How to Set 1-Inch Margins in Word & Google Docs

APA, MLA, and Chicago all use 1-inch margins on all four sides. Here's how to set them — and how to fix the old 1.25-inch default that some Word documents still carry.

Microsoft Word

• Open the Layout tab and click Margins.
• Choose Normal — that's 1 inch on every side.
• For exact control, click Custom Margins and set top, bottom, left, and right all to 1", then OK.

Google Docs

• Go to File → Page setup.
• Set the top, bottom, left, and right margins to 1.
• Click OK (or "Set as default" to keep it for new docs).

Watch out for the 1.25-inch default

Some older Word templates default to 1.25-inch left/right margins. It looks almost right, so it's easy to miss — but it's not 1 inch, and it can cost you points. Setting Normal (or Custom Margins) fixes it.

FAQ

Do APA, MLA, and Chicago all use 1-inch margins?

Yes — 1 inch on all four sides is standard for all three (and for IEEE and Harvard too).

My margins look right but got marked down — why?

They may be 1.25" or 0.9" and look close to 1". Set Normal/Custom Margins to exactly 1", or let Chuck check and fix it.

What else should I check?

Run the full APA checklist (or your style's checklist from the guides hub).