How to make collapsible bullet point lists in Microsoft Word

There are various features that Microsoft Word offers to its users that you may be unaware of. Some of these features can help improve the aesthetic value of your documents and make your writing sound more professional. One such feature allows you to create collapsible bullet points using headers. Here, I will show you how to make collapsible bullet point lists in Microsoft Word.

Step-by-step guide to make collapsible bullet point lists:

  • Firstly, open your Microsoft Word document. 
  • Write a header. 
  • Add a list of bullet points below the header. 
  • Right-click the header and hover over the “Expand/Collapse” option.
  • Click on the option for “Collapse heading” to complete the process. 
  • Alternatively, hover over the header and click the arrow to collapse or expand.

Once you have completed the process, you will have managed to create a collapsible list of bullet points in Microsoft Word. Once you click on the option for the Collapse heading, you will have the list of bullet points and any other content within the title automatically collapsed under it. 

To expand the content, there will be a small arrow next to the heading; you need to click on it to expand the content and show the information underneath it. Please be aware that the process does not work for the web version of Microsoft Word. You must have the desktop version of Microsoft Word installed if you want to use this feature.

An in-depth guide on how to make collapsible bullet point lists in Microsoft Word

  • Firstly, open your Microsoft Word document. 

To begin the process, you must first open your Microsoft Word document. However, make sure you keep in mind that the process will only work if you have the desktop version of Microsoft Word. If you are using the web version, the features to enable a collapsible will not be available. 

  • Write a header. 

To create a header, write in some text. Select the text and choose one of the heading styles at the top. You will need a header and a list of bullet points to create the collapsible list. 

  • Add your list of bullet points and any other content you want. 

To create a list of bullet points, select your text and click on the bullets icon at the top. Each content line will be a single bullet point in the Microsoft Word layout. To create a line between two pieces of text, click on the enter key after you have written the first line and continue to write the second line. From there, click on (Command/Control + A) to select all the text on the list. Now click on the keys (Command/Control + .) to turn the list into a bulleted list.

  • Right-click the title and hover over the “Expand/Collapse option.” 
  • Click on the option for “Collapsed heading” to complete the process. 

You can also turn the header itself into a bullet point and press the Tab button on your keyboard at the start of a bullet point to create sub-bullets. The outcome can be seen in the image below.

Why is the collapsible list of bullet points not being formed?

There are several reasons why a collapsible list of bullet points will not form in Microsoft Word. One reason is that you are using the web version. To fix this issue, you will need to switch to the desktop version of Microsoft Word. The desktop version of Microsoft Word allows you to create a collapsible menu. 

Another reason is that your header is not correctly formatted. Select your header and choose “Heading 1” or “Heading 2” from the styles at the top.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading our guide on creating a collapsible list of bullet points in Microsoft Word. I have provided a guide on how you can achieve this and some reasons why the process may not work sometimes. I suggest you go through each illustrated point to understand what you need to do to create a collapsible bulleted list. If you encounter any issues following the steps above, drop a comment below, and we will address them. 

Saajid Gangat

Saajid Gangat has been a researcher and content writer at Business Tech Planet since 2021. Saajid is a tech-savvy writer with expertise in web and graphic design and has extensive knowledge of Microsoft 365, Adobe, Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and more! You can connect with Saajid on Linkedin.

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