How to show white space in word online

Have you ever received a file with a lot of section breaks? These documents don’t seem to have the white space that separates pages. In this tutorial article, we aim at taking you through how to show white space in word online.

The white space in word online sometimes gets alternated for a page break. You can go back to the original format where the blank space is shown by selecting the Page Ends option under the View menu.

Check out the article on How to save a Microsoft word document online?

Table of Contents

How do I show white space in Word?

White space in a word document is nothing but the buffer space between the text on one page and the other. When you add page breaks to a document you see a section division with a line and the text ‘Page Break’ in the center.

Here is how you can turn on or view white space in a word online document

Open the doument that you are working on. All word online documents are saved on Onedrive. You can easily access them by logging in using your outlook id.
Make sure you are in the editing mode of the document. If you are not the owner of the document check if you have permission to Edit.

In word online as we know it there are two types of ribbon layouts that you can use. One is the Classic ribbon and the other is the Simplified one. Both Ribbons have similar formatting options but the placement is a little different.

While using the Classic Ribbon layout

Once you have the document open click on the View tab on the top ribbon
Among the options available click on Page ends.

While using the Simplified Ribbon layout

You can turn on and off the page end view by clicking on the ‘Page Ends’ option
This option can be found under the View tab. but unline the Classic Ribbon setting it is on the far right corner of your screen.

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How do I make white space between pages in Word Online?

Viewing the white space on a word document is based on the preferences of the user. You can either leave the white space showing or you can hide it. With the help of these steps, you can easily hide or show the white space using a shortcut.

Start by opening the document you would like to edit. You can either login to the website or use the desktop application.
Once you have the document open make the desired edits to the text.
To show or hide the white space on the screen you will need to start by bringing the cursor to the top of the page. This can be done in one of these two ways.

Click on the first word in your document. All you need to do is click in the space just before the first word.
Another way to get the cursor to the top of the document is by using the keyboard. Press the Ctrl+ Home key together in some cases you will need to use the function key. This can be done by Presing the Ctrl + Fn + Home keys.

Once you are at the top of the screen you will need to hower the mouse on the top of the document. This can be at the page break or at the spot where you would like to either hide or show the blank space.

When you hower in the grey space you the pointed arrow will turn into a up down facing arrow.
once the arrow has changed shape you will simply need to double click on the grey space.
This will instantly hide or show the white space on your word document.

Read How to see edit history in word online?

How to show white space in word online from the file menu?

When it comes to the white space in word documents, you can either hide or show it from the File menu. Here are the steps you can follow to either hide or show the white space

Open the document that you need to work on.
Click on File on the top ribbon of the document
You will now have an extended menu on the left of the screen.

scroll down to More
You will then have an extended menu on the right select Options
The options menu is a popup menu with various formatting options for your document.

In the menu you will need to click on the Display option
Under display there will be various options that you can choose from when it comes to altering how the word document looks. In order to show or hide the blank white space in documents check or uncheck the option titled ‘Show white space between pages in Print view’.
After checking or unchecking the option click on OK and you should see the changes in your document.

Read How to make MLA format in Word Online

Frequently asked question

Can you hide or show the blank space on Android devices?

You will not be able to alter the way a document looks in terms of either showing or hiding a blank space. You can however remove the extra space in the document using the paragraph options.
In most documents viewed on the phone, you will not be able to see definite page breaks. You can use the Breaks option under Layout.

Please note

Once you change the settings in a document, the settings will continue to other documents you create. You can reverse the change whenever required.

This article took you through

How do I show white space in Word?
How do I make white space between pages in Word Online?
Steps to show white space in word online from the file menu?

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Carissa

My name is Carissa Gudino and I am an expert in word online, using Word Online in my day-to-day tasks. In this blog, I will share with you tips and tutorials on how to use word online to its fullest potential. I work for various clients in various countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. My tutorials are designed to help beginners, as well as more experienced users, learn new tricks and tips on Microsoft word online. Check out more.