Top 8 Microsoft Word Tips and Tricks to Increase Productivity

Want to speed up work and increase your productivity when using Microsoft Word? It is one of the most popular word processors in the world, and for all the right reasons. It’s user-friendly, comes pre-installed on most Windows computers, and offers a free web version. Let’s take a look at some of the best Microsoft Word tips and tricks to boost your productivity even more.

While the competition has largely caught up, Word remains a strong competitor. It is extremely feature rich and is largely the gold standard of word processors. This also means that it can be overwhelming and users often get lost in the UI. We’re here to speed things up.

Let’s start.

1. How to Delete a Page in Microsoft Word

There are two ways to delete a blank page in Microsoft Word. One way is to press the back button at the top of a blank blank page to remove it from the app. You can create a new blank page at any time by pressing Ctrl+Enter.

Another way to delete a page with text or images on it is to select everything on that page. Then press the Del key on your keyboard. It deletes the content of the page along with the page itself.

Move the cursor to the beginning of the page, hold down the Shift key, and then move the cursor to the end of the page to select all the contents of the page you want to delete. Pressing Ctrl+A will select anything you don’t want on all pages.

You can also delete the last indelible paragraph at the end of the document before converting the document to a PDF file or pressing the print button.

2. How to Double Space in Microsoft Word

Click the Design tab and select Paragraph Spacing on the right side of the toolbar. Under the Built-in header you will see Double.

Select this to insert double spaces between lines in Microsoft Word.

Select certain paragraphs if you want to double-space some of the content or just those sections.

The keyboard shortcut to get there is Alt+G to select the design tab and then press Alt+PS to open the Paragraph Spacing menu. You can then use the arrow keys to move up and down the menu.

3. How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word

Click Add and select Page Number to reveal a menu where you can select the position of the page number before inserting it.

You can then display the page number at the location you choose, in my case at the bottom middle of the page.

The shortcut for this function is Alt+N to select the Insert tab and then Alt+NU to open the page number menu. You can also choose to start the numbering on the second page.

4. How to Remove Section Break in Microsoft Word

Click anywhere on the page on the page where you want the section to start. Click Layout and select Breaks. The keyboard shortcut for this is Alt+P+B.

There are different types of section breaks available. You can choose one according to your needs. If you’re not sure, try one to see how it goes. You can remove it at any time by pressing Ctrl+Z to undo it.

5. How to Add a Line in Microsoft Word

What kind of row do you want to add? Here’s a nice trick. Type the three characters of a linetype shortcut and press Enter to insert that line. For example, hyphens, equal sign, underscore, minus sign, etc.

Note that there should be no spaces after the third character and should just be written on a new line. The inserted row will be full width. This feature is called automatic formatting.

Another way to add rows is to select Shapes under the Insert tab. You can add any shape here, including lines. The keyboard shortcut is Alt+N+SH.

6. How to Create Table of Contents in Microsoft Word

You can create a ToC or Table of Contents from the References tab. Note that you should format your content with header styles. Each title will be included in the ToC later.

The Table of Contents allows users to navigate back and forth within a document using the index as a guide.

7. How to Change the Default Font in Microsoft Word

Fonts have the power to change the entire meaning of an expression. Imagine ‘I’ll follow you wherever you go’ with fonts in romantic pink followed by blood and dripping red.

Just select sentences or paragraphs and choose a font from the drop-down menu under the Home tab.

You can change the default font to use the font you choose each time a new Word document is created. Press Ctrl+D to open the Advanced fonts option menu, select your font from the drop-down menu and click Set as Default at the bottom and save.

After that, you’re done.

8. How to Duplicate a Page in Microsoft Word

You need to add a blank page first. Click the Insert tab and under Pages select Blank Page.

Now select everything on the page you want to copy/duplicate by selecting it with your mouse pointer or cursor and press Ctrl+C to copy it. Go to the newly created blank page and press Ctrl+V to paste everything.

Currently there is no other way to directly duplicate a selected page.

Words Are Sharper Than a Sword

Words are like lead. Once spoken or read, you can never take them back. Microsoft Word is a great word processor with lots of neat tricks under its hood. I hope some of the tips shared above will help you get started or finish things faster. Share your favorite Word shortcuts and tips in the comments below.

Next: Simple but great Microsoft Word online tips and tricks that will help you get things done quickly and easily, while also increasing your productivity.