How to Indent in Google Docs

While you can indent in Google Docs using the Tab key, you can set up custom indents for a paragraph by doing the following:

When to Indent in Google Docs

For most academic writing, it is standard practice to indent the first line of each new paragraph. News articles and blogs typically do not use first-line indents; however, you should still know how to control the indentation settings in case you want to specially format a paragraph. If you need to format a references page using MLA format on Google Docs, then you should also know how to create a hanging indent.

How to Indent the Second Line in Google Docs

A hanging indent is when the first line is not indented, but each line after the first is indented. To set up a hanging indent in Google Docs:

How to Indent in Google Docs Using the Ruler

Another way to set up custom indents in Google Docs is to use the ruler tool. The ruler has two blue sliders on the left side that are stacked together. The blue rectangle on top controls the First Line Indent, and the blue triangle below controls the Left Indent, or the indent for the rest of the paragraph. To indent text using the ruler in Google Docs: A vertical line will appear to help you adjust the text to your liking.