A hanging indent keeps the first line of a paragraph at the left margin while every wrapped line after it moves inward. It is the standard layout for Works Cited, References, and bibliography entries.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, and Word 2019 on Windows or Mac when citation entries or selected paragraphs need a hanging indent.
Apply a hanging indent with the keyboard shortcut
This is the fastest method.
- Click inside one paragraph, or select several paragraphs.
- Press Ctrl+T on Windows or Cmd+T on Mac.
- Word adds a half-inch hanging indent.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+T on Windows or Cmd+Shift+T on Mac to reduce it, or undo if needed.
Each shortcut press increases the hanging indent by another half inch, so one extra press is easy to reverse.
Set an exact hanging indent size
Use the Paragraph dialog for precise requirements.
- Click inside the paragraph or select the list.
- Open Home and click the small arrow in the Paragraph group, or right-click and choose Paragraph.
- Under Indentation, open Special.
- Choose Hanging.
- Set By to 0.5 inches, the common MLA and APA citation-list value.
- Click OK.
More control
Apply it to a whole citation list
Select the entire Works Cited, References, or Bibliography section before applying the indent. Word formats each selected paragraph at once.
Use the ruler visually
Turn on View > Ruler. The top triangle controls the first line; the lower triangle controls hanging indent. Drag the lower triangle to adjust wrapped lines.
Remove manual tabs and spaces
If wrapped lines look uneven, turn on Home > Show/Hide and delete tabs or spaces typed at the start of lines. Manual spacing fights the real hanging indent.
Update a style if needed
For repeated use, format one paragraph, right-click the relevant style, and choose Update to Match Selection so future paragraphs use the same indent.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Create a hanging indent (2025)
- Purdue OWL – MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Adjust indents and spacing (2025)