Need the first line of your paragraph to stay at the left edge while the remaining lines sit farther in? Google Slides has a built-in hanging-indent setting for exactly that. You can set the amount directly on a computer, then reuse the formatting elsewhere.
Create a hanging indent with the built-in setting
With your presentation open in Google Slides on a computer, highlight the paragraphs you want to format. You can select multiple paragraphs for this step. Use that selection to give those paragraphs the same hanging-indent amount through the built-in controls.
Under Format > Format options, expand Text fitting in the sidebar. Then, under Special indent, choose Hanging.
Enter your desired indent amount under By, such as 0.5 inches. That places the lines below the first line half an inch inward. There is no Apply step in the Slides workflow.
The half-inch amount is an example, so enter the amount you want for your paragraphs. The hanging indent keeps the first line at the paragraph’s starting edge (the left edge in left-to-right text, the right edge in right-to-left text) while moving the subsequent lines inward.
Use the text box shortcut to the sidebar
This gives you direct access to the same hanging-indent controls. Right-click the text box or text placeholder you want to format. Choose Text fitting from the context menu.
This route works with both text boxes and text placeholders. It opens the formatting sidebar, where you can choose the indent type and enter its amount. In the formatting sidebar, set Special indent to Hanging. Adjust By to the indent amount you want.
If the menu instructions do not match Slides
Instructions that point to Align & indent and Indentation options belong to Google Docs. In Slides, open Format > Format options. From there, expand Text fitting to reach the paragraph controls.
Choose Hanging under Special indent. Set the amount using By. Skip the Google Docs instruction that ends with Apply. Slides has its own built-in hanging-indent setting.
Reach the controls with your keyboard
Select the text you want to format. Open Format using Alt+O in Chrome on Windows or ChromeOS, Alt+Shift+O in other Windows browsers, or Control+Option+O on Mac.
Use keyboard navigation to choose Format options. Then expand Text fitting using keyboard navigation.
Choose Hanging under Special indent. Enter the desired amount in By. These shortcuts open the ordinary formatting controls; Google notes that some shortcuts might not work for all languages or keyboards.
Reuse formatting you already like
Use Paint format when another piece of text already has the formatting you want. It copies general formatting, but hanging-indent transfer is not guaranteed for every text selection.
Select the text or text-box object that already has your desired formatting. Click Paint format in the toolbar. Select the destination where you want to use that formatting.
You can also copy the source formatting with Ctrl+Alt+C on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command+Option+C on Mac. Start with the formatted source selected, just as you would when using the toolbar.
Select the destination and apply the copied formatting with Ctrl+Alt+V on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command+Option+V on Mac. These shortcuts copy and apply general formatting from an existing source.
Check the destination’s Special indent setting under Format > Format options > Text fitting. If the indent did not transfer, choose Hanging under Special indent. Adjust By to match the original indent amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create a hanging indent in the Google Slides mobile app?
Google does not document a Slides hanging-indent control in its Android or iPhone/iPad app instructions. Use Google Slides on a computer to access the setting.
Do I need a paid Google Workspace plan?
Google specifies no paid-plan or Workspace-edition restriction for the hanging-indent setting in Slides on computers.
Is there a dedicated hanging-indent keyboard shortcut?
Google does not list a dedicated hanging-indent shortcut for Slides. Its Increase indent and Decrease indent commands are separate from the Hanging paragraph setting.
Can I copy formatting with a keyboard shortcut?
Yes. Select the formatted source and press Ctrl+Alt+C on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command+Option+C on Mac. Select the destination and press Ctrl+Alt+V on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command+Option+V on Mac. Check the destination’s Special indent setting afterward.