Word How-To Guides

Word guides for formatting and layout, including tables of contents, page numbers, columns, footnotes, signatures and recovering lost documents.

How to Add a Signature in Word With Pictures or Ink
Add a handwritten signature to Word as a picture, draw it with a pen, make a signing line, or add a certificate-backed digital signature.
How to Add Check Boxes in Word That You Can Click
To add check boxes in Word, turn on the Developer tab and choose Check Box Content Control. For a printed list, use box bullets; online, use Checklist.
How to Add Footnotes in Word and Format Them
Click after the text, choose References > Insert Footnote and type your note. See how to number, format, convert and remove footnotes in Word.
How to Add Page Numbers in Word From Any Page
Select Insert > Page Number in Word and pick a style. Then hide the cover number, start later pages at 1, show Page 1 of 3 or fix stubborn numbers.
How to Change Margins in Word and Set Exact Sizes
To change margins in Word, open Layout > Margins and pick a preset, or choose Custom Margins for exact sizes. Use section breaks for a single page.
How to Change Microsoft Word to Light Mode on Any Device
Open File > Account in Word and set Office Theme to White. If only the page stays black, use View > Switch Modes or Design > Page Color > No Color.
How to Compare Two Word Documents and See Changes
In Word, select Review > Compare > Compare, pick the original and revised files and select OK. Word opens a new document with the differences marked.
How to Convert Word to PDF and Check the Result
Convert Word to PDF with Save As or Export in desktop Word, or Download as PDF in Word for the web, and keep comments out of the copy you share.
How to Create a Fillable Form in Word That Works
Show the Developer tab, add text, drop-down, date and check box fields, then protect the form with Filling in forms and save a reusable template.
How to Delete a Page in Word, Including Blank Pages
Select everything on the page and press Delete. For a blank page, press Ctrl + Shift + 8 to show the marks, then delete the empty lines or the break.
How to Double Space in Word for Any Document
Double space a whole Word document or selected paragraphs with the ribbon or Ctrl+2. Fix extra paragraph gaps and set spacing for new files.
How to Insert a Line in Word for Dividers and Forms
Type three hyphens and press Enter for a divider in Word. Use a border under text, a shape you can move, or a table cell for a line to type on.
How to Make a Table of Contents in Word That Updates
Make a table of contents in Word from heading styles, then update entries and page numbers, adjust its look, and fix missing headings on desktop or web.
How to Make Columns in Word for Any Part of a Page
Choose Layout, Columns, Two to make columns in Word. Select paragraphs first to change only part of a page, or use More Columns for widths and a line.
How to Make One Page Landscape in Word With Section Breaks
Select the content, open Word's Page Setup dialog, and apply Landscape to Selected text. Use section breaks when you need exact page boundaries.
How to Recover an Unsaved Word Document (Crash or Closed)
In Word, open a blank document, then File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents and Save As the newest copy. After a crash, reopen Word.
How to Superscript in Word and Format Exponents
Make text superscript in Word with the Home button or keyboard shortcut. Add subscript and exponents, insert symbols, and fix text that stays raised.
How to Track Changes in Word and Review Edits
Turn on Track Changes from Word's Review tab, show every edit in All Markup, then accept or reject suggestions and make a clean copy.
How to Use Copilot in Word to Draft and Edit
Select the round Copilot button at the lower right of a Word document to draft, rewrite, build a table or get a summary, then check what it changed.