How to Use Columns in a Word Document

Columns are a powerful layout tool that let you arrange text in two or more vertical strips across the page — like a newspaper, newsletter or brochure. Word makes it easy to apply columns to a whole document or just a selected section, and gives you control over column width, spacing and dividing lines. This guide covers everything from basic two-column layouts to more advanced setups.

How to add columns to a document

Applying columns in Word is a Layout option, not a Home or Insert one. Here's how to do it:

  1. Go to the Layout tab on the ribbon (called Page Layout in older versions of Word).
  2. Click Columns in the Page Setup group.
  3. Choose one of the presets: One (default), Two, Three, Left (narrow left column) or Right (narrow right column).
  4. Word applies the column layout to the whole document immediately. Your text reflows to fill the columns from left to right.

Applying columns to part of the document

If you only want columns in a specific section — for example, a multi-column section in the middle of an otherwise single-column document — select the text first before applying columns.

Highlight the paragraphs you want in columns, then go to Layout > Columns and choose your layout. Word automatically inserts Continuous section breaks around your selection, so the rest of the document stays single-column. You can also manually insert section breaks (Layout > Breaks > Continuous) to mark the boundaries yourself.

Customising column width and spacing

The preset column options give equal-width columns with standard spacing, but you can customise them precisely:

  1. Go to Layout > Columns > More Columns.
  2. In the Columns dialog, set the number of columns.
  3. Uncheck 'Equal column width' to set different widths for each column.
  4. Adjust the Width and Spacing values for each column individually.
  5. Check 'Line between' to add a thin vertical line between columns — useful for newsletters.
  6. In the Apply to dropdown, choose whether changes apply to the whole document or from this point forward.
  7. Click OK to apply.

Inserting a column break

By default, text fills the first column before flowing into the second. If you want to force text to start at the top of the next column — for example, to begin a new article in a newsletter — insert a column break.

Place your cursor where you want the break, then go to Layout > Breaks > Column. The text after the break jumps to the top of the next column. Column breaks only work inside a multi-column section; in a single-column layout they behave like page breaks.

Balancing columns on the last page

When you have columns that don't fill completely — common on the last page of a section — Word by default leaves the right column shorter than the left. To balance them so both columns end at the same point, place your cursor at the very end of the columned text and insert a Continuous section break (Layout > Breaks > Continuous). Word redistributes the text evenly across both columns.

Going back to a single column

To remove columns and return to a single-column layout, click anywhere in the columned section, go to Layout > Columns, and choose One. If the columns only apply to a section (because Word inserted section breaks automatically), the single-column change will only affect that section unless you first select all the text and then apply the change.

Columns vs. tables: which should you use?

Columns are best for flowing text — articles, newsletters, brochures — where content naturally runs from one column to the next. Tables are better for structured side-by-side content where each cell is independent, like a CV layout with labels in one column and details in another, or a comparison chart.

A key difference: columns flow text automatically from one to the next; table cells are always independent. If you're laying out a newsletter article, use columns. If you're building a structured layout where items don't flow between sections, use a table.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my text jump to the second column halfway through a page?

A column break has probably been inserted. Click Home > Show/Hide (¶) to make hidden formatting marks visible. Look for a 'Column Break' marker in your text and delete it if you don't want it there.

Can I have different numbers of columns on different pages?

Yes. Use section breaks to divide the document into sections, then set a different column count for each section. Go to Layout > Breaks > Next Page between sections, then apply your column layout to each section independently.

How do I put an image that spans both columns?

Right-click the image, choose Size and Position, and set the text wrapping to 'In Front of Text' or 'Through'. The image can then be dragged freely across both columns. Alternatively, place the image in the header or use a text box.

My columns look uneven — the widths are different on each page. Why?

This can happen if the section boundaries are set to 'From this point forward' rather than applying to the whole section. Check Layout > Columns > More Columns and confirm the Apply to setting is correct.

Do columns work in Word for the web or online editors?

Word for the web has basic column support. FreeWordEditor.com preserves column layouts in documents you open and will maintain them when you export, though the online editing view shows the content without the column visual layout.