How to Create Run-In Headings in Microsoft Word (Indented & Left-Aligned)

Run-in headings appear in line with the text rather than above the text. This tutorial shows how to create run-in headings in Microsoft Word. Specifically, we will create run-in headings that will appear correctly in the table of contents.

First, we will use Word’s default styles to create run-in headings that are aligned with the left margin. Then, we will customize a default style to create indented run-in headings, such as those needed for the fourth and fifth heading levels in APA Style.[i]

Are you new to working with headings in Word? Check out “How to Create and Customize Headings in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac).”

Table of Contents:

How to Create Left-Aligned Run-In Headings
How to Create Indented Run-In Headings

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The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013. These steps don’t apply to Word for Mac or Word for the web.

How to Create Left-Aligned Run-In Headings

Important Note: This method assumes that your default heading styles have not been customized.

Select the Home tab in the ribbon.

Home tab in Word 365 — Figure 1. Home tab

(Optional) Select the Show/Hide button to show your formatting marks.

Show/Hide button in Word 365 — Figure 2. Show/Hide button

Type the heading text on its own line above the text it represents, and then select it.

Selected text for run-in heading in Word 365 — Figure 3. Selected text for run-in heading

Select the heading level you want to use in the Styles menu.

Styles menu in Word 365 — Figure 4. Styles menu

Important Note: Word includes nine heading levels. However, only a few will appear in your Styles group when you open a new document. Additional heading levels will appear after you use higher-level headings. For example, Heading 4 will appear after you use Heading 3.

Place your cursor at the end of the heading.

Cursor at the end of a heading in Word 365 — Figure 5. Cursor at the end of a heading

Type Ctrl + Alt + Enter to create a Style Separator, which is a hidden (non-printing) formatting mark that allows you to have more than one style in the same paragraph. The Style Separator mark is the paragraph mark with a dotted, rectangular border.

The paragraph below should now move in line with your new run-in heading.

Run-in heading with Style Separator formatting mark in Word 365 — Figure 6. Run-in heading with Style Separator formatting mark

If you selected the Show/Hide button early, reselect it to hide your formatting marks (see figure 2).

When you create or update your table of contents, the run-in heading should appear with the other headings.

How to Create Indented Run-In Headings

The fastest way to create an indented run-in heading is to customize one of the default heading styles, as shown in steps 1 through 13, below.

If you don’t want to customize a default style, you can create your own custom heading style separate from the default styles and then continue with steps 14 through 17, below.

Select the Home tab (see figure 1).
Right-click the heading level in the Styles group, and then select Modify from the shortcut menu.

Modify option in the Styles menu shortcut menu in Word 365 — Figure 7. Modify option

Select the Format button in the Modify Style dialog box.

Format button in the Modify Style dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 8. Format button

Select Paragraph from the drop-down menu.

Paragraph option in the Format menu in the Modify Style dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 9. Paragraph option

Select First Line in the Special menu in the Paragraph dialog box.

First Line option in the Special menu in the Paragraph dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 10. First Line option

Enter the length of the indent in the By text box.

By menu in the Paragraph dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 11. (Indent) By menu

(Optional) Adjust the space before and after and the line spacing.

Spacing options in the Paragraph dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 12. Spacing options

(Optional) Select Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style to prevent extra spaces in the body of the text.

Don't Add Space between Paragraphs of the Same Style option in the Paragraph dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 13. Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style option

Select the OK button.

OK button in the Paragraph dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 14. OK button

(Optional) Make any additional formatting changes in the Modify Style dialog box such as font, size, emphasis (i.e., underlining, boldness, or italics), and color.

Font formatting options in the Modify Style dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 15. Font style, size, boldness, italics, underlining, and color options

Ensure that Only in this document is selected if you want to limit your customized style to your current document.

Only in this document option in the Modify Style dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 16. Only in this document option

Ensure that Automatically Update is not selected. (If Automatically Update is selected, you won’t be able to edit the styles of individual same-level headings.)

Automatically update option in the Modify Style dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 17. Automatically update option (Not selected)

Select the OK button.

OK button in the Modify Style dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 18. OK button

Type the heading text on its own line above the text it represents, and then select it (see figure 3).
Select the heading level you just customized in the Styles group.