Paragraph Spacing in Google Docs — Make It Accessible

Google Docs is widely used for shared document creation, but its default spacing is not accessibility-friendly. Line spacing defaults to 1.15x (below the WCAG 1.4.12 1.5x minimum), and paragraph spacing is 0. For documents that need to meet accessibility standards — policy documents, educational materials, legal notices, government content — you have to change the defaults. Here is the exact process.

Google Docs defaults that fail WCAG

Property	Google Docs default	WCAG 1.4.12	Pass?
Line spacing	1.15	1.5 minimum	Fail
Space before paragraph	0 pt	N/A	—
Space after paragraph	0 pt	2x font size	Fail
Letter spacing	0 (inherited from font)	0.12em minimum on override	Depends on layout

Two out of four fail immediately. Fix both before publishing accessible Google Docs content.

How to fix spacing in Google Docs

1. Select all text (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A).
2. Go to Format > Line & paragraph spacing.
3. Change line spacing to 1.5.
4. Click Add space after paragraph. This adds 8pt by default — adjust via Custom spacing if you need more.
5. For 2x font size spacing, open Custom spacing. For 11pt body text, set 22pt after. For 12pt body, set 24pt after.

Save this as your default for new documents: Format > Paragraph styles > Options > Save as my default styles.

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Checking what Google Docs actually applied

Google Docs does not show you the exact CSS values. To verify:

1. Download the document as HTML: File > Download > Web Page (.html).
2. Open the HTML in a text editor.
3. Look for line-height and margin-bottom in the CSS.
4. Paste those values into our spacing checker to verify WCAG 1.4.12 compliance.

The HTML export gives you real CSS values you can audit. The document's in-editor display is a rough approximation.

Export to PDF and Word — do the settings carry over?

Mostly yes. Google Docs export preserves line spacing and paragraph spacing to both PDF and Word (.docx). The values transfer correctly.

Exceptions:

• Word exports may display slightly differently due to Word's own spacing calculations
• PDF exports preserve visual spacing but tag accessibility metadata differently depending on the PDF viewer
• For fully tagged accessible PDF, use the Download as PDF (tagged) option, which adds screen reader structure

Test final exports with a screen reader (NVDA or VoiceOver) to confirm spacing translates correctly to the final format.

Save accessibility-ready templates

For organizations producing many accessible docs, set up a Google Docs template with all spacing already configured:

1. Create a blank document.
2. Apply: line spacing 1.5, paragraph spacing 2x font, Arial or Open Sans body font at 12pt, headings styled with clear hierarchy.
3. Save to Template gallery (if you have Google Workspace) or share as a "copy me" link for team use.

New docs start compliant instead of requiring fixes each time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google Docs have a WCAG accessibility checker built in?

Partial. Google Docs has a checker for alt text and table structure but does not validate spacing values against WCAG 1.4.12. Use external tools for spacing-specific checks.

What line spacing does Google recommend for accessibility?

Google's own accessibility documentation recommends 1.5 minimum for body text, aligned with WCAG 1.4.12. Their default (1.15) conflicts with this — the default has not been updated to match.

Can I set different line spacing per paragraph?

Yes, Google Docs applies line & paragraph spacing per selected paragraph. Select the specific text, then adjust. Good for mixing heading tight spacing with body comfortable spacing.

Does this affect Google Slides too?

Slides has separate spacing controls. The same WCAG 1.4.12 rules apply to slide text. Adjust via slide text box > Format options > Text fitting > line spacing.