The Tool Desk
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Choose between page columns and a table
| What you need | Use | How the content behaves |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter-style prose | Layout columns | Text flows down one column and continues in the next. |
| Two independent items that must stay level with each other, such as labels and descriptions | Two-column table | Each item stays in its own cell; table column widths and AutoFit settings control the layout. |
For tables, adjust the column or table width using the table-specific controls described in Microsoft’s table-resizing guide. These controls are separate from page columns.
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Make two columns in Word desktop
- Click where the two-column layout should start. To apply it only to particular paragraphs, select those paragraphs first.
- Choose Layout > Columns > Two.
- Continue typing. Word fills the first column and then flows into the second.
To apply columns to the whole document, leave text unselected when you choose the command. Microsoft’s instructions cover Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016; ribbon labels can vary slightly by build. See Microsoft’s guide to creating multiple columns.
Adjust column widths, spacing and divider
Choose Layout > Columns > More Columns to open the column settings. Adjust the widths and the space between columns there. To make the columns different widths, clear Equal column width. Where the dialog offers it, enable a vertical line to divide the columns. Microsoft describes the width and spacing controls in its column-width guide.
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Keep columns to one region or page
To mix single- and two-column text in one document, isolate the two-column area with continuous section breaks. A continuous break changes the section without forcing the next section onto a new page.
- Place the cursor where the two-column region should begin.
- Choose Layout > Breaks > Continuous.
- Click in the new section and choose Layout > Columns > Two.
- At the end of the two-column region, insert another continuous section break.
- Click in the section after that break and choose Layout > Columns > One.
Word applies layout changes to sections, so check that each break sits at the intended boundary and that the cursor is in the section you mean to format. Microsoft notes that a continuous section break can create a different number of columns within a page in its section-break instructions. Word for the web cannot add section breaks.
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Start text at the top of the next column
Columns ordinarily fill by automatic text flow. To choose the exact point where the next column begins, insert a column break at that point. In Word for Windows in Print Layout, choose Layout > Breaks > Column, or press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. The shortcut and ribbon path cited here are for Windows desktop. To inspect a break that is difficult to find, choose Home > Show/Hide to reveal formatting marks. See Microsoft’s column-break guide.
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What Word for the web can and cannot do
Word for the web can display existing newsletter-style columns, but it cannot create or resize them. It also cannot add section breaks. Use the desktop app for those layout changes; Microsoft’s details are in its column-width guide and section-break guide.
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