How to Make Columns in Word 365

To make columns in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the text you want to format, then choose Layout > Columns and pick a layout. Choose More Columns to set column widths, spacing, a dividing line, or where the layout applies. Columns are useful for newsletters, flyers, brochures, and other pages where text should flow down one column and continue at the top of the next.

Before you start, decide whether the columns should cover the whole document, a particular section, or just selected text. If you only want columns on part of a page, Word uses section formatting to separate that area from the rest of the document. You can change or remove the layout later.

What You’ll Need

Word for Microsoft 365. The steps below use the Windows desktop app; the Mac desktop app has a similar Layout tab, with a few menu and shortcut differences noted below.
A document with text, or a clear idea of where the column layout should begin and end. You can apply columns to an empty section and type into it afterward.
Optional: a mouse or trackpad for selecting text and adjusting layout settings. No add-in or special template is required.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and identify the area to format. Save the file before making substantial layout changes. If the entire document should use columns, you do not need to select anything. To format only a particular passage, drag across its paragraphs to select them first. For a layout that starts at the cursor and continues through the rest of the document, click where the columns should begin instead of selecting text.
Open the Columns menu. On the Windows desktop ribbon, select Layout > Columns. Depending on the window width, the command may appear in the Page Setup group. Choose One, Two, Three, Left, or Right. The Left and Right presets make one column narrower than the other; Two makes two columns of equal width by default. Word applies the preset to the document or selected area.
Set the exact layout if a preset is not enough. Select Layout > Columns > More Columns to open the Columns dialog. Choose the number of columns, then review the width and spacing values. Turn on Equal column width for matching widths. Clear it if you want to set different widths for each column, then enter the measurements. Choose Line between if you want a vertical rule separating columns. Check the preview before clicking OK.
Choose where the formatting applies. In the Columns dialog, use Apply to to choose an appropriate scope. Whole document applies the layout throughout the file; This section limits it to the current section; Selected text applies it to the highlighted passage; and This point forward starts the layout at the insertion point and continues after it. The options shown can depend on whether text is selected and whether the document already has sections. When you apply columns to selected text, Word may add section breaks to contain the formatting.
Check how the text flows. Word fills the first column from top to bottom, then continues at the top of the next column. It does not automatically put each paragraph in a separate column. Scroll through the page and check that headings, paragraphs, and images appear where you expect. If the text is too short to reach the next column, the second column can remain partly or entirely empty; that is normal.
Start the next column at a precise point, if needed. Click before the word or paragraph that should begin the next column. Choose Layout > Breaks > Column. This inserts a column break so the following text starts at the top of the next column, without adding repeated blank paragraphs. On Windows, Ctrl+Shift+Enter inserts a column break. On Mac, Command+Shift+Return is the corresponding shortcut in many Word versions; if it does not work on your keyboard or version, use the ribbon command.
Use section breaks for a layout that begins or ends partway down a page. If only one section of the document should have columns, click at the start of that section and choose Layout > Breaks > Continuous. Add another continuous section break at the end of the area. Click inside the section between those breaks, then choose Layout > Columns and set the desired layout. Continuous breaks keep the text on the same page when possible, while separating the formatting. If the layout should begin on a new page, choose Next Page instead.
Adjust spacing and page setup if the layout feels cramped. Return to Layout > Columns > More Columns to revise the width or gap. You can also check the page margins under Layout > Margins. Narrow columns can create frequent hyphenation or awkward line breaks, so test the result with the actual text rather than judging only the preview.
Review the finished pages and save. Use Print Layout view and, if useful, open File > Print to preview how the pages will look. Look for headings stranded at the bottom of a column, uneven text flow, and breaks in the wrong place. Save with Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac.

On Mac: The desktop Word app also uses the Layout tab and a Columns command. Choose a preset or open the additional column settings to control width, spacing, and application scope. Ribbon placement can vary with the app version and window size. If you are using Word for the web and cannot find a setting such as column width or section-level options, open the document in the desktop app; advanced layout controls may not be available in the browser version.

Common Mistakes

Changing the whole document by accident. If a passage was not selected, Word may apply the preset to the current section or a broader area than intended. Open Layout > Columns > More Columns and check Apply to. Undo immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac if the change affected the wrong text.
Pressing Enter repeatedly to push text into the next column. Extra blank paragraphs can shift when you edit the document and make spacing inconsistent. Insert a column break using Layout > Breaks > Column instead.
Using columns when a table is the better tool. Newspaper-style columns make regular text flow from one column to the next. They are not a reliable way to keep separate pieces of information aligned row by row. For price lists, schedules, or side-by-side labels, a table is usually easier to control.
Forgetting that columns belong to a section. If a later page unexpectedly has columns too, or a page switches back to one column, a section break may be missing or in the wrong position. Turn on formatting marks with Home > Show/Hide ¶ to find section and column breaks.
Making columns too narrow. Narrow columns can split words, wrap headings, and make paragraphs difficult to read. Widen the columns, reduce the number of columns, or adjust the page margins before shrinking the type excessively.

Tips

Use a column break for deliberate starts. A break is especially helpful before a heading or a new topic that should begin in the next column. It is cleaner than adding blank lines and remains attached to the text flow.
Keep headings with the content that follows. If a heading is left alone at the bottom of a column, select it, open the Paragraph dialog from the Home tab, and look for the pagination option Keep with next. This helps keep the heading with the next paragraph, though it may shift text elsewhere.
Use different layouts on different pages when appropriate. Add a section break before and after the page or passage that needs columns, then apply the layout to that section. Use Next Page section breaks when the new layout must start on a fresh page; use Continuous when it should begin on the same page.
Turn on formatting marks while editing. Select Home > Show/Hide ¶ to make paragraph marks, column breaks, and section breaks visible. Turn them off again with the same command when you are finished.
Check the printed or exported result. Text can reflow when fonts, margins, paper size, or printer settings change. Preview the document before printing or exporting to PDF, especially when the columns need to fit a specific page design.

Troubleshooting

The columns start in the wrong place: Look for a section break or column break near the affected text. Turn on Home > Show/Hide ¶, then delete an unwanted break carefully or move the insertion point and add the correct one. If you remove a section break, the formatting of the section before it can carry into the following text, so check both areas afterward.

Only one paragraph becomes two columns, or more text changes than expected: Check the selection and the Apply to choice in the Columns dialog. To control a specific block of text, select the block before applying columns, or surround it with continuous section breaks and format that section. If Word creates an unexpected blank area, inspect the document for extra paragraph marks or breaks.

Text does not move to the next column: Word fills columns in order and will not move text merely because a column layout is active. If you need the following paragraph to start in the next column, insert a column break. If there is not enough text to fill the first column, the next one may stay empty until more text is added.

The columns look uneven: In Layout > Columns > More Columns, verify the number of columns, widths, and spacing. Turn on Equal column width if you want uniform columns. Unequal amounts of text can still make the columns finish at different heights; column formatting does not automatically balance every page in the way a designer might expect. Review the last page or section and adjust breaks if necessary.

The Columns command or detailed settings are missing: Confirm that you are using Word’s desktop app and that the document is not open in a restricted editing view. In Word for the web, open the file in the desktop app for more complete section and layout controls. On a small window, expand the ribbon or look in the Layout tab for commands hidden in a group.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make just one page have columns?
Insert a section break before and after the page, then click inside that page and choose Layout > Columns. Use Next Page section breaks if the page must start and end on separate pages. Check the surrounding pages afterward, since section formatting can affect headers, footers, and page layout.

Can I make three columns in Word?
Yes. Choose Layout > Columns > Three for a quick layout, or select More Columns to adjust the widths and gaps. Three columns are most readable when the page is wide enough and the text is not set too large.

How do I add a vertical line between columns?
Open Layout > Columns > More Columns, select the column arrangement, check Line between, and click OK. The line appears between columns in the area covered by that column formatting.

Can I type in the right column before filling the left?
Text normally flows from the first column to the next. To start content at the top of the next column, insert a column break where that content should begin. If you need two independent blocks that can be edited separately, use a table or text boxes instead of newspaper-style columns.

How do I remove columns and return to one column?
Click in the formatted section and choose Layout > Columns > One. If only part of the document changes, check for section breaks and apply the one-column setting to the intended section or selection. Removing a break can affect nearby formatting, so inspect the pages around it.

Why do my columns change after I edit the text?
Columns are part of the document’s text flow, so adding or deleting words can move paragraphs between columns and pages. Use column breaks only where a particular starting point matters, and preview the full document after larger edits.

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