The ruler is hidden by default in Word, but you can turn it on in seconds

Microsoft Word has a ruler — a measuring tool that runs along the top and left side of your document — but it does not appear when you first open the program. To see it, go to the View tab at the top of the window and check the box next to Ruler. The ruler will appear when ready above your document and along the left margin. If you are using Word on a Mac, the process is the same: click View, then find and check Ruler.

Once the ruler is visible, you can close it the same way — by unchecking the box. Many people turn the ruler on only when they need to adjust margins, indents, or tab stops, then turn it off again to have more screen space for writing.

Key Takeaways

  • The ruler appears when you click the View tab and check the Ruler box; it shows along the top and left side of your document.
  • The horizontal ruler at the top lets you adjust left and right margins, indents, and tab stops by dragging the markers.
  • The vertical ruler on the left side shows the height of your page and helps you see where headers, footers, and page breaks fall.
  • You can hide the ruler again by unchecking the Ruler box, which gives you more space to write if you do not need it.

What the horizontal ruler does

The horizontal ruler at the top of your document shows the width of your page and has small markers you can drag to change spacing. On the left side of the ruler, you will see a small triangle pointing down (the indent marker) and a small square below it (the left margin marker). On the right side, there is another triangle pointing down (the right indent marker). Dragging these left or right changes where your text starts and stops on the page.

The ruler also shows tab stops — places where your cursor jumps when you press the Tab key. You can click anywhere on the ruler to add a new tab stop, or drag an existing one to move it. This is useful if you are making a list with columns or trying to line up text in a specific way. If you see a small L-shaped mark on the ruler, that is a tab stop already in place.

What the vertical ruler does

The vertical ruler on the left side of your document shows the height of your page in inches or centimeters. It helps you see where your text falls on the page and where page breaks occur. If you have headers or footers, the vertical ruler shows you the space they take up at the top and bottom of the page.

You can also use the vertical ruler to adjust top and bottom margins by dragging the markers at the top and bottom of the ruler. This is less common than adjusting horizontal margins, but it works the same way — drag the marker to move the margin inward or outward.

How to adjust margins using the ruler

To change your left margin, find the small square at the bottom left of the horizontal ruler and drag it to the right. To change your right margin, drag the triangle on the far right of the ruler to the left. The space between these markers is your text area — everything outside it is margin.

If you drag the triangle at the top left of the ruler (the first-line indent marker), only the first line of a paragraph will move. This is useful if you want to indent the first line of each paragraph without indenting the rest. Dragging the square below it (the left indent marker) moves all lines of the paragraph together.

Keep in mind that dragging the ruler changes margins only for the current section of your document. If you want to change margins for the entire document, it is usually faster to use the Margins button on the Layout tab, which applies to all pages at once.

Why the ruler might not appear even when checked

If you check the Ruler box but the ruler still does not show up, you may be in a view that does not support it. Word has several different views — Print Layout, Web Layout, Outline, and Draft. The ruler only appears in Print Layout view, which is the default. To switch to Print Layout, click View and select Print Layout.

Another reason the ruler might not appear is if your zoom level is very low. If you are zoomed out to see a very small version of your page, Word sometimes hides the ruler to save space. Try zooming in to at least 50 percent and see if the ruler reappears.

When you might want to turn the ruler off

The ruler takes up space at the top and left of your window, which means less room for your document. If you are writing and do not need to adjust margins or indents, turning the ruler off gives you more screen space. You can always turn it back on later if you need to make formatting changes.

Some people prefer working without the ruler because they use keyboard shortcuts or the menu instead. For example, you can set indents by going to Layout > Indents and Spacing instead of dragging the ruler. Both methods work — it comes down to what feels faster for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the ruler from inches to centimeters?

Yes. Go to File > Options > Advanced, scroll down to the Display section, and change the measurement unit in the dropdown. This changes how all rulers and measurements appear in Word.

What does the hourglass shape on the ruler mean?

That is the hanging indent marker. It controls where all lines except the first line of a paragraph start. Drag it to the right to indent everything but the first line, which is common for bulleted lists and citations.

Can I use the ruler to set page width?

No. The ruler shows the width of your page, but you cannot change page width by dragging it. Page size is set through Layout > Size, where you can choose from standard sizes like Letter or Legal, or create a custom size.

Does the ruler show different measurements on different pages?

No. The ruler shows the same measurements for all pages in your document unless you have created different sections with different page sizes or orientations. If you see the ruler change, you have likely switched to a section with different settings.