Use Word’s built-in Bullets command to turn separate paragraphs into a list. Each item should be its own paragraph; selecting several lines within one paragraph will not create a bullet for each visual line.
Create a bulleted list
- For an existing list, select the paragraphs you want to turn into items. Choose Home > Paragraph > Bullets.
- For a new list, click on a blank line and choose Bullets, or type an asterisk followed by a space to let Word start a list automatically.
- Type the first item and press Enter for the next bullet. When the list is finished, press Enter again on an empty item to leave the list.
Use the arrow beside Bullets to select a different bullet from the library. Choose Define New Bullet if you need a specific symbol or picture. For a sequence where order matters, choose Numbering instead.
If your list is a to-do list, you can turn it into a checklist in Word with box bullets or clickable check boxes.
Keyboard shortcuts for bulleted lists
- Ctrl+Shift+L (Word for Windows): applies the List Bullet style to the selected paragraphs.
- Tab: at the start of a bulleted item, moves it down one level to create a sub-bullet.
- Shift+Tab: moves a sub-bullet back up one level.
- Shift+Enter: starts a new line inside the same bullet instead of creating a new bullet.
- Enter twice: ends the list and returns to normal paragraphs.
To reorder items in a list rather than create one, see how to move bullet points in Word.
Word disables list formatting when the document can’t be edited. Check these common causes:
- Protected View: Files from email or the internet often open read-only. Select Enable Editing in the yellow bar.
- Read Mode: Choose View > Edit Document or View > Print Layout.
- Restricted editing: If the owner limited formatting, open Review > Restrict Editing to see the restrictions. You may need their password to stop protection.
Fix alignment and levels
If the bullets or text do not line up, click a bullet to select the list’s bullets, right-click, and choose Adjust List Indents. Set Bullet position and Text indent separately. This is more precise than repeatedly pressing Increase Indent. For a nested item, use Home > Multilevel List > Change List Level and select the level you want.
To change only the bullet symbol’s color or size, click a bullet so Word selects the bullets at that list level, then use the Font controls. Selecting the text instead changes both text and bullets. To remove bullets, select the list and choose Bullets again.
For a checklist that readers can click in Word, use a checkbox content control rather than an ordinary bullet character.
Sources: Microsoft Support: Create a bulleted list; Microsoft Support: Change bullet indents; Microsoft Support: Format bullets.
To split a long list side by side, see how to make two columns of bullets in Word.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com