Word columns are newsletter-style: text runs down the left column and continues at the top of the right one. You can apply them to a whole document or to one block of text without touching the rest of the page.
Methods in this guide:
- Put the whole document in two columns
- Put only selected text in two columns
- Adjust spacing and add a line between columns
- Control where each column starts
Making the whole document two columns
Use this when every page should be laid out in two columns, such as a newsletter or brochure.
- Click anywhere in the document and make sure no text is selected.
- Go to Layout > Columns.
- Choose Two.
Result: All text in the current section flows into two equal columns. If the document has more than one section, only the section with the cursor changes.
Making only selected text two columns
Use this when you want a heading or intro in one column and the text below it in two. This is the method shown in the video.
- Select the paragraphs you want in columns.
- Go to Layout > Columns.
- Choose Two.
Result: Only the selected paragraphs split into two columns. Word inserts a continuous section break before and after them, so the text above and below stays full width.
Microsoft describes both options in its guide to creating multiple columns in Word.
Tip: Press Ctrl + Shift + 8 on Windows or Cmd + 8 on Mac to see the Section Break (Continuous) markers Word adds.
Adjusting column spacing and adding a line between
Use this when the default gap looks too wide or too narrow, or you want a vertical divider.
- Click inside the columns.
- Go to Layout > Columns > More Columns.
- Under Width and spacing, change the Spacing value. Clear Equal column width if you want columns of different widths.
- Select Line between to draw a vertical line between the columns.
- Check that Apply to shows the right part of the document, such as This section or Selected text.
- Click OK.
Result: The columns use your spacing, and a thin vertical line separates them.
The Presets at the top of the same dialog include Left and Right, which make one column narrower than the other.
Controlling where each column starts with column breaks
Use this when a column ends in an awkward place, or the second column stays empty.
- Place the cursor where you want the next column to begin.
- Go to Layout > Breaks > Column.
- Or press Ctrl + Shift + Enter on Windows, or Cmd + Shift + Return on Mac.
Result: The text after the cursor moves to the top of the next column. Microsoft’s steps are in Insert a column break.
Comparing the methods
| Method | Best for | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Columns on the whole document | Newsletters, brochures | Windows, Mac |
| Columns on selected text | A one-column title above two-column text | Windows, Mac |
| More Columns dialog | Custom spacing, unequal widths, a line between | Windows, Mac |
| Column break | Choosing where the second column starts | Windows, Mac |
Columns vs. a table
Columns suit text that should flow continuously. If the left and right sides are separate content, such as a resume or a comparison, a two-column table with hidden borders is easier to control.
For an image beside a paragraph, see how to put an image and text side by side in Word. If you also work in Google’s editor, the same choice applies when you make two columns in Google Docs.
Platform differences
- Windows: Layout > Columns, with the full More Columns dialog.
- Mac: the same Layout > Columns menu and More Columns dialog. The column break shortcut is Cmd + Shift + Return.
- Word for the web: columns created in the desktop app display, but the column tools are more limited. If you can’t find an option, use Open in Desktop App to finish the layout in Word.
Troubleshooting two columns in Word
- The whole document changed instead of one part: you didn’t select text first. Undo with Ctrl + Z (Cmd + Z on Mac), select the paragraphs, and apply columns again.
- The columns are uneven at the end: add a continuous section break after the last column text (Layout > Breaks > Continuous) and Word balances them.
- You can’t tell where columns break across pages: view two pages side by side in Word to check the flow.
- Columns disappeared after deleting something: you probably deleted a section break. Undo, or reapply columns to the selection.
- A landscape page or new margins also changed: layout settings belong to sections. See how to make one page landscape in Word for how section breaks keep layouts separate.
For more page layout guides, browse the Microsoft Word guides.