How to Set Defaults in Word (Font, Spacing, Margins, and More)

To set defaults in Word, open the dialog for the setting you want to change (Font, Paragraph, or Page Setup), choose your options, click Set As Default, and then select All documents based on the Normal template? and OK. Every new blank document then starts with those settings. This works in Word for Windows and Word for Mac; Word for the web doesn’t have a Set As Default option, and documents you’ve already created don’t change.

Where each default lives

Set the default font

1. Open a blank document.
2. On the Home tab, click the small arrow in the corner of the Font group (or press Ctrl+D).
3. Choose the font, style, and size. Pick +Body if you want the font to follow the document theme instead of staying fixed.
4. Click Set As Default.
5. Select All documents based on the Normal template? and click OK.

On a Mac, choose Format > Font, make your changes, and click Default, then Yes. The default font guide covers more detail, including going back to Aptos or Calibri.

Set the default line and paragraph spacing

1. On the Home tab, click the small arrow in the corner of the Paragraph group.
2. On the Indents and Spacing tab, set Before, After, and Line spacing. For example, choose Single and set After to 0 pt for tight, single-spaced text.
3. Click Set As Default.
4. Choose All documents based on the Normal template? and click OK.

On a Mac, use Format > Paragraph and click Default. You can also pick a preset from Design > Paragraph Spacing and then click Set as Default on the Design tab. See changing spacing in Word for what each spacing option does.

Set the default margins, orientation, and paper size

1. Go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.
2. On the Margins tab, enter your margins and choose Portrait or Landscape.
3. On the Paper tab, choose a paper size, such as Letter or A4.
4. Click Set As Default, then Yes.

On a Mac, choose Format > Document, adjust the Margins or Layout tab, and click Default. Microsoft’s guide to default settings for new documents lists the same Mac options.

For the steps to switch a single document to legal paper, see how to add legal size in Word.

Set default styles and themes

Headings, titles, and lists all come from styles. To change how a style looks in every new document:

1. On the Home tab, right-click the style (for example, Heading 1) in the Styles gallery.
2. Choose Modify.
3. Change the font, size, color, or spacing.
4. Select New documents based on this template at the bottom of the dialog, then click OK.

To make a whole look the default, pick a theme and style set on the Design tab and click Set as Default. If you need different defaults for different kinds of documents, such as letters and reports, create a template for each instead of changing Normal every time.

Set other defaults in Word Options

• Save format and location: File > Options > Save lets you choose the Save files in this format type, the Default local file location, and whether to save to your computer by default instead of OneDrive.
• Paste: File > Options > Advanced, under Cut, copy, and paste, set Pasting from other programs to Keep Text Only if you always want plain pasted text.
• AutoCorrect and proofing: File > Options > Proofing controls automatic corrections, formatting as you type, and spelling and grammar checks.

On a Mac, these settings are under Word > Preferences (Settings in newer versions).

If your defaults don’t stick

• You chose “This document only.” Repeat the steps and select the Normal template option.
• The document uses a different template. Defaults apply to new blank documents. A document started from a template or received from someone else keeps its own settings.
• An add-in or read-only Normal template blocks saving. Close Word and make sure Normal.dotm isn’t read-only. On Windows it’s in %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates. Starting Word in safe mode (hold Ctrl while opening it) can show whether an add-in is resetting things.
• You want to start over. Close Word and rename Normal.dotm; Word builds a fresh one the next time it opens. Our guide to resetting Word to its default settings walks through it.

Matt Wilmont

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