A dot leader tab fills the space between two pieces of tabbed text with dots, commonly connecting a heading to its page number in a table of contents or index. Instead of typing periods, you apply a dot leader to the tab stop at the right edge of the dotted run.
How a dot leader tab works
Pressing Tab moves the insertion point or following text to a tab stop. When that stop is set to use a dot leader, Word fills the intervening space with dots. The selected stop determines where the dots end and, in a contents-style line, where the page number aligns.
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For example, a line can show a section title on the left and its page number on the right, with dots guiding the reader between them. The dots are generated by the tab formatting; they are not a row of manually typed periods.
How to add a dot leader in Word
The specific dialog labels and layout can vary by Word version and platform. The following procedure reflects the Word 2013 guidance; newer Word versions also support custom tab stops and leaders through the Tabs dialog.
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- Select the relevant text or paragraphs. The tab stop and leader should apply to the lines you want to format.
- Open the Tabs dialog. In Word 2013, open the paragraph-formatting controls and choose Tabs. The route may differ in other versions.
- Select the endpoint tab stop. In the position list, choose the stop at the right edge of the dotted run—the stop the tab character should advance to.
- Choose the dot leader. Select the dotted leader option, then click Set.
- Confirm the dialog. Check that the tabbed line places the value, such as a page number, at the intended stop.
Choosing a leader style
Dots are common for contents pages, indexes, and tabbed lists. Word guidance also describes dash and underline leaders. Dashes provide a different visual guide; an underline is often a better fit for a fill-in line. A bar tab stop is an exception: the cited Word guidance says it cannot have a leader.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Fixing dots that start or end in the wrong place
If the dots begin unexpectedly or the page number shifts, inspect the paragraph’s tab stops and the tab characters in the line. A missing earlier stop can cause the text to advance to the later stop that carries the leader. The leader belongs to the endpoint stop, so confirm that the correct stop is selected and that the preceding tab moves text through the intended space. For a table of contents, Word’s automatic table-of-contents feature is another option to consider.
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