How to Make Columns in Microsoft Word, Step by Step

To make columns in Microsoft Word, place your cursor where the layout should begin, then choose Layout > Columns and select a layout such as Two. To format only part of a document, select that text first, open Layout > Columns > More Columns, and apply the setting to the selection. These steps are for Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows; the Mac commands are similar.

Columns are useful for newsletters, flyers, menus, and other layouts where text should flow down one side and continue at the top of another. Before you begin, decide whether the columns should apply to the whole document, one section, or only selected text. That choice affects where Word puts the columns and how later text behaves.

What You’ll Need

A document open in the desktop version of Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac.
The text you want to arrange in columns, if it is already written. You can also set up columns before typing.
A rough idea of the number of columns and whether they should be equal in width. Word can balance the layout more easily once the text is in place.

Step-by-Step

Open the Layout tab. In Word for Windows, select Layout on the ribbon. In some older Word versions, the tab may be named Page Layout. On a Mac, select Layout in the ribbon. The column settings are page-layout controls, not paragraph alignment controls.
Choose what the columns should affect. To change the current section, click in that section without selecting text. If the document has no section breaks, this usually means the whole document. To change only a particular block, drag across and select that text before opening the column settings. Selecting whole paragraphs is usually easier to manage than selecting a partial line.
Pick a preset. Select Layout > Columns, then choose One, Two, or Three. The Left and Right presets create two columns with unequal widths. Word updates the layout immediately. If text was selected, check that the change is limited to the intended part of the document.
Set more precise options if needed. For custom widths or spacing, select Layout > Columns > More Columns. In the dialog, choose the number of columns and adjust each column’s width and the space between columns. Turn on Line between if you want a vertical separator. This line is a layout divider, not a border around each column.
Check the Apply to setting. In the More Columns dialog, choose Whole document, This section, This point forward, or Selected text, as appropriate. The choices available depend on where your cursor is and whether text is selected. When you select a text block and apply columns to the selection, Word uses section breaks to separate that block from the surrounding layout.
Confirm the layout. Select OK in the dialog. Review the page at a useful zoom level and scroll through the document. Text should flow down the first column and then continue at the top of the next one. If you chose unequal columns, compare their widths and make sure the text is still readable.
Move text to the next column when necessary. Click where the next column should begin, then choose Layout > Breaks > Column. This inserts a column break, moving the following text to the top of the next column without adding blank paragraphs. Use a break for a deliberate start, such as a new section heading, rather than pressing Enter repeatedly to push text across.
Return to one column after a special layout. Click in the section that should return to normal text, then select Layout > Columns > One. If the one-column setting changes more of the document than expected, use More Columns and check the Apply to option. A section break may be needed to keep the single-column text separate from the columns above it.
Save and inspect the result. Save the document, then check the page breaks and column starts, especially if you added or removed text. Column positions can shift as Word repaginates the document. For a printed handout or PDF, use Print Preview or export a PDF to confirm that the columns fit on the page.

Common Mistakes

Changing the whole document by accident: If no text is selected, a column command affects the section containing the cursor. In a document without section breaks, that section may be the entire document. Before choosing a layout, click in the correct section or select the exact text, then confirm the Apply to option in More Columns.

Using spaces or tabs to imitate columns: This may look aligned on one screen but shift when the font, page size, or text changes. Use Word’s column layout for flowing text. For aligned items such as names and prices, a table is often a better choice because its cells hold content in fixed rows.

Pressing Enter to force text across: Extra paragraph marks are fragile and can create large gaps or move text unexpectedly. Insert a column break instead. Turn on formatting marks with Home > Show/Hide ¶ if you need to find unwanted paragraph marks or section breaks.

Expecting columns to fill evenly as you type: Word normally flows text from one column to the next, but the final column may be shorter than the others. If you want the columns balanced at a particular point, use a continuous section break at the end of the column text or adjust the content and check the result in Print Preview.

Tips

For a simple newsletter, add or paste the text first, select the paragraphs that belong in the newsletter, and then apply two columns to the selected text. This makes it easier to see how much copy fits before you add decorative elements. Keep headings with the text they introduce, and avoid making the gap between columns so narrow that the two blocks look like one.

Use a column break when a new topic should begin at the top of the next column, even if the previous column is not full. This gives you a deliberate start without filling the page with blank lines. If you later edit the text above the break, the start point stays controlled, though the break may move to another page if the document reflows.

For uneven layouts, choose Left or Right from the Columns menu, or set widths in More Columns. A narrow side column can work for short notes or labels, while the wider column carries the main text. Keep essential information out of a very narrow column, where words may wrap awkwardly.

On Windows, the full controls described here are on the Layout tab. On Mac, use the Layout tab and its Columns menu; dialog labels or ribbon placement can vary slightly with the Word release. Word for the web can preserve and display existing columns, but its layout controls may not offer the full desktop options for creating or adjusting them. Open the file in the desktop app if you cannot find a setting.

Troubleshooting

The entire page or document changed: Undo immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac. Then select the intended text or place the cursor in the correct section. Open More Columns and set Apply to carefully before confirming. If the text must be isolated, select it and apply the columns to Selected text; Word can add the section boundaries needed to contain the layout.

Text will not start at the top of the next column: Click immediately before the text that should move, then insert Layout > Breaks > Column. If the break appears in the wrong place, turn on Show/Hide and remove the misplaced break, then insert it at the correct paragraph. Check that the cursor is inside a multi-column section; a column break in a one-column section will not create the expected layout.

A blank page or large gap appears: Show formatting marks and look for extra paragraph marks, page breaks, or section breaks. A page break combined with a section break can push content farther than intended. Delete only the unwanted mark; removing a section break can also change the formatting of the section before it, so check the surrounding layout afterward.

The columns look too narrow or uneven: Return to Layout > Columns > More Columns and review the number of columns, widths, spacing, and page margins. Long words, large fonts, images, and tables can restrict the usable width. Try fewer columns or reduce the amount of content before shrinking text to an uncomfortable size.

Changes appear different in print: Check the page size, orientation, and margins under the Layout tab, then view Print Preview or export a PDF. A layout that fits on a wide monitor may wrap differently on a smaller paper size. Confirm that the printer or PDF uses the same page size as the document.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make two columns in Word?
Select the relevant text or click in the section, then choose Layout > Columns > Two. If you need custom spacing or a separator line, open More Columns.

Can I make columns for only part of a page?
Yes. Select the text and open Layout > Columns > More Columns, then apply the layout to Selected text. Word places section breaks around the selection so nearby text can keep a different layout.

How do I type in the second column?
Let text flow naturally, or insert a column break where the second column should begin using Layout > Breaks > Column. Avoid using repeated spaces or blank paragraphs to position the text.

How do I make columns different widths?
Open Layout > Columns > More Columns, select the number of columns, and adjust the width and spacing options. You can also start with the preset Left or Right for a two-column layout with unequal widths.

Can I add a line between columns?
Yes. Open the More Columns dialog and select Line between. The line separates the columns vertically; it does not add a border around the page or the text.

Why can’t I find the Columns command in Word online?
Word for the web may not provide the same controls as the desktop app. Open the document in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac to create or fine-tune the column layout, then save it so the changes appear in the online document.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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