Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Specifying Index Section Dividers.

Specifying Index Section Dividers

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 17, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


As you learn in other WordTips, you create an index by placing the special index field in your document. When you insert the field you can indicate how you want Word to separate the alphabetic sections of your index. There are several choices you can use, but you may need to experiment to find the dividers that are right for you. You specify these dividers by adding the \h switch to your index field. The following table shows some possible settings for this switch.

Switch Meaning
\h " " Sections are divided by a blank line.
\h "A" Sections are divided by a single letter.
\h "----" Sections are divided by four dashes (you can use more, if desired).
\h "text" Sections are divided by whichever text you specify.
\h Sections will have no divider; they will run together.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (793) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Specifying Index Section Dividers.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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