and type, and you'll instantly get text with indented lines and paragraphs in the output area. Powerful, free, and fast. Load text – indent text. Created by developers from team Browserling .

You're using the free plan

The free plan lets you use text tools for personal use only . Upgrade to the premium plan to use text tools for commercial purposes. Additionally, these features will be unlocked when you upgrade:

Text has been copied to clipboard

Yay! The text has been copied to your clipboard. If you like our tools, you can upgrade to a premium subscription to get rid of this dialog as well as enable the following features:

Indentation Length

Type of indent, what is a text indent adder.

With this online tool, you can add extra spaces or tabs to the beginning of each text line or paragraph. When a text line is indented, it's moved to the right, closer to the center, and when a text paragraph is indented, only its first line is affected, providing a visual clue to readers that you're shifting focus or introducing a new idea. In the options, you can choose the indentation type that will be applied to text. It can be a space, tab, or an arbitrary character (such as an underscore "_", a dash "-", or a tilde "~"). The number of indents can be controlled in the first option. For example, you can add 2, 3, or 4 indents and they will immediately appear at the beginning of each text line. You can also decide in the options whether to add an indent to empty lines and lines with invisible characters, and optionally turn off a multi-line mode. Textabulous!

Text indent adder examples

Discover gravity.

In this example, we add indents to paragraphs of text about gravity. The new indentation appears at the beginning of each paragraph, which visually separates the new thoughts. We use the regular whitespace characters as indents and add a total of 4 whitespaces before each paragraph.

Top Traditional Foods in Italy

In this example, we add the tab indentation to a list of the most popular Italian dishes. We insert two tab characters at the beginning of each line and move the list of traditional foods closer to the center of the output text box.

List of Dolphin Species

In this example, we load a list of dolphin species and prefix them with an unusual indentation symbol. We switch to the custom indent mode and enter the tilde character "~" as the indentation symbol.

Pro tips Master online text tools

You can pass input to this tool via ?input query argument and it will automatically compute output. Here's how to type it in your browser's address bar. Click to try!

All Text Tools

Quickly split text into chunks.

Quickly merge lines of text together via a delimiter.

Quickly repeat text many times.

Quickly write text backwards.

Quickly cut text to the given length.

Quickly extract a slice from text.

Quickly trim left or right side of text.

Quickly pad the left side of text.

Quickly pad the right side of text.

Quickly align text to the left side.

Quickly align text to the right side.

Quickly center text.

Quickly add indentation to each text line.

Quickly delete indentation from each text line.

Quickly stretch spaces between words to make all text lines equal length.

Quickly wrap words in text to a specified length.

Quickly reverse every word in the given text.

Quickly reverse every sentence in the given text.

Quickly reverse every paragraph in the given text.

Quickly swap pairs of adjacent letters in words.

Quickly swap pairs of adjacent words in text.

Quickly make every word to be two words in the given text.

Quickly delete certain words from the given text.

Quickly make every sentence to be two sentences in the text.

Quickly delete certain sentences from the given text.

Quickly substitute certain words in text with other words.

Quickly insert random words in random positions in text.

Quickly insert random letters in words in text.

Quickly randomly change letters in text and make mistakes.

Quickly create fake text using similar-looking characters.

Quickly convert fake text containing fake characters to regular text.

Quickly check if the given text is forged (contains homoglyphs).

Quickly delete random letters from words in text.

Quickly delete random symbols from text.

Quickly add patterns before and after each word in text.

Quickly remove patterns appearing before and after each word in text.

Quickly prepend a prefix to one or more text lines.

Quickly append a suffix to one or more text lines.

Quickly remove a prefix from one or more text lines.

Quickly remove a suffix from one or more text lines.

Quickly prepend a prefix to all words in text.

Quickly append a suffix to all words in text.

Quickly remove any prefix from all words in text.

Quickly remove any suffix from the end of all words in text.

Quickly insert characters between all letters of all words in text.

Quickly surround each letter of the text with decorative symbols.

Quickly delete all blank lines from text.

Quickly delete all repeated lines from text.

Quickly return text lines that match a pattern or a regex.

Quickly return words in text that match a pattern or a regex.

Quickly return all sentences that match a pattern or a regex.

Quickly return all paragraphs that match a pattern or a regex.

Quickly sort lines alphabetically, numerically, or by their length.

Quickly sort sentences alphabetically, numerically, or by their length.

Quickly sort paragraphs alphabetically, numerically, or by their length.

Quickly sort words alphabetically, numerically, or by their length.

Quickly sort all letters in all words in any text.

Quickly sort all symbols in text alphabetically.

Quickly randomize the order of letters in text.

Quickly make text barely readable.

Quickly randomize the order of words in text.

Quickly randomize the order of lines in text.

Quickly randomize the order of sentences in text.

Quickly randomize the order of paragraphs in text.

Quickly calculate the sum of letters as if they were numbers.

Quickly remove line breaks and get a continuous text.

Quickly extract a text snippet of the given length.

Quickly find and replace text patterns.

Quickly count the number of characters in text.

Quickly find the most popular letters in the given text.

Quickly find the most popular words in the given text.

Quickly calculate the Shannon entropy of any text.

Quickly find the number of words in text.

Quickly analyze text and print its statistical information.

Quickly find and print all unique words in text.

Quickly find and print all repeated words in text.

Quickly find and print all unique letters in text.

Quickly find and print all repeated letters in text.

Quickly delete all repeated words in text.

Quickly find the number of lines in text.

Quickly add a number before every text line.

Quickly remove line numbering in text.

Quickly create an image from text.

Quickly write the given text in a different font.

Quickly remove all fancy fonts and styling from text.

Quickly use superscript characters to write text.

Quickly use subscript characters to write text.

Quickly use tiny characters to write text.

Quickly use bold characters to write text.

Quickly use italic characters to write text.

Quickly use cursive script to write text characters.

Quickly add an underline below all letters and words in text.

Quickly add a strikethrough to all letters and words in text.

Quickly apply the Zalgo effect to the input text.

Quickly remove the Zalgo effect from the input text.

Quickly construct a palindrome from plain text.

Quickly test if text is a palindrome.

Quickly switch between various letter cases in text.

Quickly convert text letters to uppercase.

Quickly convert text letters to lowercase.

Quickly convert all words in text to title case.

Quickly capitalize the first letter of every word in text.

Quickly randomize character case in text.

Quickly invert character case in text.

Quickly add newlines to paragraphs, lines, sentences, and words.

Quickly remove newlines between text lines and paragraphs.

Quickly replace all line breaks in text with a new character.

Quickly randomize line break count between lines and paragraphs.

Quickly normalize line break count between lines and paragraphs.

Quickly adjust the line break distance in text.

Quickly add a fancy symbol at the end of each line and paragraph.

Quickly replace spaces with newlines in text.

Quickly replace newlines with spaces in text.

Quickly get tabs instead of spaces in text.

Quickly get spaces instead of tabs in text.

Quickly replace all commas with newlines in text.

Quickly replace all newlines with commas in text.

Quickly convert a column of text to a comma-separated text.

Quickly convert a comma-separated text to a column of text.

Quickly replace commas with spaces in text.

Quickly replace spaces with commas in text.

Quickly replace all commas in text with a new character.

Quickly remove repeated spaces between words in text.

Quickly add extra spaces between words in text.

Quickly change the number of spaces between words.

Quickly mess up the spacing between words in any text.

Quickly replace whitespace characters with other characters.

Quickly clear text from spaces, tabs, and newlines.

Quickly clear text from dots, commas, and similar characters.

Quickly remove all accent marks from all characters in text.

Quickly replace each letter in text with the next alphabet letter.

Quickly replace each letter in text with the previous alphabet letter.

Quickly wrap text in quotes.

Quickly delete quotes surrounding text.

Quickly surround all words in pairs of single or double quotes.

Quickly delete quotes surrounding words in text.

Quickly enclose text lines in quotation marks.

Quickly delete quotes that enclose lines of text.

Quickly randomly insert swear words here and there in text.

Quickly mask bad words or replace them with alternative words.

Quickly hide information in text so it can't be read.

Quickly extract tag content from HTML code.

Quickly extract tag content from an XML document.

Quickly extract all textual data from BBCode markup.

Quickly extract keys and values from a JSON data structure.

Quickly convert text to a JSON string.

Quickly convert previously JSON stringified text to plain text.

Quickly escape special symbols in text with slashes.

Quickly remove slashes from previously slash-escaped text.

Quickly encode or decode text using ROT13 cipher algorithm.

Quickly encode and decode text with ROT47 cipher algorithm.

Quickly generate text that has a specific length.

Quickly create text that matches the given regexp.

Quickly find and return all regexp matches.

Quickly highlight parts of text that match a regular expression.

Quickly check whether text matches a regular expression.

Quickly format text using the printf or sprintf function.

Quickly cyclically rotate text letters to the right or left.

Quickly rewrite text to vertical position.

Quickly rewrite text using transformation rules.

Quickly replace letters in text from one alphabet to another.

Quickly substitute certain letters or symbols in text with other letters.

Quickly convert individual letters in text to digits or numbers.

Quickly convert individual digits or numbers in text to letters.

Quickly replace certain words in text with digits or numbers.

Quickly replace certain digits or numbers in text with words.

Quickly replace certain letters and symbols in text with two copies.

Quickly delete certain letters and symbols from text.

Quickly erase some letters from words and preserve the text structure.

Quickly erase some words from text and preserve the text structure.

Quickly create an abstract drawing that shows the structure of the text.

Quickly add highlighting to certain letters in text.

Quickly add highlighting to certain words in text.

Quickly add highlighting to certain patterns in text.

Quickly add highlighting to certain sentences in text.

Quickly substitute certain vowels in text with other characters.

Quickly replace each vowel with two or more vowels in any text.

Quickly delete all vowels from text.

Quickly substitute certain consonants in text with other characters.

Quickly replace each consonant with two or more consonants in any text.

Quickly delete all consonants from text.

Quickly format text so that all words are in neat columns.

Quickly convert data aligned in columns to linear text.

Quickly create a list of all monograms from text.

Quickly create a list of all digrams from text.

Quickly create a list of all ngrams from text.

Quickly create a list of all k-skip-n-grams.

Quickly make letters in text go in a zigzag.

Quickly surround any text in a box.

Quickly write the text in Morse code.

Quickly decode Morse code to plain text.

Quickly calculate the complexity of the given text.

Quickly URL-escape text.

Quickly URL-unescape text.

Quickly convert all plain text characters to HTML entities.

Quickly convert HTML entities to plain text.

Quickly convert text to a user-friendly URL slug.

Quickly encode text to base64.

Quickly decode base64-encoded text.

Quickly convert plain text to binary text.

Quickly convert binary text to plain text.

Quickly convert plain text to octal text.

Quickly convert octal text to plain text.

Quickly convert text to decimal values.

Quickly convert decimal values to text.

Quickly convert plain text to hexadecimal values.

Quickly convert hexadecimal to readable text.

Empty search results

You were searching for but nothing was found... Tell us more, and we'll build a tool you were looking for!

Find Levenstein distance of two text fragments.

Create a list of all words in text.

Lemmatize all words in text.

Apply stemming to all words in text.

Add color to punctuation symbols in text.

Add color to letters in text.

Add color to words in text.

Add color to sentences in text.

Add color to paragraphs in text.

Add slight perturbations to the given text.

Mess up characters in your text.

Generate text using random words.

Generate lorem ipsum placeholder text.

Generate a crossword puzzle from the given words.

Convert English text to Braille writing system.

Convert Braille symbols to English text.

Convert text characters to their corresponding code points.

Convert numeric character code points to text.

Convert CSV data to plain text columns.

Convert plain text columns to a CSV file.

Create a list of all 3-grams.

Encode the entire text to a single number.

Decode text that was encoded as a number back to text.

Divide text into chunks of certain size.

Apply formatting and modification functions to text.

Count the number of punctuation marks and other sybmols in text.

Count the number of letters in text.

Count the number of sentences in text.

Count the number of paragraphs in text.

Apply text transformation rules to any text.

Analyze text for interesting patterns.

Add accent marks to text letters.

Add a counter before every letter in text.

Add a counter before every word in text.

Add a counter before every sentence in text.

Add a counter before every paragraph in text.

Interleave the letters or words of the given text fragments.

Mess up the spacing between letters in any text.

Extract all emails from text.

Extract all URLs from text.

Extract all numbers from text.

Extract all countries from text.

Extract all cities from text.

Convert text to punycode.

Convert punycode to text.

Encode text to Baudot encoding.

Decode Baudot-encoded text.

Encode text to base32 encoding.

Decode base32-encoded text.

Encode text to base45 encoding.

Decode base45-encoded text.

Encode text to base58 encoding.

Decode base58-encoded text.

Encode text to Ascii85 encoding.

Decode Ascii85-encoded text.

Encode text to base65536 encoding.

Decode base65536-encoded text.

Encode text to nettext encoding.

Decode nettext-encoded text.

Convert written text into natural sounding voice.

Convert a voice recording to text.

Encode text to UTF8 encoding.

Decode UTF8-encoded text.

Encode text to UTF16 encoding.

Encode text to UTF32 encoding.

Decode UTF32-encoded text.

Encode text to IDN.

Decode IDN-encoded text.

Convert text to Unix-to-Unix encoding.

Decode Unix-to-Unix-encoded text.

Convert text to Xxencoding.

Decode Xxencoded text.

Encode text to QP encoding.

Decode QP-encoded text.

Remove all HTML tags from Text.

Remove all XML tags from Text.

Remove new line symbols from the end of each text line.

Find the difference between two text fragments.

Generate various text typos.

Generate a mirror reflection of text.

Cut out a piece of text.

Grep text for regular expression matches.

Extract first symbols, words, or lines from text.

Extract last symbols, words, or lines from text

Return the first letter of each word in text.

Make every paragraph to be two paragraphs in the given text.

Create an image from all words in text.

Create a circle from all letters in text.

Create a spiral from all letters in text.

Create a circle from all words in text.

Create a matrix of any dimensions from letters in text.

Create a matrix of any dimensions from words in text.

Create a spiral from all words in text.

Split the input text into syllables.

Write any text on an LCD display (with LCD font).

Convert text to 2-dimensional drawing.

Convert text to 3-dimensional drawing.

Create a horizontally or vertically scrolling text.

Create a GIF animation of a text message.

Create a GIF animation that slowly reveals a text message.

Decode text using the wrong encoding and create garbled text.

Try to find original text from garbled mojibaked text.

Make text harder to read.

Generate the entire alphabet from a to z.

Print the alphabet in random order.

Delete swear words from text.

Edit text in a neat browser-based editor.

We're working on this tool!

You clicked on a coming soon tool. This tool is in the works and we'll be releasing it soon. You can subscribe to updates and we'll let you know when we add it!

Subscribe to our updates. We'll let you know when we release new tools, features, and organize online workshops.

Enter your email here

Feedback. We'd love to hear from you! 👋

Successfully, link to this tool.

This is a link to this tool, including input, options and all chained tools.