Formatting citations? Here's how to create a hanging indent, normal indent on Google Docs

As a free platform, Google Docs is a favored motive operandi for many students, researchers and teachers. Documents, calendars and emails tied to a single address make sharing and accessing easy. 

If you’re working on a research project – whether for school or work purposes – there’s a chance you’ll have to cite your sources. Creating a bibliography can be a pain because there are so many formatting rules, but there are quick tricks that can make it easier. Here’s everything to know about creating a hanging indent and normal indent on Google Docs.

What is a hanging indent?

A hanging indent is a format where every line except the start of the paragraph is indented.

They’re most often used in citations and are recommended in MLA format because they “help readers see where an entry begins,” MLA says. 

Here’s an example of a hanging indent in action:

How to do a hanging indent on Google Docs 

You’ll need to use the format menu to create a hanging indent. Here are the exact steps to follow:

• Highlight the text you want to create a hanging indent on
• Click “Format” from top left menu
• Select “Align & indent”
• Choose “Indentation options”
• From the pop-up options, find the dropdown menu titled “Special indent” and choose “Hanging”

To delete a hanging indent, click on the start of the paragraph (the line that isn’t indented) and hit the backspace button.

How to indent on Google Docs

Regular indents signal the start of a paragraph and are the spaces between the page margin and the first word. They’re often used in essays or long prose to distinguish one paragraph from another.

Here’s how to format your text with an indent at the start of each paragraph:

• Highlight the text you want to create a hanging indent on
• Click “Format” from top left menu
• Select “Align & indent”
• Choose “Indentation options”
• From the pop-up options, find the dropdown menu titled “Special indent” and choose “First line”

Just Curious for more? We've got you covered

USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "How to make folders on iPhone" to "Who has the highest IQ?" to "What is the biggest city in the world?" − we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you.