Customizing the Ribbon in Microsoft 365

What this article covers

This article covers how to customize the ribbon located at the top of the Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), which enables you to access your most critical functions when working in the apps. In this article you will learn:

• What the Ribbon Offers
• How to Select Ribbon Display Options
• How to Customize Tabs
• How to Customize Groups
• How to Customize Commands
• How to Reset the Ribbon to the Default Settings

What the Ribbon Offers

The ribbon located at the top of the Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) enables you to access your most critical functions when working in the apps.

What you can customize: The key productivity tip with utilizing the ribbon is the ability to personalize the ribbon to how YOU work by arranging tabs, commands, groups in the order you want them, hide or unhide the ribbon, and hide those commands you use less often.

What you can’t customize: You can’t reduce the size of your ribbon, or the size of the text or the icons on the ribbon. The only way to do this is to change your display resolution, which changes the size of everything on your page (Windows Start > Settings > System > Display resolution). You also can’t change the color of the ribbon or its icons, but you can change the color scheme that Microsoft uses throughout (Change the Office theme).

When you customize your ribbon: Customizations only apply to the Microsoft app you’re working in at the time. For example, if you personalize your ribbon in Word, those same changes won’t be visible in Excel. If you want similar customizations in your other Microsoft apps, you’ll have to open each of those apps to make the same changes.

How to Select Ribbon Display Options

You can choose whether to have the ribbon displayed, show tabs only, or show tabs and commands (i.e., show everything all the time) (Video). To select these options:

1. Select the Ribbon Display Options menu located towards the top-right of the app screen.
2. Select Show Tabs and Commands to display everything all the time.
   

How to Customize Tabs

The tabs on your ribbon are Home, Insert, Design, etc. For example, the image above shows the tabs in Word. You can change the order of tabs, add/remove a custom tab, rename a default or custom tab,  and hide a default or custom tab.

You can add custom tabs or rename and change the order of the default tabs that are built into Office. Custom tabs in the Customize the Ribbon list have (Custom) after the name, but the word (Custom) does not appear in the ribbon.

Open the "Customize the Ribbon" window

To work with your ribbon, you need to get to the Customize the Ribbon window. Here's how you do that.

1. Open the app you want to customize your ribbon in, such as PowerPoint or Excel.
2. Place your mouse in any empty space in the ribbon and then right-click.
3. Click Customize the Ribbon...
   

Now you're ready to do the steps below to customize your ribbon.

Change the order of default or custom tabs

You can change the order of Home, Insert, Draw, Design, and other tabs. You cannot change the placement of the File tab.

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the tab that you want to move.
2. Click the Move Up or Move Down arrow until you have the order you want.
   
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Add a custom tab

When you click New Tab, you add a custom tab and custom group. You can only add commands to custom groups.

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click New Tab.
2. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Rename a default or custom tab

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the tab that you want to rename.
2. Click Rename, and then type a new name.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Hide a default or custom tab

You can hide both custom and default tabs. But you can only remove custom tabs.

Note: You cannot hide the File tab.

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, clear the check box next to the default tab or custom tab that you want to hide.
2. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Remove a custom tab

You can hide both custom and default tabs, but you can only remove custom tabs. The custom tabs and groups have (Custom) after the name, but the word (Custom) does not appear in the ribbon.

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the tab that you want to remove.
2. Click Remove.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.

How to Customize Groups

Groups enable you to group similar commands together, such as with the Font group pictured above displaying font-related commands. You can add custom groups or rename and change the order of the default groups that are built into Microsoft 365. Custom groups in the Customize the Ribbon list have (Custom) after the name, but the word (Custom) does not appear in the ribbon.

Change the order of the default and custom groups

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the group that you want to move.
2. Click the Move Up or Move Down arrow until you have the order you want.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Add a custom group to a tab

You can add a custom group to either a custom tab or a default tab.

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window, under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the tab that you want to add a group to.
2. Click New Group.
3. To rename the New Group (Custom) group, right-click the group, click Rename, and then type a new name.
   
   Note: You can also add an icon to represent the custom group by clicking the custom group, then Rename. When the Symbol dialog opens, choose an icon to represent the group.
4. To hide the labels for the commands that you add to this custom group, right-click the group, and then click Hide Command Labels. Repeat to un-hide them.
5. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Rename a default or custom group

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the tab or group that you want to rename.
2. Click Rename, and then type a new name.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Remove a default or custom group

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the group that you want to remove.
2. Click Remove.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Replace a default group with a custom group

You can’t remove a command from a group built into Microsoft Office. However, you can make a custom group with the commands that you want to replace the default group.

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the default tab where you want to add the custom group.
2. Click New Group.
3. Right-click the new group, and then click Rename.
4. Type a name for the new group and select an icon to represent the new group when the ribbon is resized.
5. In the Choose Commands from list, click Main Tabs.
6. Click the plus sign (+) next to the default tab that contains the group that you want to customize.
7. Click the plus sign (+) next to the default group that you want to customize.
8. Click the command that you want to add to the custom group, and then click Add.
9. Right-click the default group, and click Remove.

How to Customize Commands

To add commands to a group, you must first add a custom group to a default tab or to a new custom tab. Only commands added to custom groups can be renamed. Default commands appear in gray text. You can’t rename them, change their icons, or change their order.

Change the order of the commands in custom groups

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the command that you want to move.
2. Click the Move Up or Move Down arrow until you have the order you want.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Add commands to a custom group

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the custom group that you want to add a command to.
2. In the Choose commands from list, click the list you want to add commands from, for example, Popular Commands or All Commands.
   
   
3. Click a command in the list that you choose.
4. Click Add.
5. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Remove a command from a custom group

You can only remove commands from a custom group.

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window, under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the command that you want to remove.
2. Click Remove.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.

Rename a command that you added to a custom group

1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the Ribbon list, click the command that you want to rename.
2. Click Rename, and then type a new name.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.

How to Reset the Ribbon to the Default Settings

Follow these steps to reset the Ribbon:

1. Right-click anywhere on the ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon...
2. Click the Reset drop-down and select Reset all customizations.
3. Click Yes to the verification prompt.
4. Click OK to apply.

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