How to Double Space References in Word

To double space references in Word, select the reference-list entries, open the Paragraph settings, and set Line spacing to Double. This changes the spacing between lines without removing hanging indents. Before you begin, check whether your assignment or style guide also requires a specific indent or no extra space between entries.

What You’ll Need

A document open in Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The steps are similar in recent desktop versions of Word.
Your reference list in the document, so you can select and format the entries together. If you have not added the references yet, you can set up the paragraph formatting before typing them.
Any formatting instructions from your school, publisher, or style guide. Double spacing is common, but the required indentation and paragraph spacing can vary.

Step-by-Step

Find the start and end of the reference list. Scroll to the first citation or reference entry, not the References heading. Identify the final entry as well. You want to format the references themselves without accidentally changing the heading, body text, or another section.
Select every reference entry. Click just before the first entry, then drag through the last entry. You can also click at the beginning of the first entry, hold Shift, and click at the end of the final entry. Check the highlight before proceeding: all wrapped lines should be selected, and the References heading should usually remain unselected unless your instructions say otherwise. If your list is the final content in the document, click at its beginning and use Ctrl+Shift+End on Windows, then check that no unwanted material is included.
Open the Paragraph dialog. On the ribbon, choose Home, then in the Paragraph group click the small dialog box launcher at its lower-right corner. It is a tiny diagonal arrow. If the ribbon is collapsed or the window is narrow, expand the ribbon or widen the Word window until the Paragraph group is visible.
Set line spacing to Double. In the Paragraph dialog, open the Indents and Spacing tab if it is not already selected. Under Spacing, open the Line spacing menu and choose Double. Do not choose Multiple and enter 2 unless you have a specific reason; the Double option is the straightforward setting for a standard double-spaced list.
Review paragraph spacing before and after. The Before and After fields control additional space around paragraphs; they are separate from line spacing. If your instructions call for a consistently double-spaced list with no extra blank-looking gaps between entries, set both fields to 0 pt. If your style guide explicitly requests space after each entry, follow that instruction instead. Do not add blank paragraphs between references to create spacing.
Apply the change. Click OK to close the dialog. The selected reference entries should now have more vertical space between lines. Click in the list or deselect it to inspect the result, including entries that wrap onto a second or third line.
Check the hanging indent separately. Double spacing should not remove a hanging indent, where the first line begins at the left margin and later lines are indented. If the entries are no longer indented correctly, select the list again, open Home > the Paragraph dialog launcher, and on Indents and Spacing set Special to Hanging. Enter the required amount, often 0.5 inch for common academic formats, then click OK. Use the amount required by your style guide.
Save and verify the document. Press Ctrl+S on Windows. Review the references in Print Layout and, if the document will be submitted or printed, check the page breaks and the beginning of the next section. Double spacing can move entries onto another page, so make sure no heading is stranded or separated from the content it introduces.

On a Mac: Select the references, then use Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0 for the quick method. To control before-and-after spacing or indentation precisely, use Format > Paragraph, set Line spacing to Double, and adjust the spacing fields as needed. The labels can vary slightly by Word version.

Common Mistakes

Selecting the References heading as part of the list. The heading may have its own alignment, bolding, or spacing rules. If your instructions only require double spacing for the entries, exclude the heading from the selection. If you already changed it, select the heading alone and restore its intended formatting.

Confusing line spacing with space after a paragraph. Double line spacing adds room between lines within an entry and also affects the paragraph’s line layout. The After field adds a separate gap after each paragraph. Setting both to large values can make a reference list look as if there is a blank line between every entry. Use the exact settings your style guide specifies, and avoid inserting empty paragraphs.

Using repeated Enter presses to make the list look spaced out. Extra paragraph marks can create inconsistent gaps, complicate later edits, and cause entries to split awkwardly across pages. Turn on formatting marks with Home > Show/Hide ¶ if you suspect blank paragraphs are present, then remove unnecessary marks and apply actual paragraph spacing.

Changing the indent while trying to change line spacing. Line spacing and indentation are different controls in the Paragraph dialog. If wrapped lines should stay indented, leave the existing hanging indent alone or confirm it under Special. Do not use the Increase Indent button as a substitute for a hanging indent unless the required result has been checked.

Formatting only the visible first line of each entry. An entry may wrap across several lines. Make sure your selection includes the whole paragraph, not just the text you can see on one line. Otherwise some references can remain single-spaced or look inconsistent.

Tips

Use the style guide as the authority. APA reference lists are generally double-spaced, including within each entry, and commonly use a hanging indent. Other instructors and publishers may specify different spacing. If directions conflict, ask which requirement takes priority rather than assuming that every reference list follows the same rules.

Format the entries as paragraphs. Word treats each reference as a paragraph when you press Enter at the end of an entry. A wrapped line created automatically by Word is still part of the same paragraph. That is why selecting and formatting the full reference paragraphs is more reliable than adjusting individual lines.

Keep spacing and indentation independent. A typical academic list may use Double line spacing, 0 pt Before and After, and a hanging indent. Those settings do different jobs: line spacing affects vertical distance between lines, paragraph spacing affects gaps around entries, and indentation controls the left edge of wrapped lines. Set each one deliberately.

Consider changing the paragraph style if you will add more entries. If you regularly add references and want new ones to match, right-click the relevant paragraph style in the Styles gallery and choose Modify, then use its Format or Paragraph options to set the spacing and indent. The style name may differ depending on the document. This is more consistent than repeatedly applying direct formatting, but check that changing the style will not alter unrelated paragraphs using it.

Check generated bibliographies after updating them. Word’s citation and bibliography tools can refresh a bibliography when sources change. After an update, review the spacing and indentation again, because the refreshed content may not retain every manual adjustment. If it keeps reverting, adjust the bibliography style or apply formatting after the final update.

Use Print Layout for a final visual check. The page view helps reveal unexpectedly large gaps, awkward page breaks, and whether hanging indents are consistent. A list that looks crowded in a draft may become longer after double spacing; that is normal and not a reason to shrink the font or margins unless your instructions permit it.

Troubleshooting

The entries still look single-spaced. First confirm that the entire list was selected when you opened Paragraph settings. Reopen the dialog and check that Line spacing reads Double, then click OK. If only some entries changed, select the missing paragraphs and repeat. If the list uses different paragraph styles, one group may have retained separate formatting; selecting the full list and applying Double again usually resolves that.

There is too much space between references. Select the entries and inspect the Before and After values in the Paragraph dialog. Set them to 0 pt if the instructions call for no extra paragraph gaps. Also turn on Show/Hide ¶ and delete empty paragraphs between entries. Do not switch line spacing back to Single just to remove the extra paragraph gap; adjust the correct setting.

The hanging indent disappeared. Re-select the references and open Home > Paragraph dialog launcher > Indents and Spacing. Under Indentation, set Special to Hanging and enter the required measurement. If the first line is indented instead, check that the setting is Hanging rather than First line. Apply the change and inspect a long entry that wraps to confirm the later lines align.

Only one paragraph changes when you click in the list. This is expected if no text is selected: Word may apply the setting only to the paragraph containing the cursor. Select the complete list before using the dialog. If you are typing a new list, you can set the paragraph format first, but verify that each entry ends as a separate paragraph.

Word changes the references again after an update. If the list is generated by Word’s bibliography feature or a citation manager, refreshes may replace manual formatting. Update the citations first, then apply the spacing and indent. For repeated updates, modify the relevant bibliography style when available, or check the citation manager’s formatting controls. Save a copy before making broad style changes to a document with other content using the same style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does double spacing mean leaving a blank line between references?
No. Double spacing sets the distance between lines; it does not require an empty paragraph between entries. Use the Before and After settings only if your instructions request additional paragraph spacing.

Will double spacing remove my hanging indent?
No. Line spacing and hanging indentation are separate paragraph settings. Applying Double should preserve the indent, but you can restore it under Paragraph > Indentation > Special if it changes.

Can I double space only the references, not the whole document?
Yes. Select just the reference entries before changing Line spacing to Double. Avoid selecting the body text and the References heading unless you also want those parts changed.

How do I double space references in Word online?
Select the entries, then use the Home tab’s Line and Paragraph Spacing control and choose 2.0, if that option is available in your current Word for the web layout. Some paragraph settings are more limited online; open the document in the Word desktop app if you need to set a precise hanging indent or Before and After values.

Can I use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+2?
In Word for Windows, Ctrl+2 applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs or the paragraph containing the cursor. Select the references first, then press Ctrl+2. On a Mac, the equivalent shortcut is Command+2. Use the Paragraph dialog afterward if you also need to control extra paragraph spacing or indentation.

Why did my reference list move onto another page?
Double spacing increases the vertical height of the list, so Word may move one or more entries to a later page. This is expected. Keep the required line spacing, and check for unintended blank paragraphs or extra Before and After spacing before changing margins, font size, or other layout settings.

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