How to Make a Divider Line in Microsoft Word

A long document needs a clean line between sections, and the underscore key held down never quite reaches the margin. In Word for Windows (Microsoft 365, Word 2024 and Word 2021), type three hyphens on an empty line and press Enter for an instant full-width divider. For a custom color, thickness or style, use a paragraph border; for an ornamental break, center a row of symbols.

Match each divider to the job below, then follow its steps.

Which Kind of Divider Does Your Document Need?

“Divider” covers several different things in Word. Some are visible lines, one is purely decorative, and one is invisible structure that changes how the pages behave. Picking the right one first saves you from fighting the formatting later.

Divider	Best for	How you make it	Moves with the text?
Three-character line	A quick rule between sections in a report or memo	Type three characters, press Enter	Yes, it is part of a paragraph
Custom paragraph border	A line in your own color, weight or style, or a line that belongs to a heading	Home > Borders > Borders and Shading	Yes
Symbol separator	Newsletters, programs, invitations, chapter breaks in fiction	Insert > Symbol, then center the paragraph	Yes, it is ordinary text
Shape line	A short line at an exact spot, at an angle, or with dashes or arrows	Insert > Shapes, then drag	Not as text does; it is a drawing object
Section break	Starting a new part with its own layout, headers or columns	Layout > Breaks	Yes, but it is not a visible line

A quick rule of thumb: if the divider should behave like text (stay between the same two paragraphs as you edit), use a paragraph-based method. If it needs to sit at a precise spot regardless of the text, draw a shape. If the document needs a structural split, add a section break, and pair it with a visible line when readers also need to see the break.

Borders around a whole page are a different feature; the page border options are covered in adding borders to Word documents.

Make a Plain Divider by Typing Three Characters

This is Word’s built-in shortcut, part of the AutoFormat As You Type feature. Microsoft describes it on its Insert a horizontal line page.

1. Click on an empty line where the divider should go. The characters must be on a line by themselves.
2. Type three hyphens: ---
3. Press Enter. Word replaces the characters with a line that runs across the full width of the text area, or the full width of the column if the page is set up in columns.

Microsoft’s AutoFormat page lists six characters that work: ~, #, *, -, _ and =. Hyphens give a 0.75 point line, equal signs a 0.75 point double line and underscores a thicker 1.5 point line, and tildes give a wavy line; asterisks and number signs give decorative styles that may vary by version.

The point sizes come from Microsoft’s AutoFormatAsYouTypeApplyBorders reference on Microsoft Learn. Changed your mind? Press Backspace immediately after the line appears and Word puts your three characters back.

The full character comparison, along with why you cannot click on the line like a picture, is in how to add a solid line in Word. The short version: the line is not an object. It is the bottom border of an empty paragraph, which is why the next section works.

Build a Custom Divider With a Paragraph Border

Because every typed divider is really a paragraph border, you can skip the shortcut and build one yourself with full control over the style, color and width. This is the most flexible way to make a divider that matches a brand color or a document theme.

Worked example: a monthly club newsletter needs a dark green double line under each article. Here is how to make one.

1. Click in the paragraph the line should belong to. For a divider under an article, that can be an empty paragraph after the last line of text, or the article’s final paragraph itself.
2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, select the arrow next to the Borders button.
3. Select Borders and Shading at the bottom of the menu.
4. On the Borders tab, pick a Style (the double line, in this example), a Color (dark green) and a Width.
5. In the Preview area, select the button for the bottom edge so only a bottom line is drawn. Select the top edge button instead if you want the line above the paragraph.
6. Check that Apply to says Paragraph. If it says Text, Word draws a box around the selected words instead of a full-width line.
7. Select OK.

Microsoft walks through the same dialog on its Add a border to some text page. If you started with a three-character line, the steps are identical: click in the line, open Borders and Shading, change the style, color or width, and select OK.

Tie the Divider to a Heading

A useful trick for long reports: put a top border on each heading paragraph rather than inserting separate empty lines. The divider then travels with the heading when you move it, and it can never be stranded at the bottom of a page away from the section it introduces. Save that formatting into your heading style and every new section gets the same line automatically.

Make a Shorter Line or a Box

A paragraph border runs the width of the paragraph. To shorten it, on most versions you can increase the paragraph’s left and right indents (Layout tab, Indent boxes) and the border follows; look at the preview before committing. Because the line is a paragraph, Microsoft notes that choosing All Borders or Outside Borders from the same menu turns it into a box, which works well for a callout or a highlighted note.

Add a Decorative Separator With Symbols

Lines feel formal. Invitations, event programs, recipe cards and fiction manuscripts often use a centered row of ornaments instead, such as ✦ ✦ ✦ or a single ❦. Since these are ordinary characters, they print, move with the text and survive copying into other documents.

1. Press Enter to start a new, empty paragraph where the separator should go.
2. Go to Insert > Symbol, then select More Symbols. Microsoft explains the dialog on its Insert a symbol in Word page.
3. Use the Font list above the symbols to choose a font. Microsoft says the most commonly used symbols are in Segoe UI Symbol.
4. Find an ornament and double-click it to insert it. On most versions you can also type a code in the Character code box (with from set to Unicode (hex)) to jump to it: for example, 2766 for the floral heart ❦, 2042 for the asterism ⁂, or 2726 for the four-pointed star ✦. If a code shows an empty box, that font does not include the character; try another font.
5. Select Close.
6. Repeat or copy the symbol to build the row, with spaces between symbols for breathing room, then select Center in the Home tab’s Paragraph group. More centering options are in centering text in Microsoft Word.

Two finishing touches make a symbol divider look intentional. Raise the font size of that paragraph slightly so the ornaments read as a design element, and change their color to match your headings. Add a little space before and after the paragraph (Layout tab, Spacing) so the separator does not crowd the text.

One catch: three asterisks or number signs typed in a row on their own line, followed by Enter, trigger the automatic border line. Typing them with spaces (* * *) avoids the border line, but a line that starts with an asterisk and a space can turn into a bulleted list instead. If Word converts either one, press Backspace or Ctrl+Z right away, or use a symbol from the Symbol dialog for the row.

If you use the same ornament often, Microsoft suggests setting up an AutoCorrect entry for symbols you insert repeatedly, so a short code expands into it as you type.

Draw a Divider Exactly Where You Want It

When a line must sit at a specific spot, such as a short rule under a signature block, a diagonal flourish or a dashed cut line on a coupon, a shape is the answer. Microsoft documents this in Draw a line in Word or Outlook.

1. Go to Insert > Shapes and choose a line from the Lines gallery.
2. Click and drag across the page. Hold Shift while dragging to keep the line perfectly straight.
3. With the line selected, open the Shape Format tab and use Shape Outline to set the color, weight and dash style, or add arrows.

Keep in mind that a shape is a drawing object layered on the page rather than a piece of the text. If you add or delete paragraphs above it, it may no longer line up with the gap you drew it in, so for dividers between sections of flowing text a paragraph border is usually the steadier choice.

What About the Horizontal Line Option?

Some versions of Word show a Horizontal Line entry in the Borders menu, and older versions had a Horizontal Line button inside the Borders and Shading dialog. Microsoft’s current support pages for inserting lines and borders do not describe it, so look for it in your Borders list, and if you don’t see it, use the bottom-border method above. Where it exists, it inserts a separate line object with extra space around it, which is harder to adjust than a paragraph border. For a plain line, the three-character shortcut or a bottom border gives the same result with less fuss.

Use a Section Break as an Invisible Divider

Sometimes the divider you need is structural. A section break splits the document so the part after it can have different margins, orientation, columns, headers or page numbering. It does not draw anything on the printed page.

1. Click where the new section should begin.
2. Go to Layout > Breaks.
3. Choose a section break type: Next Page starts the new section on the following page, Continuous starts it on the same page, and Even Page or Odd Page starts it on the next even- or odd-numbered page.

Microsoft lists these types on its Insert a section break page, which applies to Word for Windows and Word for Mac. A Continuous break followed by a visible line is a common pattern: the line tells readers a new part has begun, while the break lets that part switch to two columns, for example. For finding, changing and removing breaks, see how to insert a section break in Word. Word for the web can’t add section breaks, so use Open in Word to add one in the desktop app.

Remove a Divider or Stop Word From Adding Them

How you remove a divider depends on how it was made:

• A line Word just created: press Backspace straight away (or Ctrl+Z) to get your characters back.
• A typed or paragraph-border line from earlier: click in the paragraph just above the line, open the arrow next to Borders on the Home tab, and choose the no-border option in the list (usually labeled No Border). Clicking the line and pressing Delete often does nothing, because there is no object to select.
• A symbol separator: select the characters and delete them like any text.
• A shape line: click the line to select it and press Delete.
• A section break: follow the removal steps in the section break article linked above, since deleting a break can change the formatting of the section before it.

To stop Word from turning typed characters into lines at all, turn off the AutoFormat setting. Microsoft’s AutoFormat as you type page describes it as drawing a line when you type three consecutive ~, #, *, -, _ or = characters on a new line and press Enter.

1. Go to File > Options > Proofing.
2. Select AutoCorrect Options, then open the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
3. Clear the Border lines check box.

4. Select OK, then OK again to close Word Options.

Existing lines stay in the document after you change this setting; it only affects what happens the next time you type the characters.

Word for Mac and Word for the Web

Microsoft’s horizontal line instructions are written for Word for Windows and state that the steps and options may differ in Word for Mac or Word for the web. Two of the other methods are documented for the Mac, though. Microsoft’s border page has Mac steps for a custom paragraph border: on the Home tab, select the arrow next to the Borders button, choose Borders and Shading, and set Apply to to Text or Paragraph. Its section break page applies to Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Word 2024 for Mac and Word 2021 for Mac, with the same Layout > Breaks path. Word for the web is more limited: Microsoft says it can’t add section breaks yet, so use Open in Word to add them in the desktop app.

Word Divider Line Questions

How do I make a thick or double divider?

Type three underscores and press Enter for a thicker 1.5 point line, or three equal signs for a double line. For anything heavier, or for a triple or dashed style, open Borders and Shading and pick the style and width yourself.

Why does my divider sit at the bottom of one page while its section starts on the next?

A divider on its own empty paragraph can be separated from the heading below it at a page break. Putting the line on the heading itself as a top border, as described above, keeps the two together.

Will a divider show when I print or save as PDF?

Paragraph borders, symbol separators and shape lines all print and appear in a PDF. A section break does not; only its effect on the layout is visible.

Can I add a divider to a header or footer?

Yes, on most versions the same paragraph border and shape methods work inside a header or footer once you double-click into that area. If an unwanted line appears there, it is usually a paragraph border too; removing headers and footers in Word covers clearing leftover lines.

Can I save a divider to reuse in other documents?

The simplest route is to copy the divider paragraph and paste it where you need it, since the border or symbols come along with the paragraph. For a heading-based divider, saving the border in the heading style means every document built from that template gets it.

Next time a document needs a break, start with the three-character line, switch to a custom paragraph border when the style matters, and save the symbol separator for pages where a little personality fits.