Hello, my name is Erin.
We recently looked at how to create numbered lists in Microsoft Word.
Word also offers automatic list numbering which begins a list when you type the number 1
followed by a period at the start of a blank line.
This feature may not be ideal in all situations,
so today’s tutorial shows how to turn on and turn off automatic list numbering in Microsoft Word.
Be sure to stay tuned for the bonus section at the end,
which shows an alternative way to quickly turn off automatic list numbering from within the text.
I’ll be using Word for Microsoft 365.
These steps also apply to previous versions of the software back to Word 2013.
If you’re on a Mac, please see this tutorial’s companion video
called “How to Turn On and Turn Off Automatic List Numbering in Word for Mac,” which is linked below.
To turn on or turn off automatic list numbering,
begin by selecting the File tab in the ribbon.
Then, select Options in the Backstage view.
When the Word Options dialog box appears, select the Proofing tab.
Followed by the AutoCorrect Options button.
Next, select the AutoFormat As You Type tab in the AutoCorrect dialog box.
And then uncheck "Automatic numbered lists" to turn off automatic list numbering.
Or, check it to turn it on.
When you’re finished, select the OK button.
And then the OK button in the Word Options dialog box.
When you first begin working on a list with automatic numbering turned on,
you can quickly turn off the automatic numbering by selecting the AutoCorrect Options button
and then selecting Stop Automatically Creating Numbered Lists from the drop-down menu.
Alternatively, you can select Control AutoFormat Options
to open the AutoFormat As You Type tab in the AutoCorrect dialog box.
Note that the AutoCorrect Options button will only appear when you first begin working on a list with automatic numbering.
Once you create multiple list entries, the button will disappear.
I have created many other videos about Microsoft Word including “How to Create Bulleted Lists in Microsoft Word.”
And, “How to Create Custom Bullets in Microsoft Word.”
Please see the complete list in the playlist titled “How to Use Microsoft Word,”
which is linked in the description box below.
All the steps we just performed are listed with images on erinwrightwriting.com,
along with all my other writing-related software tutorials to help you succeed at work and in the classroom.
Feel free to leave me a comment if there’s a specific topic
that you would like me to talk about in the future.
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Thank you so much for watching!