How to make a table in Word — insert a table, convert text to a table, repeat the header row, AutoFit to contents

Insert a table — Insert > Table

Put the cursor where the table should go, click Insert > Table and drag over the grid to choose the columns and rows. On this PC a 4-column table came in with borders (the Table Grid style) and its four columns split the A4 text width of 451.3 pt evenly — 112.7 pt each.

If a table sits at the very top of the document and you can't type above it, put the cursor at the start of the first cell and use Table Layout > Split Table (Ctrl+Shift+Enter). On this PC that added one empty paragraph above the table.

Turn existing text into a table — Convert Text to Table

The practice file is a list of 45 members with No, Name and Phone separated by tabs. Turn on formatting marks (Ctrl+Shift+8) and you'll see a → between the columns.

1. 1Select the list from the header line to the end (leave out the title).
2. 2In Insert > Table > Convert Text to Table…, check the columns, rows and separator. On this PC Word read the tabs and pre-selected 3 columns, 46 rows and Tabs.
3. 3Click OK — you get a 3-column table, the three columns sharing the text width evenly (150.2 pt each).

Trap 1 — commas inside the text split the cells

Choose Commas as the separator and Word splits at every comma in the line. In a 'City,People' list with a line 'Seoul, Korea,2', the address split into Seoul, Korea and 2 — three cells — and the table became 3 columns wide.

Trap 2 — a table on two pages has no header on page 2

A 46-row table (header + 45 members) runs onto a second page. Saved as a PDF, the header word 'Phone' appeared on page 1 only — anyone reading page 2 can't tell which column is which.

With the cursor in the header row (row 1), Table Layout > Repeat Header Rows put the header at the top of both page 1 and page 2 of the PDF. The same setting is the 'Repeat as header row at the top of each page' box on the Row tab of Table Properties.

Fit the table to its contents — AutoFit

When even a short column like No gets an equal share of the page width, the table looks empty. Put the cursor in the table and choose Table Layout > AutoFit > AutoFit Contents — each column shrinks to its text.

Common problems

• Too many columns after converting: the separator (comma) also appears inside the text — separate with tabs and convert at tabs
• No header on page 2: in row 1, Table Layout > Repeat Header Rows
• Repeat Header Rows doesn't stick: header rows must start at row 1 — include row 1
• Can't type above a table at the top of the document: start of the first cell > Split Table (Ctrl+Shift+Enter)

Practice

Open the practice file (member list of 45 separated by tabs) and try these steps.

1. 1Turn on formatting marks and check for → between the columns.
2. 2Select from the header line to the end, then Insert > Table > Convert Text to Table… > 3 columns, Tabs > OK.
3. 3Put the cursor in row 1, Table Layout > Repeat Header Rows, and check the top of page 2.
4. 4AutoFit > AutoFit Contents to narrow the table, and make row 1 bold.

The answer file has the list as a 3-column table with Repeat Header Rows and AutoFit Contents on (two pages).

FAQ