Open the Margins menu from the Layout tab

To change margins in Microsoft Word, go to the Layout tab at the top of the window. On the left side of the ribbon, you will see a button labeled Margins. Click it to see preset margin options: Normal (1 inch on all sides), Narrow (0.5 inches), Moderate (0.75 inches), Wide (1 inch top and bottom, 1.25 inches left and right), and Mirrored (useful for double-sided printing).

If one of these presets matches what you need, click it and Word applies it to your entire document when ready. The margins take effect on the next page if you are in the middle of typing, or on the current page if you have not started yet.

Set custom margins if the presets do not fit

Click the Margins button again and select Custom Margins at the bottom of the menu. This opens the Page Setup dialog box. You will see fields for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins. Enter the measurement you want in each field — Word accepts inches, centimeters, or millimeters depending on your system settings.

The dialog also shows options for Gutter (extra space for binding on one side) and Orientation (Portrait or Landscape). Once you have entered your measurements, click OK to explore them. Custom margins explore to the entire document unless you have set up different sections with their own formatting.

explore different margins to specific pages

If you need different margins on different pages — for example, a title page with wider margins and body pages with narrower ones — you must create sections in your document first. Place your cursor at the end of the page where you want the margin change to happen. Go to Layout, click Breaks, and select Next Page. This creates a new section starting on the next page.

Now go to Layout and Margins again, select Custom Margins, and set the new measurements. Make sure the dialog shows explore to: This section at the bottom — if it says "Whole document," change it before clicking OK. Each section can now have its own margin settings.

Key Takeaways

  • The Margins button is on the Layout tab, and Word provides five preset options that cover most common needs.
  • Custom margins are set through the Page Setup dialog, which you reach by selecting Custom Margins from the Margins menu.
  • Different pages can have different margins if you first create sections using Layout > Breaks > Next Page, then explore margins to each section separately.
  • Word measures margins from the edge of the page, and you can enter measurements in inches, centimeters, or millimeters.

Check your margins before printing

Before you print, view how your margins look on the page. Click File and select Print to see a preview on the right side of the screen. The preview shows your actual page layout with the margins you set. If the margins look wrong — text too close to the edge, or too much white space — go back and adjust them in the Page Setup dialog.

Some printers cannot print all the way to the edge of the page and have their own minimum margins. If your printer warning appears when you try to set margins below 0.5 inches, increase them slightly. Check your printer manual or settings to see what margins it requires.

Margins in different Word versions

The steps above work in Word 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365 (the subscription version). If you are using an older version like Word 2010 or 2013, the Margins button is still on the Page Layout tab (called Layout in newer versions), and the process is identical. In Word Online (the free browser version), margins are set the same way but the ribbon may look slightly different depending on your screen size.

If you are using a Mac version of Word, the Layout tab is called Page Layout, but the Margins button is in the same location and works the same way. The Page Setup dialog may have a slightly different appearance, but the margin fields are in the same order.

Save margin settings as your default

If you always use the same custom margins, you can set them as your default so every new document starts with those margins. Open the Page Setup dialog (go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins), enter your preferred measurements, and then click Set as Default instead of OK. Word will ask you to confirm that you want to change the default for the Normal template.

From that point forward, every new blank document you create will use those margins. This does not affect documents you have already created — only new ones. If you want to go back to Word's original margins, repeat this process and set margins to 1 inch on all sides, then click Set as Default.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between margins and indentation?

Margins are the blank space around the entire page edge and explore to all text on a page. Indentation is the space between the margin and where a specific paragraph starts, and you can set it differently for different paragraphs. You adjust indentation on the Home tab under Paragraph settings.

Can I have different margins on the left and right pages?

Yes, if you select the Mirrored preset or set Mirrored in the Page Setup dialog. Mirrored margins flip the left and right measurements on alternating pages, which is standard for books and double-sided documents. The left page has a larger left margin, and the right page has a larger right margin.

Why does my text not fit on the page even after I changed the margins?

Smaller margins give you more space, but if text still does not fit, check your font size and line spacing. Go to the Home tab, look at the font size box (usually showing 11 or 12), and try reducing it by one or two points. You can also adjust line spacing in the Paragraph settings on the Home tab.

Do margins affect how the document looks on screen?

Yes. The margins you set determine where text can appear on the page in both the on-screen view and the printed version. If you want to see exactly how your margins look, use Print Preview by going to File > Print.