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How to Change Margins in Google Docs

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The steps in this article will show you how to change margins in Google Docs.

  • When you change Google Docs margins using the steps in this guide, it is only for the current document. However, you can elect to make the new margins the default margins for new documents going forward.
  • The default Google Docs margins are 1 inch on each side, which is the standard for many schools and institutions.
  • The same when where you change your margins in Google Docs provides ways for you to change the page orientation, the page color, and more.

When you need to know how to change margins in Google Docs it is often because the requirements for your document need to meet specific criteria.

Many institutions require certain size margins so that the paper is easier to read, it’s easier to write feedback, and document lengths are consistent.

But if you don’t need the 1 inch margins that are default in Google Docs, then that can leave you looking for a way to change that setting. Fortunately this information can be found and adjusted on the Page Setup menu following the steps in our tutorial below.

The steps in this article were performed in the desktop version of the Google Chrome Web browser, but will also work in other desktop Web browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge.

How to Change Margins in Google Docs

  1. Open your document.
  2. Select the File tab at the top-left.
  3. Choose Page setup at the bottom of the menu.
  4. Change the margin settings as needed.
  5. Click OK.
how to change margins in Google Docs

You will note that there is a Set as default button at the bottom left of this Page setup menu. If you change any setting on this menu and then click that button, the current settings will become the default for new documents that you create. It won’t affect existing documents.

Another way that you can adjust the margins is by clicking on the guides in the ruler above the document and to the left of the document, as indicated in the image below.

how to change Google Docs margins

If you are looking for an easier way to get to your documents, simply navigate to https://drive.google.com which will take you right to your Google Drive.

If you wish to change from inches to centimeters, or from centimeters to inches for units of measurement in Google Docs, then you can do so from the settings menu in Google Drive.

Simply sign into your Google Drive (where it lists all of your files), click the gear icon at the top-right of the window, then choose Settings.

You can then click the Change language settings button, then edit the language, choose English, then select United Kingdom as the country and click the Select button.

Find out how to make Google Docs landscape using another option on this menu.

Matt Smith has been writing tech content online for more than 10 years. He has been published on dozens of popular websites and his works have accumulated millions of pageviews.
While focused primarily on tutorials and guides for popular electronics like the iPhone and iPad, as well as common applications like Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Excel, he covers topics across the entire technology spectrum.