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How to Make Columns in Google Docs

If you’re wondering how to make columns in Google Docs, you’re in the right place! 📝 Google Docs lets you split your text into multiple columns—like in newspapers or brochures—making it perfect for newsletters, flyers, or professional reports. With just a few clicks (or keyboard shortcuts!), you can format your page into 2 or 3 columns instantly.

This guide will walk you through step-by-step instructions to insert columns in Google Docs and provide handy keyboard shortcuts for Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu systems.

Why Use Columns in Google Docs?

Columns help organize content more clearly. They are especially useful when:

  • Creating newsletters or brochures
  • Designing marketing materials
  • Writing comparison content
  • Structuring academic or business documents

Split-text formats look more engaging and are easier to read—especially when you want to save space or mimic a magazine layout.

How to Insert Columns in Google Docs

Here’s the quickest way to insert columns:

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Open your Google Docs document.
  2. Highlight the text you want to split into columns (or do this first before typing).
  3. Click on Format in the top menu.
  4. Hover over Columns.
  5. Choose between one, two, or three columns.
    • Optionally, click “More options…” to customize spacing and line separators.

🎉 Done! Your content is now beautifully arranged into columns.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Making Columns

Although Google Docs doesn’t have a single direct keyboard shortcut to create columns, you can navigate the menus quickly using the following sequences.

Windows Shortcut 🪟

  1. Highlight the text.
  2. Press:
    • Alt + Shift + F → Open the Format menu
    • Then press C → Opens the Columns sub-menu
    • Press 1, 2, or 3 depending on the number of columns you want

💡 Tip: Use the arrow keys to navigate the “More options” panel if needed.

macOS Shortcut 🍏

  1. Highlight the text.
  2. Press:
    • Ctrl + Option + F → Opens Format menu
    • Press C for Columns
    • Choose your desired column count (1, 2, or 3) with the arrow keys

Note: Make sure Full Keyboard Access is enabled in System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts.

Ubuntu/Linux Shortcut 🐧

  1. Highlight the desired text.
  2. Press:
    • Alt + Shift + F → Open Format menu
    • Then press C → Opens the Columns sub-menu
    • Select using arrow keys or type 1, 2, or 3

Just like that, columns are applied in seconds!

How to Customize Columns

To tweak your columns further:

  1. Go to Format > Columns > More options.
  2. You can:
    • Adjust column spacing
    • Add a vertical line between columns
    • Change which part of the text the columns apply to

This is especially useful if only a section of your document should be in columns.

How to Remove Columns in Google Docs

To revert back to a single column:

  1. Highlight the columned text.
  2. Go to Format > Columns.
  3. Select the one-column icon.

🧽 Clean and simple!

Common Issues & Solutions

Text not splitting evenly between columns?
Make sure you’ve selected the correct portion of text. You can use section breaks for better control.

Can’t find the column options?
Ensure you’re using the web version of Google Docs. Mobile apps have limited formatting features.

FAQs About Making Columns in Google Docs

Can I make more than 3 columns?
Google Docs allows up to 3 columns via the menu. For more, use a table workaround or switch to Google Sheets or Word.

Do columns apply to the whole document?
No, you can highlight and apply columns to specific sections only.

Can I adjust the width of each column?
No, Google Docs columns have fixed widths. For full control, consider using tables instead.

Can I insert images into columns?
Absolutely! Just drag and drop the image into the column space.

Is there a way to add a line between columns?
Yes! Go to Format > Columns > More options, then check the box to add a line between columns.

Do columns affect printing?
Nope. Your document will print exactly as it appears on screen—with columns intact.

Final Thoughts on Google Docs Column Formatting

Now that you know how to make columns in Google Docs, you can give your documents a professional and stylish layout. Whether you’re working on newsletters, flyers, or multi-section reports, columns offer a cleaner and more dynamic way to present your ideas.

Complete List of Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

If you need help for Windows, you can find a whole list of all keyboard shortcuts here.

https://keyboard-shortcuts.org/

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