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In the WordPress block editor, line spacing is labeled Line height. Select a Paragraph block, open the Settings sidebar, reveal the control from the Typography options menu if necessary, and enter the value you want. This changes the distance between lines inside that paragraph; it does not change the gap between separate paragraphs.
Choose the kind of spacing you need
| What you want to change | WordPress setting or action |
|---|---|
| Space between lines in one paragraph | Typography > Line height |
| Space between separate paragraphs or blocks | Block spacing, margin, or padding |
| A new visual line without a new paragraph | Press Shift+Enter |
| Spacing across many posts or the whole site | Theme styles, theme.json, or custom CSS |
Set single or double line spacing in the block editor
- Select the text block. Click inside the Paragraph block (or another text block) whose line spacing you want to change.
- Open the block settings. Click the Settings icon in the editor toolbar to open the sidebar, then select the Block tab if needed.
- Open Typography. Expand Typography. If Line height is not visible, open the Typography options menu and enable the Line height control. WordPress hides some controls until you turn them on.
- Set Line height. Enter or choose a value in the Line height field. A value around
1.5is the broad default described in WordPress documentation for most themes, but it is not an enforced value on every site. For a single-spaced appearance, use a value close to1; for a double-spaced appearance, use a value close to2, then check the rendered page and adjust for your font and theme. - Preview the front end. Save or update the post and view the public page. Theme styles, font metrics, responsive rules, and inherited CSS can make the result look different from the editor.
The control applies to the selected block. To give several paragraphs the same treatment, select and edit each relevant block, use a multi-block selection where your editor permits it, or apply a site-wide style through the theme.
Change the gap between paragraphs instead
Line height changes the distance between successive lines within one paragraph. If the problem is the blank space between two paragraphs, adjust the spacing of the blocks themselves. Depending on the theme and block, look for Dimensions or Spacing controls and change block gap, margin, or padding. These settings are separate from Typography > Line height.
When spacing controls are missing
Not every theme exposes block spacing controls. A block theme may provide them through its design settings, while a classic or more restrictive theme may require its own Customizer options or CSS. Avoid adding repeated empty Paragraph or Spacer blocks as a substitute; they are harder to maintain and can behave unpredictably on mobile screens.
Insert one local line break without paragraph spacing
Place the cursor where the break should occur and press Shift+Enter. In the workflow described by WPBeginner, Enter starts a new paragraph, while Shift+Enter inserts a line break inside the current paragraph. Use this for addresses, poems, headings with a deliberate second line, or similarly short one-off formatting—not as a replacement for a repeatable spacing style.
The active theme still controls how the break is rendered, so verify it on the published page.
What to do when Line height is unavailable
Check the editor and theme support
Typography controls vary by block, editor setup, and theme. First confirm that you selected the block itself, opened the correct Settings sidebar, and enabled hidden Typography options. If the field still does not appear, the theme may not support that control for the block.
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Use global styles in a block theme
Block themes can define paragraph typography in theme.json and can opt in to editor controls. This is appropriate when you maintain the theme and want a consistent rule rather than a one-off post change. Follow the theme’s existing structure and test the editor and front end after changing it; an incorrectly structured file can prevent other theme settings from loading.
Use targeted CSS
Custom CSS can set a line-height for a paragraph or a specific class when the editor offers no control. The selector depends on your theme, so inspect the block in the browser and target the narrowest class that fits your need. For example:
.entry-content .your-paragraph-class {
line-height: 1.5;
}
Replace the example selector with the class used by your site. A broad rule such as p { line-height: 2; } can unintentionally affect captions, widgets, comments, and other text. If you use a child theme or a site-specific CSS panel, keep the rule there so a theme update does not erase it.
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Classic Editor and mixed-editor sites
The Classic Editor does not provide the block editor’s Typography > Line height panel. For a classic-editor post, use the theme’s available styling controls, a reusable CSS class, or site-wide theme CSS. Sites that mix classic and block content should test both types because their markup and inherited styles may differ.
Quick Recap
Troubleshoot unexpected spacing
- Only one paragraph looks wrong: select that block and check for a block-level margin or padding setting in addition to its line height.
- The editor looks right but the page does not: inspect the front end for theme CSS, responsive overrides, cached styles, or a more specific selector.
- There is too much space after pressing Enter: you created a new paragraph; use Shift+Enter only when a same-paragraph line break is semantically appropriate.
- Changing line height does not alter the gap between paragraphs: adjust block gap, margin, or padding instead.
- The value resets: check whether a global style, block style, or theme update is overriding the per-block setting, and clear any page or browser cache before retesting.
- Mobile spacing is excessive: review responsive CSS and test at the actual viewport widths used by your audience.
Which approach should you use?
- Use Line height for readable, consistent spacing inside a paragraph.
- Use block spacing, margin, or padding for the separation between paragraphs, lists, headings, and other blocks.
- Use Shift+Enter for an intentional, local line break.
- Use theme.json or CSS when the rule should apply repeatedly or the editor does not expose the needed control.
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