How to Change Margins in Google Docs

Google Docs is one of the best cloud-based word-processing web applications that allows users to create and edit text documents online. It features a straightforward, user-friendly UI that allows even a non-specialist to create, format, and share documents. One of the core formatting features in Google Docs is its ability to change margins.

Here are some suggestions for choosing appropriate margins:

• Follow any specific guidelines or requirements from your instructor, employer, or publisher.
• Use standard margins of 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides for academic papers and business letters.
• You can adjust the margins if you need to fit more text on a page or avoid widows and orphans (single lines of text at the top or bottom of a page).
• Use wider margins (1.5 to 2 inches) for documents that are meant to be bound or hole-punched.
• Use narrower margins (0.5 to 0.75 inches) for informal documents, flyers, newsletters, or resumes.

Margins in Google Docs

Margins play a vital role in crafting a document in Google Docs. Changing the margins in Google Docs allows control over your document's look. It allows you to create a professional-looking layout that meets your needs.

This tutorial will show you how to change margins in Google Docs. Adjusting the margins quickly is easy, whether it's your school project, business proposal, or another personal document. You'll learn to change margins for the entire document and customize margins to fit your preferences.

How to Fix Margins in Google Docs With the Ruler

1. Click on “View” in the menu bar, and select “Show ruler” from the options
    
   
   
2. Click on the ruler and drag to change the margins
    
   Locate the blue margin at the top ruler on either end. Click on the gray portion at either end of the blue margin. Your cursor will be changed to a sideways arrow. You can drag to change the margin in your Google Doc file.
    
   
   
3. Go to the gray portion at the left of the document, and drag up and down to change the margin
    
   

How to Set Margins in Google Docs With the Page Setup Option

1. Click on “File” in the menu bar, and select “Page setup” from the options
    
   
   
2. Change each margin by typing a new measurement according to your needs
    
   Type in the new measurements as needed, click “Set as default”, and click “OK” to confirm changing the margins in your Google Docs file.
    
   

How to Add a Page Border in Google Docs

While Google Docs doesn't have quite as much functionality as Microsoft Word, the free online tool has a surprising amount of flexibility. For example, though it has no specific border too, it's entirely possible to create page borders in Google Docs.

Extra: How to Use Google Docs Offline on Windows 10, Mac, and Linux

Google Docs is a strong, free alternative to Microsoft Word. The only real thing holding it back is that it requires an internet connection. Or, at least, it used to. In our other tutorial we're showing you how to use Google Docs offline so that you can stay productive offline as well.

Extra: How to Do a Hanging Indent on Google Docs

Hanging indents are a requirement for many academic papers, in particular when it comes to your citations or references section. Creating this formatting quirk, however, isn't always straightforward. Our other guide will show you how to make a hanging indent on Google Docs.

Extra: How to Add a Table of Contents in Google Docs and Update It Afterwards

Adding a table of contents to your Google Docs is important once they reach dozens of pages. Google Docs' table of contents can be created automatically by pulling data directly from your heading styles.

Extra: How to Draw on Google Docs

Google Docs offers you several routes to get creative. Our other guide will explain how to draw on Google Docs to add some extra flair to your documents or easily create diagrams.

Extra: How to Strikethrough or Cross-out Text on Google Docs

The strikethrough function in Google Docs is underutilized but often quite useful. It allows a writer or editor to cross out text they aren't happy with but retain the original draft. Though not as advanced as the “suggested edits” tool, strikethrough in Google Docs can be used more casually for lists and even utilized for comedic effects. In our other guide, we are showing you how to strikethrough on Google Docs using two methods