Indent is a type of formatting technique used by writers and journalists. To indent is to leave some space between the margin and the sentence. It can be done both on the right side and on the left.
Usually, we indent each paragraph’s first line to give the reader a sense that a new paragraph or section has begun. Indenting is also used in writing bibliographies and sources.
Here we’ve covered the following topics to help you indent on Google Docs
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Why is indent used?
If you are a writer and or are planning to write something such as a journalist piece or even a thesis, then you will undoubtedly use indenting in your work. One might ask what the use of indenting in a text is. Here are some ways in which indenting is helpful:
- Indent provides structure to the document.
- You can also use an indent to draw attention to essential document parts.
- Knowledge of indent is also helpful for certain documentation styles, such as the Harvard style or the Chicago Manual of style.
How to indent on Google Docs?
Now that we have understood what an indent is and why it is essential, it is imperative that we also understand how to indent.
Google Docs provide a bunch of options for indenting. Here, we will look at some of these options so the users can indent as per their convenience.
Indent using the Tab key
This is the easiest way to indent on Google Docs. All you have to do is place the insertion at the beginning of the paragraph you want to indent and then press the Tab key on the top left of the keyboard. The first line of the paragraph will move to the right by half an inch.
Indent using the shortcut options
Google Docs has tons of shortcut options using which you can quickly and effectively indent. Follow the steps given below to use these shortcut options:
- Open Google Docs and then select the paragraph that you want to indent.
- Look for the More option from the menu bar (refer to the screenshot above).
- After that, select Decrease indent or Increase indent as per your convenience. You can also use keyboard shortcuts for the same. To decrease indent, use Ctrl + {, and Ctrl + } to increase indent.
Indent using the Format option
You can also indent using the Format option. Here are the steps to do the same:
- Open Google Docs and then go to Format.
- From the drop-down. menu, hover your cursor on the option Allign and Indent.
- Now use the Decrease indent or Increase indent options from the left menu.
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How to customise indents on Google Docs?
Users can customise indents using the ruler at the top of the document. The blue downward arrow at the start represents the left indent, and a similar arrow at the right side represents the right indent.
To manage the indent spacing, click on the downward arrows and then move the mouse either to the left or right to manage the indent space. Using the ruler gives more control to the users as the default methods mentioned above move the space about half an inch to the left or to the right.
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