How to Double Space a Header in Microsoft Word 365

To double space a header in Word, open the header, select its text, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. This changes the line spacing within the selected header paragraph; it does not add extra blank lines or change the spacing in the document body. Before you begin, make sure you know which page or section’s header you want to change, since Word can use different headers in different parts of a document.

What You’ll Need

A Word document you can edit in Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The names of some controls differ slightly in Word for Mac, as noted below.
Access to the header you want to format. If the document has multiple sections, identify the relevant page or section first.
Optional: a copy of the document or a recent saved version, especially if it contains complex headers, logos, or page numbering.

Step-by-Step

Go to a page with the header you want to change. Scroll to a representative page in the correct section. If the document has a title page, section breaks, or different odd- and even-page headers, the header shown on one page may not be used on every page. You can confirm which section you are in by looking at the header after you open it.
Open the header for editing. Double-click inside the top margin area where the header text appears. Word switches into header-editing mode and displays the Header & Footer contextual tab. If double-clicking does not open it, select Insert > Header > Edit Header. On a Mac, double-click the header area or use Insert > Header > Edit Header; menu wording can vary slightly by Word release.
Select the header text or paragraph. Drag across the words you want to format. If the header contains more than one paragraph and you want all of them double-spaced, select all the header paragraphs. You can click within a single header paragraph without selecting text if you want the whole paragraph’s spacing changed. Paragraph formatting applies to the entire paragraph even when only some of its words are highlighted.
Apply double line spacing from the ribbon. While the header is active, select Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing in the Paragraph group, then choose 2.0. The line spacing takes effect immediately. If you do not see the ribbon controls, expand the Word window or select the Home tab; the Paragraph group may be compressed when the window is narrow.
Use the Paragraph dialog for a precise setting, if preferred. On Windows, with the target paragraph active, go to Home, then select the small dialog box launcher at the bottom-right of the Paragraph group. On the Indents and Spacing tab, set Line spacing to Double, then select OK. In Word for Mac, open Format > Paragraph and set the line-spacing option to Double. This dialog is useful when you also need to check paragraph spacing before or after the header.
Check whether paragraph spacing is adding extra room. Double spacing controls the distance between lines in a paragraph, while Spacing Before and Spacing After add space around paragraphs. In the Paragraph dialog, check those values if the header looks much taller than expected. Set them to the values required by your document; do not assume they must be zero if a template specifies otherwise.
Review the result on another relevant page. Click in the document body, then inspect another page in the same section. If the header should be consistent across the whole document, also check the first page, odd and even pages, and pages after section breaks. If only one header variation changed, repeat the formatting in the other header that needs it.
Close header editing and save. Select Close Header and Footer on the contextual tab, or double-click in the document body. Press Ctrl+S on Windows to save; on a Mac, press Command+S. Check the printed or print-preview layout if the header sits close to the top margin.

Keyboard shortcut: In Word for Windows, click in the header paragraph or select the relevant paragraphs and press Ctrl+2 to apply double spacing. In Word for Mac, use Command+2. These shortcuts apply paragraph formatting, so the active paragraph may change even if you have not selected every character in it. Use the ribbon or Paragraph dialog if you want to verify the setting.

Common Mistakes

Adding a blank line instead of changing line spacing. Pressing Enter creates another paragraph, which can make the header look taller without making its lines double-spaced. Remove the accidental empty paragraph and set Line and Paragraph Spacing to 2.0 instead.
Formatting the body instead of the header. If the header is not active, Ctrl+2 or the ribbon command can affect the main text. Confirm that the insertion point is in the header and that Word shows the Header & Footer tab before applying the setting.
Selecting only part of a multi-paragraph header. If some lines remain close together, they may be separate paragraphs that were not included in the selection. Select each intended paragraph, or click in each one and apply the setting.
Changing the wrong section or header type. A document can have separate first-page, odd-page, even-page, and section headers. Changing one does not necessarily update the others, especially when Different First Page or Different Odd & Even Pages is enabled.
Confusing line spacing with paragraph spacing. A large gap between two header paragraphs can come from Spacing After, not from line spacing. Check both settings before trying to fix the appearance by adding or deleting line breaks.

Tips

Use the formatting marks to see paragraph breaks. On Windows, select Home > Show/Hide ¶, or press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, use Command+8. The marks are not printed; they help reveal empty paragraphs and manual line breaks. Select Show/Hide again to hide them.
Format the actual paragraph, not just the visible letters. Clicking in the paragraph is often enough to set its line spacing. If you highlight text, remember that the paragraph-level setting may affect the entire paragraph, including text outside the highlighted portion.
Use the Paragraph dialog when the result looks uneven. It displays line spacing alongside Before and After spacing, making it easier to identify which setting is creating excess space. Avoid repeatedly pressing Enter to make a visual adjustment.
Check headers after section breaks. When a header is linked to the previous section, editing it may also affect the linked header elsewhere. The Link to Previous control on the Header & Footer tab indicates whether the current header is connected. Consider the effect before unlinking or changing it.
Keep a visual check in context. Double spacing can make a one-line header occupy more vertical space than expected, even though its letters do not move apart. Review the top margin, page number, and any logo together so that the new spacing does not cause overlap.

Troubleshooting

The header does not visibly change: First click inside the header and confirm it is active. Then click in the paragraph and apply 2.0 again. If the line contains only one short line of text, double spacing may be hard to notice until the paragraph wraps onto a second line. The setting still controls the distance between lines if wrapping occurs.

The header has too much space above or below it: Open the Paragraph dialog and compare Line spacing with Spacing Before and Spacing After. Double spacing increases space between lines, but the Before/After values can add a separate gap around the paragraph. Adjust only the setting that is causing the unwanted space. If the entire header is too far from the top edge, check the document’s header position or top margin rather than reducing line spacing as a workaround.

Only some pages changed: Check whether the affected pages are in different sections or use a first-page or odd/even header variation. Open the header on an unchanged page and format that version too if necessary. If you expect linked sections to match, inspect Link to Previous; if it is off, that section’s header can be formatted independently.

The ribbon command is unavailable or greyed out: Make sure you are editing the header rather than viewing a protected document or selecting an object such as a text box or image. If editing restrictions are active, you may need permission to change the file. When the header contains a text box, click inside the text itself and format its paragraph; the box’s position and the text’s line spacing are separate settings.

The formatting changes back later: A style or template may be applying paragraph formatting to the header. Open the Paragraph dialog to confirm the line-spacing value after reselecting the text. You can also adjust the relevant header style if the document relies on styles, but verify that doing so will not change other headers that share the same style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does double spacing in a Word header affect the rest of the document?
Not if you apply it only to the header paragraphs. The body text has its own paragraph formatting. If the body changes too, undo once with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac, activate the header, and apply the setting again.

Can I double-space only one line in the header?
Line spacing is a paragraph setting, not a character setting. If the header line is its own paragraph, click in that paragraph and set it to Double. If several lines belong to one paragraph, the spacing applies between wrapped lines in that paragraph.

Why does 2.0 look different from two blank lines?
Double means the line spacing is set to twice the single-spacing baseline for the font and paragraph. It does not insert an empty line between lines. A blank line is a separate paragraph or line break and may create a larger or inconsistent gap.

Will this change every header in my document?
Not always. Sections and the Different First Page or Different Odd & Even Pages options can create separate header versions. Review each type that should match and apply the setting to any that remain unchanged.

Can I double-space the header on just one page?
Yes, but headers are typically shared across pages in a section. To have a unique header on a particular page, you may need a section break and a separate header, or the Different First Page setting when appropriate. Be careful: section breaks can affect pagination and other layout settings.

Does this work in Word for the web?
Word for the web offers basic header editing and paragraph formatting, but ribbon controls can differ from the desktop app. If you cannot find the line-spacing option or need to manage section-specific headers, open the document in the Word desktop app and use the steps above.

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