The following shows an intro with lower case Roman numerals. You can use any other format instead.
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Select between the intro and the body of the document and go to Layout > Breaks > Next Page.
Tip: To see section breaks and other formatting marks, go to Home and select Show/Hide (¶) to turn on the display of formatting marks.
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In the header for the body section, deselect Link to Previous. If Link to Previous is dimmed, check to make sure a section break was created.
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In the intro section select Page Number and choose a location and style. If your change only affects the first page of your section, make sure Different First Page is not selected.
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To choose a format or to control the starting number, select Page Number > Format Page Numbers.
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Do either or both of the following:
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Select Number format to select the format for the numbering, such as a, b, c or i, ii, iii for the intro.
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Under Page numbering, choose Start at and type a number that you want to start the section with. For example, restart numbering at the beginning of the body section.
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Select Close Header and Footer, or double-click anywhere outside the header or footer area to exit.
The following shows an intro with lower case Roman numerals. You can use any other format instead.
-
Select between the intro and the body of the document and go to Layout > Breaks > Next Page.
-
In the header for the body section, deselect Link to Previous. If Link to Previous is dimmed, check to make sure a section break was created.
Note: Headers and footers are linked separately, so if your page number is in the header, turn off linking for headers. If your page number is in the footer, turn off linking for footers.
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Go to Header & Footer > Page Number, and then click Page Number.
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Choose the position and alignment of page numbers. If you don’t want a page number to appear on the first page, clear Show number on first page.
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To choose a format or to control the starting number, go to Header & Footer > Page Number > Format Page Numbers.
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To change the numbering style, select a different style in Number format.
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To change the starting page number of the newly created section, select Start at, and then enter a number.
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Select OK.
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Select Close Header and Footer, or double-click outside of the header or footer to exit.
on
August 3, 2009, 12:50 AM PDT
Create a custom number format in Word
Numbering a list is an easy task in Word. But changing how those numbers look is a bit more complicated. Learn how to create your own custom number format.
In Word, you can quickly number a list by selecting the items and clicking the Numbering button on Word’s Formatting toolbar. Word even offers a selection of predefined formats that are adequate for most uses. However, you’re not stuck with just the predefined formats. For example, you might want to print an underscore in front of a numbered question. You see these types of lines on tests, surveys, and questionnaires.
Word doesn’t offer a predefined format for that type of list, but you can create it yourself. First, begin as you would any other list by typing the items.
Once you have your list, you’re ready to create and apply the custom formatting as follows:
- Select all the items in the list.
- From the Format menu, choose Bullets And Numbers.
- In the resulting dialog box, click the Numbered tab.
- Select a numbering option that you seldom or never use, because you’re going to modify it.
- Click Customize.
- In the Customize Numbered List dialog box, click before the number in the Number Format control.
- Type several underscore characters and a space.
- Click OK and Word applies the custom numbering scheme to the selected items.
You can rearrange the list and even insert new items; Word will automatically adjust the numbering scheme to accommodate your changes.
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Software
This tutorial shows two ways to create numbered lists in Microsoft Word. We will also look at how to change list levels, start with a different list number, and change the font, size, and color of list numbers.
Do you want to create bulleted lists? Please see my previous tutorial “How to Create Bulleted Lists in Microsoft Word.”
What about Lists Ordered by Letters?
For simplicity, this tutorial refers to “numbered lists” because Word organizes all ordered (hierarchical) list options in the Numbering Library. However, all the steps shown here also apply to lists organized by letters.
If you would like to learn more about ordered and unordered lists, please see “How to Write Vertical Lists (Ordered and Unordered).”
Table of Contents
- How to Create a Numbered List — Basic Method 1
- How to Create a Numbered List — Basic Method 2
- How to Change Numbered List Levels
- How to Start a List with a Different Number
- How to Change the Font, Size, and Color of List Numbers
Watch all the steps shown here in real time!
Explore more than 200 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.
The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.
The basic steps are similar in Word for Mac. However, the more advanced steps, such as starting a list with a different number, are different on Mac. So, we will cover this topic for Word for Mac in a separate tutorial.
How to Create a Numbered List — Basic Method 1
This is the basic method to create a numbered list in Word. This method requires you to type each item as you create the list. If you have already typed your list items, see Method Two below.
- Place your cursor where you want to start your list.
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon.
- Select the menu arrow next to the Numbering button.
- Choose a number style from the Numbering Library.
The number one will appear in your document.
- Type your first list item after the number, and then press the Enter key on your keyboard. The next number will appear.
Continue typing your list items and pressing the Enter key until your list is complete.
- After typing the final item, press the Enter key twice to remove your cursor from the list.
How to Create a Numbered List — Basic Method 2
This method is for existing text formatted vertically as a list.
- Select the text.
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
- Select the menu arrow next to the Numbering button (see figure 2).
- Choose a style from the Numbering Library (see figure 3).
Your selected items should become a numbered list.
How to Change Numbered List Levels
Word lets you create numbered lists with up to nine nested levels. Here are two ways to change the level of list items.
Change List Levels — Method 1
Important note: This method won’t work for the first item in your list.
- Select one or more list items (other than the first item).
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
- Select the Increase Indent button in the Paragraph group.
Each time you select the Increase Indent button, the item(s) will move one level and take on the appropriate format for that level (e.g., lowercase letters, roman numerals, etc.).
Pro Tip: To return the selected text to a previous level, select the Decrease Indent button to the left of the Increase Indent button.
Change List Levels — Method 2
- Select one or more list items (see figure 8).
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
- Select the menu arrow next to the Numbering button (see figure 2).
- Select Change List Level from the drop-down menu.
- Select a list level from the list-level menu.
Your list item(s) should move to the next level.
How to Start a List with a Different Number
You can start a list with a number other than one or continue the numbering from the previous list.
- Select the first list number or place your cursor within the first list item. If you select the list number, all numbers on that level should also be selected.
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
- Select the menu arrow next to the Numbering button (see figure 2).
- Select Set Numbering Value from the drop-down menu.
5.a. Enter the number you want to start with in the Set value to text box in the Set Numbering Value dialog box.
5.b. (Alternative Option) Select Continue from previous list if you want to continue the numbering from a previous list in your document.
- Select the OK button.
Your list should be renumbered according to your selections in the Set Numbering Value dialog box.
How to Change the Font, Size, and Color of List Numbers
By default, the font, size, and color of your list numbers will be the same as your normal text style. However, you can manually change the appearance of list numbers by selecting them separately from the text.
- Select one list number. All numbers on that level should also be selected.
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
- Select a new font, size, or color from the Font group.
Your list numbers should change to the new formatting. Repeat these steps for each level in your list, as necessary.
Related Resources
How to Write Run-In Lists
How to Create and Update a List of Tables or Figures in Microsoft Word
How to Create Numbered Lists in PowerPoint (PC & Mac)
Updated February 12, 2023
Multilevel numbering in Word is the #1 headache for many people working with large documents.
Believe it or not, it’s not complicated. It just takes somebody to lead the way and point out the pitfalls you need to avoid.
Today that pleasure falls to me!
Before I start, grab your free multilevel numbering troubleshooting guide that shows you the steps to get multilevel numbering working properly first time, every time, together with answers to over 20 FAQs and plenty of real client examples constructed step by step to help you fix what isn’t working with your numbering.
1. What Multi-level Numbering Looks Like
Often used in the legal profession or in large corporate documents, multilevel numbering creates a logical hierarchy and easy navigation within the document. The headings can also be summarised later on in a table of contents. Here is a simple example:
2. How to Set Up Multilevel Numbering
Here is the correct process:
1. Select the text that you want to number (this can be a section of text or the whole document).
2. Select the Home tab.
3. Click the multilevel numbering icon in the Paragraph group.
4. You can either select an existing layout from the list to use as a starting point, or you can create a new numbering system from scratch. As you hover over each thumbnail image, Word provides a larger image of the numbering system.
5. Choose Define New Multilevel List to display the control dialog.
The dialog box can be broken down as follows:
Step #1 Click level to modify
In the top left is a list of levels. As you select each level, the settings in the rest of the dialog box changes.
Level 1 is the highest level, i.e. the main headings such as chapter or section titles.
Level 2 is subordinate to level 1.
Level 3 is subordinate to level 2.
Step #2 Enter formatting for number
This is where the level number is constructed. If you include a previous level number, it will be displayed with a grey background, as will the number for the current level.
Type anything you wish to put in between the numbers such as dots, dashes, brackets etc.
Clear any text in the ‘Enter formatting for this number’ box.
Step #3 Include level number from
When creating a subordinate level (or child level), you can first specify the level number of the parent.
For example, for section 3.2
- ‘3’ is the parent level (level 1) and
- ‘2’ is the child level (level 2)
Step #4 Number style for this level
Each level can have its own number style. It may be a standalone style, e.g. 1, 2, 3 or a, b, c or continue on from a higher level, e.g. 1.1.1 or 1.a.i.
- When creating 1.1 numbering, this option is 1, 2, 3.
- When creating 1.a numbering, this option is a, b, c
Step #5 Font
Set the font formatting for the selected level, if you want.
Step #6 Position
What position from the left margin do you want items for each level of numbering. For example, level 1 items may be 0cm from the left margin, level 2, 1cm from the left margin and level 3, 2cm from the left margin.
Here’s what they mean:
- The Aligned At determines how far from the left margin the number appears.
- The Text indent at figure determines how far from the left margin the text following the number is.
6. Click OK to save all the settings and close the dialog box.
The text you selected in step 1 now looks like this.
The next part is where the magic happens …
3. How to Apply Multilevel Numbering
Once you have created your numbering system:
1. Position the cursor at the beginning of a line.
2. Press the TAB key to move the text down a level (demote).
3. Press the SHIFT and TAB keys together to move the text up a level (promote).
If you prefer, you can also click the indent icon to demote and the outdent icon to promote between levels.
4. How to Change Multilevel Settings
Once you have created your numbering system:
1. Reselect all text that is using the multilevel numbering.
2. Click the multilevel numbering icon and select Define New Multilevel List (yes, you choose this option even if you are modifying an existing multilevel list).
The original settings that you defined are redisplayed.
3. In the top-left box select the level that you wish to change, then change your settings.
4. Repeat for the other settings.
5. Click OK to save the settings. Your numbered list should now reflect your new settings.
5. Linking Multilevel Numbering to Styles
Each level of a multilevel numbering system can be linked to a style. This means that as you apply styles throughout the document, the numbering is applied appropriately and automatically. You can either use the built-in Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 styles or use your own custom styles.
1. In the Numbering dialog box, click the MORE button in the bottom-left corner to expand the dialog box.
2. Select level to modify in the top-left box.
3. Open the Link level to style drop-down list and choose the style you wish to connect to the numbering level.
4. Click OK.
5. In the document, apply the Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 styles where needed.
It’s a good idea to create a body text style and apply that where appropriate, so that the body text does not inadvertently get caught up in the multi-level numbering.
6. Select the whole document (or the portion of the document where you want to apply your numbered sections).
7. Click the icon in the Paragraph group (Home tab).
8. Select your custom numbering style from the gallery. The thumbnail image should show the linked styles.
6. How to Use Styles to Set Number Levels
1. Select all the text that you wish to apply the same number level to. Alternatively, if you wish to go line by line, you can place the cursor anywhere in a line of text.
2. In the Styles gallery, click the style that corresponds to the number level you wish to apply. For example, to apply the top level numbering click Heading 1 and for the third level numbering click Heading 3 (assuming those are the styles you assigned).
The numbering and all the numbering settings will be applied to the selected text or the paragraph in which the cursor was positioned.
And that, my friend, is how you do multilevel numbering in Word with no loose ends.
How to set up a dual-multilevel numbering system in Word
7. Two resources to help you
1. Grab your free multilevel numbering troubleshooting guide.
2. Watch over my shoulder as I set up multilevel numbering from scratch.
8. What next?
I hope you found plenty of value in this post. I’d love to hear your biggest takeaway in the comments below together with any questions you may have.
Have a fantastic day.
About the author
Jason Morrell
Jason loves to simplify the hard stuff, cut the fluff and share what actually works. Things that make a difference. Things that slash hours from your daily work tasks. He runs a software training business in Queensland, Australia, lives on the Gold Coast with his wife and 4 kids and often talks about himself in the third person!
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