How to Create Two Columns in Microsoft Word

Whether you're formatting a newsletter, a research paper, or a tri-fold brochure, splitting your text into two columns is one of Word's most practical layout tools. It's straightforward to set up — but the results vary depending on how and where you apply it, and what version of Word you're using.

What the Columns Feature Actually Does

In Microsoft Word, columns are a page layout setting that divides the text area of your document into vertical sections. Text flows down the first column, then wraps to the top of the second — similar to how a newspaper or magazine is laid out.

This is different from using a table with two cells, which also creates a side-by-side appearance but behaves differently when it comes to text flow, borders, and formatting flexibility. It's also different from text boxes, which are manually positioned and don't respond to the document's normal text flow.

Understanding which tool fits your goal matters before you apply any formatting.

How to Apply Two Columns in Word 🖥️

The process is slightly different depending on whether you want the entire document in two columns, or just a section of it.

For the Entire Document

1. Open your document in Word.
2. Click the Layout tab (in some older versions, this is called Page Layout).
3. Click Columns in the Page Setup group.
4. Select Two from the dropdown menu.

Word immediately reformats the entire document into two columns. All existing text reflows to fit.

For a Specific Section Only

This is where column formatting gets more nuanced — and more useful.

1. Highlight the text you want to appear in two columns.
2. Go to Layout → Columns → Two.

Word automatically inserts section breaks around your selected text, isolating the column formatting to that portion of the document. The rest of the document stays in single-column layout.

If the columns don't break where you expect, you can manually insert a column break (go to Layout → Breaks → Column) to force text to jump to the next column at a specific point.

Using the "More Columns" Option

The More Columns dialog (found at the bottom of the Columns dropdown) gives you additional control:

• Set a custom number of columns (not just the presets)
• Adjust the width and spacing of each column individually
• Add a vertical line between columns for a cleaner visual separation
• Choose whether to apply the setting to the whole document or from this point forward

This dialog is especially useful when your columns need to be unequal in width — for example, a narrow sidebar column next to a wider main content column.

Factors That Affect How Your Columns Look

Two documents with the exact same column settings can look very different. Several variables determine the final result:

Images are a common source of frustration. By default, a large image set to wrap text can push column boundaries in unexpected ways. Setting images to "In Line with Text" or using a text box gives you more predictable control.

Word Version and Platform Differences

The columns feature exists across Word versions, but the interface and behavior have small differences worth knowing about. ✏️

• Word for Microsoft 365 / Word 2021/2019/2016: The Layout tab and Columns button are in the same place. The More Columns dialog works as described above.
• Word 2013/2010: Functionally identical, but the tab may be labeled Page Layout instead of Layout.
• Word for Mac: The same Layout tab exists, though keyboard shortcuts and some dialog box layouts differ slightly.
• Word for the Web (browser version): Column support is limited. You can view documents with columns, but editing column layouts may be restricted or behave differently compared to the desktop app.
• Word on mobile (iOS/Android): The mobile app has a simplified interface. Column formatting options are available but harder to access, and precise control over column breaks is limited.

If you're working in a shared or collaborative document and switching between platforms, column formatting can sometimes shift or lose section breaks — something to watch for when co-editing.

When Columns Work Well — and When They Don't

Two-column layouts work well for:

• Newsletters and flyers — where dense text benefits from shorter line lengths
• Academic or technical documents — where journal-style formatting is expected
• Reference sheets or glossaries — where parallel information benefits from side-by-side display

They tend to create problems for:

• Documents with lots of images or mixed media that span the full page width
• Long documents where section-specific columns haven't been properly bounded with breaks
• Heavily edited documents passed between collaborators using different Word versions or platforms

The right approach depends on what kind of document you're creating, what it needs to look like in its final form (printed vs. digital), and how much control you need over where text flows. Those specifics are unique to your situation — and they're the piece that changes which of these techniques actually makes sense to use.