Word: Organizing Document Content

  • Updated

Creating a Bulleted or Numbered List

There are two ways to create a Bulleted or Numbered List

  1. Manually
    • Enter "*" (asterisk) to start a bulleted list or "1." to start a numbered list.
    • Press the Spacebar or Tab
    • Enter the first line of text and press the Enter (Word will indent the list and display the next bullet or number.)
    • Optional: Enter additional lines of text.
    • When you are finished, press the Enter key twice to end the list.
  2. Ribbon Commands
    • Place your cursor where you want to start your list.
    • Select Bullets or Numbers in the Paragraph group under the Home tab on the Ribbon

Word_Bullets_or_Numbers.png

 

Adding Bullets or Numbers to Existing Text

  1. Select the text you wish to make into a list.
  2. Select the Home tab
  3. In the Paragraph group, select one of the following options:
    • To add bullets, click the Bullets button .
    • To add numbers, click the Numbering button .
    • To create a multilevel list, click the Multilevel List button and select a list style from the resulting menu.

Word_Bullets_Numbers_Multilevel.png

To demote a selected item, click the Increase Indent button in the Paragraph group, or press the Tab key

To promote a selected item, click the Decrease Indent button in the Paragraph group, or press Shift + Tab.

Word_Promote_Demote_list.png

 

Create Your Own Bullets

  1. Click the dropdown menu on the Bullets icon
  2. Select Define new bullet
  3. Select Symbol or Picture button based on what you want to insert
  4. Select the image you want as your Bullet from your files; a new Bullet option will be created

Word_Define_New_Bullet.png   Word_Bullet_Options.png

 Word_New_Bullet.png

 

Interrupting auto sequence

  1. Highlight the area in the document where you want the numbering to be removed
  2. Click the dropdown for Numbering in the Paragraph group; select None

Note - To remove a single bullet/number, click bullet and press backspace.

 Word_Numbering_None.png

 

 Renumber or continue numbering

  1. Highlight area of document to be renumbered
  2. Right click and select Set Numbering Value  
  3. Select Start New List; in “Set value to”, enter desired number and click OK         

Note: Continue numbering by selecting Continue from previous list.

Word_Set_Numbering_Value.png Word_Start_New_List.png

 

 

Paste an existing list

Word automatically joins the pasted list with the current list.

  • After copying the list you want to insert, put the cursor where you want to insert the list and select Paste
  • Choose Don't Merge list to keep separate, otherwise choose Merge List.

Word_Don_t_Merge_List.png    Word_Merge_List.png

 

Indents

There are three ways to change the indents for a bulleted or a numbered list:

  1. Select the item and press SHIFT+TAB or TAB key
  2. Select the item and click the Decrease Indent or Increase Indent from the Home Tab, Paragraph group
  3. To change amount of indent, right click the list and click Adjust List Indents

Word_Increase_Decrease_Indent.png     Word_Adjust_List_Indents.png

 

Show Ruler

  • Go to View tab; in Show group, select Ruler
  • Horizontal and vertical Ruler will display at top and left of document

 Word_Ruler_Option.png  Word_Ruler.png

 

Identifying indents on Ruler

  1. First-line indent marker, showing the indent position or the bullet or number
  2. Indent marker, showing the indent position of text in the list

Ruler_Indents_Marked.png

To change the position of bullets/numbers, drag Marker 1

To change position of text, drag pointed top part of Marker 2

To move the indents simultaneously, keeping the relationship, drag the rectangular part on the bottom of Marker 2

 

Showing Formatting

To display formatting in a Word document (which may cause problems in organizing content if unknown) click the “paragraph” symbol in the Paragraph Group under the Home tab

Word_Paragraph_Group_Formatting.png

 

Removing Formatting

  • Select the text from which you want to remove formatting
  • On the Home tab, in the Font group, select the Clear Formatting button

Word_Clear_Formatting.png