Google Docs: Changing The Look of Headings and Paragraphs

Change the text to or from a heading or normal text using the Format menu

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.

2. Select the text you want to change.

3. Click Format.

4. Select Paragraph styles.

5. Click a text style:

   • Normal text,

     • An important note about paragraph styles: Font-size should be between 12 and 14, line-height (the space between lines of text) should be 1.5. Do not go less than 1.35.

   • Heading 1-6.

6. Click Apply ‘text style.'

Change the text style using Format pulldowns

1. Type the text you want into a Google Doc.

2. Select a sentence/phrase that you want to become a heading.

3. Select Styles from the editing menu (usually appears just before the font style and size and just after the zoom option),

4. and then select the heading you want, such as the Heading 1 button. 

Use a custom text style

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.

2. Add some text and style it the way you want using the options found in the top toolbar.

3. Select that text.

   Open

   

4. Click Format.

5. Select Paragraph styles.

6. Choose the style you want to update e.g. Normal text or Heading 1-6.

7. Select Update to match.
   

8. All of the text in your document of that text type, such as "Heading 4" or "Normal text," will be updated to match your new style.

Set and change a default style

Set a default style

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.

2. Set a default style: Click Format.

3. Select Paragraph styles, 

4. then select Options.

5. Finally, choose Save as my default styles.
   

Apply a default style

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.

2. Apply a default style: Click Format.

3. Select Paragraph styles, 

4. then select Options.

5. Finally, choose Use my default styles.

Restore a default style

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.

2. Restore original to the Google style: Click Format. 

3. Select Paragraph styles, 

4. then select Options.

5. Finally, choose Reset styles.

Additional resources

• Add a title, heading, or table of contents in a document | Google Docs Help

• How to: Create a Heading in Google Docs | Google Workspace How-To Videos

• Identify headings, lists, and tables | Harvard's Digital Accessibility Services

• Screen Reader Demo With Headings [YouTube]