Reorganize a document by using outline view

In outline view you can reorder headings and text by moving them up or down, or you can promote or demote headings or text. In order to see a document's structure in outline view, a document must be formatted with one of the built-in heading styles or outline levels.

If you select a heading that includes collapsed subordinate text, the collapsed text is also selected.

1. On the View menu, click Outline.
2. Show the headings and body text you want by using the buttons on the Outlining toolbar. 

3. Position the insertion point in the text you want to move, and then move any of the following:

   A heading or body text up or down

   On the Outlining toolbar, click  Move Up or Move Down until the text is moved where you want it to go.

   A heading or body text to Heading 1 level

   On the Outlining toolbar, click Promote to Heading 1.

   A heading to body text

   On the Outlining toolbar, click Demote to Body Text .

   Body text to a heading, or a heading to a higher level

   On the Outlining toolbar, click Promote until the text is at the level you want.

   A heading to a lower level

   On the Outlining toolbar, click Demote until the text is at the level you want.

Tips

• If you find character formatting (such as large fonts or italic) distracting, you can display the outline as plain text. On the Outlining toolbar, click Show Formatting .
• You can also rearrange text by dragging the outline symbols (, , and ) for the headings and body text up or down, or to the left or right. When you drag a heading's symbol, the subheadings and body text under it also move or change levels.

  As you drag, Microsoft Word displays a vertical line at each heading level. Release the mouse button to assign the text to the new level. Word applies the corresponding heading style to the heading, or applies the Normal style to body text.