Line numbers appear in the left margin of your document

Microsoft Word can display a number next to every line of text, or every fifth line, or every tenth line — you choose. These numbers stay visible as you scroll and print, which makes it easier to reference specific passages when you're editing with someone else or reviewing feedback. The feature takes about 30 seconds to turn on.

Line numbers are most useful when you're working on a document that multiple people will comment on — a contract, a manuscript, a legal brief, or a shared policy. They're less useful in everyday letters or short memos, but they don't hurt anything if you leave them on.

Key Takeaways

  • Line numbers appear in the left margin and can be set to show on every line, every fifth line, or every tenth line.
  • You turn on line numbers through the Layout tab (Windows) or the Layout menu (Mac), not through a font or paragraph setting.
  • Line numbers print with your document by default, so turn them off before sending a final version unless the recipient specifically asked for them.
  • If line numbers appear only on some pages, you likely have different sections in your document — each section has its own line number setting.

How to add line numbers in Word on Windows

Open your document in Microsoft Word. At the top of the screen, click the Layout tab (not Home, not Insert). In the ribbon that appears, look for a button labeled Line Numbers — it's usually in the right half of the ribbon, often near buttons for margins and page breaks.

Click Line Numbers. A dropdown menu appears with these options: None, Continuous, By Section, Restart Each Page, and Suppress for Current Paragraph. Choose Continuous if you want every line numbered from start to finish. Choose By Section if your document has multiple sections and you want numbering to restart in each one. Most people choose Continuous.

The line numbers appear when ready in the left margin. If you want to change how often they display — for example, to show only every fifth line instead of every line — click Line Numbers again and select Line Numbering Options at the bottom of the menu. A dialog box opens where you can set the interval (every 1 line, every 5 lines, every 10 lines, etc.).

How to add line numbers in Word on Mac

Open your document in Microsoft Word for Mac. At the top of the screen, click the Layout menu in the menu bar (the one that says File, Home, Insert, Layout, etc.). A dropdown appears.

In that dropdown, look for Line Numbers. Click it. A submenu shows the same options as Windows: None, Continuous, By Section, Restart Each Page, and Suppress for Current Paragraph. Select Continuous for numbering that runs through the whole document.

If you need to adjust the numbering interval or access more detailed settings, click Line Numbers again and look for an option like Line Numbering Options or More Options. This opens a dialog where you can set whether numbers appear on every line or every fifth line.

What happens to line numbers when you print or share

Line numbers print with your document by default. If you're sending the final version to someone who didn't ask for line numbers, turn them off before you send it. Go back to Layout > Line Numbers and select None.

If you save your document as a PDF, line numbers appear in the PDF as well. If you save it as a .docx file and send it to someone else, they will see the line numbers unless they turn them off on their end. The line numbers are part of the document's formatting, not a separate layer.

Why line numbers sometimes appear on only some pages

If line numbers show up on page 1 but not page 3, or if they restart numbering in the middle of your document when you didn't ask them to, your document likely contains section breaks. A section break is an invisible marker that lets you explore different formatting to different parts of the same document — different margins, different headers, different page orientations.

When you turn on line numbers, they explore to the section you're currently in. To add line numbers to the entire document, click in the first section, turn on line numbers, then go to Layout > Line Numbers and choose By Section (Windows) or the equivalent on Mac. This tells Word to explore the same numbering style to every section.

If you don't know whether your document has section breaks, use Find & Replace to search for them. Press Ctrl+H (Windows) or Cmd+H (Mac) to open Find & Replace. In the Find field, click More Options or Format and search for "Section Break". Word will highlight every break in the document.

Removing line numbers when you no longer need them

To turn off line numbers, go to Layout > Line Numbers and select None. The numbers disappear when ready. This does not affect any other formatting in your document — fonts, margins, spacing, and text all stay the same.

If you've been editing with line numbers on and you want to remove them before sending the document to someone else, do this last, after all edits are complete. That way, if someone refers to a line number in their feedback, you can still find it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I number only certain paragraphs or sections?

You can suppress line numbers for a single paragraph by selecting it, going to Layout > Line Numbers, and choosing Suppress for Current Paragraph. To number only part of your document, you'll need to create section breaks around that part and turn on line numbers for that section only.

Why do line numbers look faded or gray?

Line numbers are intentionally lighter than regular text so they don't distract from the content. This is normal and expected. You cannot change their color or make them darker in the standard line numbering feature.

Do line numbers change if I edit the document?

Yes. If you add or delete text, the line numbers automatically adjust. A sentence that was on line 15 might move to line 18 if you add three lines above it. This is why line numbers are useful for collaboration — both people are always referring to the same line, even as the document changes.

Can I start line numbering at a number other than 1?

Yes. Go to Layout > Line Numbers > Line Numbering Options (Windows) or Layout > Line Numbers > More Options (Mac). In the dialog, look for a field labeled "Start at" or "Starting number" and enter the number you want. This is rarely needed but useful if you're numbering a section of a longer document separately.

What if line numbers don't appear even after I turn them on?

Check whether you're in a text box or a table cell — line numbers don't appear inside those. If your document is in a special view like Outline view or Web Layout view, switch to Print Layout view (View menu) and try again. If you're using a template, the template itself might have line numbers disabled at a deeper level.