How to Fix the Size of a Table in Word

To fix the size of a table in Word, click inside the table, go to the Table Layout tab, choose AutoFit > Fixed Column Width, and then give each row an exact height in Table Properties. You type one more line into a Word table and the whole thing stretches, shifts or shrinks again, so here is how to lock its size. These steps use Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows.

Why a Word Table Keeps Changing Size

Word tables are built to grow. Out of the box, columns follow AutoFit rules and rows get taller as you add text, so every paste or long word can change the layout. Once you know which setting controls which behavior, you can switch off only the part that bothers you.

What you see	Setting behind it	Fix
Columns widen or narrow as you type	AutoFit Contents	AutoFit > Fixed Column Width
Rows get taller with each new line	Row height follows content	Specify height with Row height is set to Exactly
Pasted text or a picture blows a cell open	Automatic resizing of cell contents	Clear the automatic resize option in Table Options
The table runs past the margin	Width larger than the page	AutoFit Window or a percentage Preferred width
Columns are all different widths	Manual dragging	Distribute Columns

Before you change anything, select the whole table. Clicking a single cell only places your cursor in that cell. Rest the pointer over the table until a small four-headed arrow (the table move handle) appears at the top-left corner, then click that handle to select every cell.

Lock the Column Widths With Fixed Column Width

This is the main fix. AutoFit is the reason most tables jump around, and Microsoft describes Fixed Column Width as the option that turns AutoFit off.

1. Click anywhere in the table so the table tabs appear on the ribbon.
2. Open the Table Layout tab (if you don’t see Table Layout, look for a tab named Layout next to Table Design).
3. In the Cell Size group, click AutoFit.
4. Choose Fixed Column Width.
5. To set an exact width, click in a column and type a measurement in the Table Column Width box in the same group, then press Enter.

From now on, long text wraps to a new line inside the cell instead of pushing the column wider. If you prefer dragging, point at a column border until the pointer changes, then drag. Hold Alt while you drag a marker on the ruler and Word shows the exact measurement, which helps when two tables need to line up.

Set an Exact Row Height

Fixed Column Width does nothing for rows. A row in Word adjusts its height to its contents until you set a height yourself, and even then the default rule only treats your number as a minimum. To stop rows growing, you need the Exactly rule.

1. Select the rows you want to lock (or the whole table).
2. Right-click the selection and choose Table Properties.
3. Open the Row tab.
4. Check Specify height and type the height you want, such as 0.4 inches.
5. In the Row height is list, choose Exactly instead of At least.
6. Click OK.

Here is the trade-off: with Exactly, the row no longer grows, so text that doesn’t fit can be hidden at the bottom of the cell. Microsoft’s Word documentation describes At least as a minimum height and Exactly as a fixed one, so pick At least if you want rows to stay tidy but still grow when needed. The Previous Row and Next Row buttons on the same tab let you give different rows different heights without closing the dialog.

Stop the Table Resizing to Fit Its Contents

Word also has a table-wide option for automatic resizing of cell contents. If cells still widen after you’ve chosen Fixed Column Width, check it here.

1. Right-click the table and choose Table Properties.
2. On the Table tab, click Options.
3. Clear the Automatically resize to fit contents checkbox.
4. While you’re there, adjust the default cell margins if text sits too close to the borders, then click OK twice.

You can open the same Table Options box from Table Layout > Alignment > Cell Margins. It also holds Allow spacing between cells; leave that unchecked unless you want gaps between cells. Microsoft notes these options apply only to the table you’re working in, not to every table in the document.

Fit the Table to the Page Width

Sometimes the goal isn’t a frozen table but one that matches the page exactly. You have two ways to do that.

• AutoFit Window: Table Layout > AutoFit > AutoFit Window stretches the table to the width between the margins.
• Preferred width: In Table Properties, on the Table tab, check Preferred width, set Measure in to Percent and type 100. The table then follows the page width even if you change margins later.

For a fixed physical width, set Measure in to a fixed unit instead of Percent. The Column and Cell tabs have their own Preferred width boxes, which is how you give one column, say a narrow date column, a set width while the others share the rest. The Table tab also controls Alignment (left, center or right on the page) and Text wrapping (whether body text flows around the table).

Worked example: Priya has a two-column meeting schedule that keeps pushing past the right margin whenever she pastes in a long agenda item. She selects the table, chooses AutoFit Window so it fits the page, then switches to Fixed Column Width, sets the time column to 1.2 inches in the Table Column Width box, and lets the agenda column take the remaining space. Long agenda text now wraps instead of widening anything.

Keep Pictures and Long Text From Stretching Cells

Pictures are another way a table can grow unexpectedly. A picture inserted into a cell can make that cell bigger than your settings intend.

• Lock the column first (Fixed Column Width), then insert the picture, and resize the picture to fit the cell rather than the other way round.
• If the row is set to Exactly, a tall picture is cut off at the bottom. Shrink the picture or change the row to At least.
• Long words or web addresses with no spaces can’t wrap, so they may spill or force width. Add a space or line break, or shorten the text.
• Large cell margins make text wrap sooner and rows grow taller. Trim them in Table Options.

The Cell tab of Table Properties has an Options button for text wrapping and fit settings in individual cells. Those control how text behaves inside a cell; they are not the switch that stops the table resizing, so leave them alone unless a single cell needs special treatment. Merged cells can also throw widths off, so if you combine cells, recheck widths afterward (see how merging cells works in Word tables).

Make Rows and Columns Equal

After dragging borders around, columns often end up uneven. Select the columns or rows you want to even out, then on Table Layout, in the Cell Size group, click Distribute Columns or Distribute Rows. Word splits the current width or height equally among the selection. To resize the whole table at once, drag the small square resize handle at its lower corner until the pointer becomes a double-headed arrow, then drag.

Once sizes are set, you can style the grid with Word’s border options without changing any widths.

Let the Table Resize Again

To undo a lock, reverse the settings you changed:

1. Choose Table Layout > AutoFit > AutoFit Contents so columns fit their text again.
2. In Table Properties > Row, clear Specify height or switch Row height is back to At least.
3. Turn the automatic resize option back on under Table tab > Options.

To confirm a lock worked, type a long sentence into a cell. The column should stay the same width and, with Exactly, the row should stay the same height. If you plan to move the data into a spreadsheet later, copying a Word table into Excel works the same whichever size settings you used.

Questions About Locked Table Sizes

Can I lock just one column?

Yes. Click in that column, open Table Properties, go to the Column tab and set a Preferred width. Combine it with Fixed Column Width so AutoFit doesn’t override it.

Why did my text disappear after I set the row height?

It most likely hasn’t been deleted. With Exactly, the row stays at your height, so text below that point can be hidden from view. Make the row taller, reduce the font size, or switch to At least to see it.

Should I use a percentage or a fixed width?

The Measure in list next to Preferred width offers Percent or a fixed measurement. Choose Percent when the table should always match the page, even after margin changes. Choose a fixed measurement when the table must print at a set size, such as a form that has to line up with preprinted paper.

Do these settings work in Word for the web or on a Mac?

The steps here follow Word for Windows. Microsoft says the Table Options settings, including automatic resizing, aren’t available in Word for the web or Word mobile, so finish the lock in the desktop app. Labels in Word for Mac may differ.

For the full list of size and layout controls, see Microsoft’s pages on resizing table columns and rows, changing table properties, and Word table options.