Insert a Blank Line in Microsoft Word: Quick Steps

To insert a blank line in Microsoft Word, place the cursor where you want the extra space and press Enter once. Word creates an empty paragraph, which moves the text below it down by a line. You can press Enter more times for multiple blank lines, or use paragraph spacing when you want more space without adding empty paragraphs. These steps apply to Microsoft 365 Word on Windows; the basic Enter method is the same on Mac.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac, or Word for the web.
A document where you can edit the text. If it is read-only or protected, you may need permission to make changes.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and find the insertion point. Open your Word document and locate the place where you want an empty line. If you are adding space between two paragraphs, you can position the cursor at the end of the first paragraph or at the start of the second. If you are adding a line within a paragraph, click at the exact point where the text should continue below.
Click where the blank line should go. Click once in the document to place the blinking insertion cursor. Take a moment to confirm it is in the right paragraph. Word inserts a blank line at the cursor, so a click at the start or end of a different paragraph can change the layout somewhere else than intended.
Press Enter once. On a Windows keyboard, press Enter; on a Mac keyboard, press Return (the key may be labeled Enter). Word starts a new paragraph. When you press the key at a paragraph boundary, the new paragraph is empty, creating the blank line between the surrounding text. The text after the cursor moves down.
Check the result before typing more. Look at the page and make sure the empty line is where you wanted it. The cursor will usually be in the new paragraph, ready for typing. If you want the line to stay empty, do not type into it; click in the next paragraph or use the arrow keys to move to the intended place.
Add more empty lines if needed. To create two blank lines, press Enter twice at the insertion point; for three, press it three times. Each press starts another paragraph, so the amount of space depends on the document’s paragraph and line-spacing settings. Use only as many empty paragraphs as you need, because a long run of them can push later text onto another page.
Add a blank line before a paragraph. Click immediately before the first character of the paragraph, then press Enter once. The paragraph moves down and an empty paragraph appears above it. If the first character is difficult to target, click near the beginning of the paragraph and use the Home key on Windows to move to the start of the line; on Mac, use Command+Left Arrow to move to the beginning of the current line. Check the cursor position before pressing Enter.
Add a blank line after a paragraph. Click at the end of the paragraph, after its last character and before the paragraph mark, then press Enter. If the next paragraph is already there, Word inserts an empty paragraph between them. You can also click at the start of the next paragraph and press Enter to create an empty paragraph above it. Either approach works; choose the one that is easier to position accurately.
Use formatting marks to verify the empty paragraph. If you cannot tell whether the space is a real blank line, show nonprinting marks. In Word for Windows, select Home > ¶, or press Ctrl+Shift+8. In Word for Mac, select the paragraph-mark button on the Home tab or press Command+8. A paragraph mark appears for each paragraph, including an empty one. Select the button or use the shortcut again to hide the marks; they do not print.

For a blank line at the very top or bottom of a document, put the cursor at the start of the first paragraph or at the end of the last paragraph and press Enter. At the end of the document, Word may leave the insertion point in a new paragraph; that is normal. If the document has a header or footer, click in the main body first so you do not add the line to the wrong part of the page.

Common Mistakes

Pressing Shift+Enter when you need an empty paragraph. Shift+Enter inserts a manual line break inside the same paragraph. It moves text to the next line, but does not create a separate empty paragraph. Use plain Enter for the usual blank-line method.
Using Ctrl+Enter to add a line. On Windows, Ctrl+Enter inserts a page break, so the following text starts on a new page. On Mac, Command+Return is the page-break shortcut. These are useful when you want a new page, not when you want a small gap.
Adding several empty paragraphs to fix paragraph spacing. Repeated Enter presses can make the document uneven, especially if line spacing or paragraph spacing changes later. For a consistent gap, adjust paragraph spacing instead of stacking empty paragraphs.
Assuming every visible gap is a blank line. Word may show extra space because the paragraph has spacing before or after it, or because its line spacing is set differently. Use formatting marks and inspect the paragraph settings before adding more space.
Typing into the new paragraph by accident. After you press Enter, the cursor sits in the new paragraph. If you begin typing, the line is no longer blank. Undo immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac, or delete the text you just entered.

Tips

If you want a deliberate visual gap between paragraphs rather than an actual empty paragraph, use the spacing controls. Select the paragraph that should have extra room after it, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > Add Space After Paragraph. The exact wording in the menu can change to Remove Space After Paragraph if that spacing is already applied. This is often a tidier choice for reports, letters, and documents with many paragraphs because the spacing stays consistent when text is edited.

You can also use the Layout tab’s paragraph spacing controls. On Windows, open Layout and adjust the Before or After value in the Paragraph group. In Word for Mac, open Layout and look for the paragraph spacing controls, which may appear under Spacing. Adding space after a paragraph affects the gap below that paragraph; adding space before affects the gap above it. Select the relevant paragraph first, and check whether the change applies to one paragraph or to a broader selection.

When you do need an empty paragraph, one press of Enter is usually easiest. To keep the result tidy, avoid using blank paragraphs to position content at the bottom of a page or to line up columns. Those spaces can shift when fonts, margins, or text change. Use page layout controls, a table, or paragraph settings for layout that needs to remain stable. Remember that an empty paragraph may inherit the formatting of nearby text, such as font size or line spacing, so a blank line can look taller than expected.

Troubleshooting

The line appears too large or too small. The empty paragraph may use different line spacing or paragraph spacing from the text around it. Turn on formatting marks, click in the empty paragraph, and check the settings on Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing or in the Layout tab’s paragraph controls. You can also select the empty paragraph and apply the same paragraph style as the surrounding text.
Text jumps to another page. Delete extra empty paragraphs first. If the text still moves, check for a page break or section break: turn on formatting marks from Home > ¶ and look for a labeled break. A paragraph may also have pagination settings such as keeping it with the next paragraph. Avoid deleting a section break unless you understand its effect, because it can change page layout or headers and footers.
Enter does not seem to add a blank line. Check that the document is editable and that the cursor is in the main document body, not a text box, header, footer, or a protected area. If you are in a table cell, Enter creates a new paragraph inside that cell rather than a line between table rows. If the document is protected, ask the owner for editing access or use an allowed editable area.
The gap is visible but no empty paragraph mark appears. The gap is probably paragraph spacing, line spacing, or a layout effect rather than a blank line. Select the paragraph near the gap and inspect its spacing settings. If you want an actual empty paragraph, position the cursor at the appropriate paragraph boundary and press Enter once.
You inserted a page break by mistake. Press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac to undo it. Then click at the intended paragraph boundary and press Enter once. If you have made other changes since then, turn on formatting marks and carefully select only the page break before deleting it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a blank line in Word the same as a line break?

No. A blank line is usually an empty paragraph created with Enter. A manual line break, created with Shift+Enter, moves text to the next line within the same paragraph. Use the empty paragraph method when you want a separate line of space between paragraphs.

How do I add two blank lines in Word?

Place the cursor where the empty space should begin and press Enter twice. This creates two empty paragraphs, though the displayed space can vary with paragraph settings. If you need a consistent gap throughout a document, use paragraph spacing instead.

Can I insert a blank line without moving the text onto another page?

Often, but it depends on how much room remains on the page and the paragraph settings. If the page is nearly full, adding any line can push text forward. Remove unnecessary empty paragraphs or use a smaller, consistent paragraph-spacing value if a narrower gap is suitable.

How do I remove a blank line?

Click in the empty paragraph and press Backspace or Delete to remove it. With formatting marks visible, click just before or after the empty paragraph mark and delete the extra mark. Be careful not to remove a paragraph mark that separates text you want to keep in separate paragraphs.

Will blank lines appear when I print the document?

Yes. Empty paragraphs are part of the document layout and normally print as space. Formatting marks such as ¶ are only editing aids and do not print. If you see a large gap in print preview, check for extra empty paragraphs and paragraph spacing before printing.

Do these steps work in Word for the web?

Yes. Click where you want the empty paragraph and press Enter. The browser version has the same basic behavior, although some paragraph-spacing controls may be arranged differently or offer fewer options than the desktop app. If you cannot find a layout control, open the document in the Word desktop app.

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