Apr 4, 2025 • Adrian T

How to change Margins in Google Docs

Google Docs is a fantastic tool for collaboration, but do you know how to adjust your page margins to better fit your formatting needs?

Whether you're preparing a formal report, submitting an assignment, or just want to save paper space, customizing your margins in Google Docs is quick and easy. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Page Setup

To begin adjusting your margins, follow these steps:

Open your Google Doc.

Click on the File menu in the top-left corner of the screen.

Scroll down and select Page setup. This will open a pop-up window where you can adjust your page formatting settings.

Step 2: Adjust Margins and Orientation

Margins are the blank spaces around the edges of your page.

You can adjust margins for:

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Top

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Bottom

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Left

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Right

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Margins:

Simply enter the margin sizes you want for each side of the page (in inches). For example:

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Standard formatting: Set all Margins to 1 inch

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Reduce Margins: To fit more content in a page (e.g., to 0.5 inches)

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Increase margins: For a cleaner look or to meet formatting guidelines.

Orientation:

Choose between the two different types of page orientations:

Portrait: Default orientation, ideal for most documents like essays or reports.

Landscape: Helpful for spreadsheets, presentations, and documents with lots of images.

Set as Default

If you frequently use the same settings (e.g., 1-inch margins, A4 paper size), you can save time by setting these as your default for all new documents:

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In the Page setup window, after adjusting your settings, click the Set as default button.

This will apply the same layout to every new document you create without having to adjust the settings each time.

Bonus Tip: Page Breaks

Need to start a new section on a fresh page without changing margins or orientation?

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Use Ctrl + Enter / Cmd + Enter to insert a page break.

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This keeps your layout clean without altering the margin settings.

By learning how to adjust and customize margins in Google Docs, you can ensure your documents are formatted exactly how you want them to be, whether you're printing or sharing them digitally. Happy formatting!