Headers allow you to add text or images to the top of every page in your Google Doc. This can be useful for adding things like a title, author name, or page numbers. By default, Google Docs sets a 1-inch margin at the top of each page for the header. However, you may want to adjust this margin to make the header larger or smaller. Here’s how to change header margins in Google Docs.
Access Header Options
The first step is to access the header options:
- Double click anywhere in the header area to edit the header
- Click the Options button on the right side
This will open up options for customizing the header.
Change Header Margins
Under the “Header format” section, you can change the header margins:
- Click the text box next to “Distance from top of page”
- Enter a new margin size in inches
- Enter 0 for no margin/full bleed header
- Enter .5 for a 1/2 inch margin
- Enter 2 for a 2 inch margin
- Click Apply to save the new margin
The header will now have the updated top margin you specified.
Set Different Margins Per Section
You can have different header margins for each section of your document:
- Under the “Apply to” dropdown, choose “This section”
- Change the top margin as desired
- Click Apply
- Navigate to the next section
- Repeat steps 1-3, choosing a different margin size
Reset Margins to Default
To go back to the default 1-inch header margin:
- Under “Apply to” choose “Whole Document”
- Change the top margin to 1 inch
- Click Apply
Adjust Margins with Ruler
You can also adjust header margins using the ruler:
- Enable the ruler under View > Show ruler
- Click on the top ruler boundary
- Drag to adjust size of header area
Set Narrow Margins on Mobile
On mobile devices, follow these steps to set narrow margins:
- Tap the 3-dot menu
- Choose Page setup
- Tap Margins > Narrow
This will shrink all margins to 0.5 inches.
Tip: Use narrow margins on mobile to maximize the content space.
Troubleshooting Tips
- If header text disappears, margins may be set too small. Increase the top margin.
- On pageless documents, headers do not display. Switch to pages format.
- Headers and footers print in margin areas. Don’t set margins to zero.
Changing header margins in Google Docs is easy once you know where to access the formatting options. Start by double clicking the header and adjusting the top margin under Header Format. You can set different margins per section, reset them to default, use the ruler to drag boundary lines, or choose narrow margins on mobile. With these simple steps, you’ll have your headers formatted perfectly.
