Document Editing Problems

Fix Word Moving to the Bottom of Document on Enter or Tab

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 16, 2026 871 views

Question details

Pressing the Enter or Tab key inside a table unexpectedly moves the cursor to the bottom of the document instead of functioning normally.

How to Fix Word Moving to the Bottom of a Document When Pressing Enter or Tab

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing a long document that contains wrapped tables.
Observed behavior: The cursor jumps to the very end of the document instead of adding a new paragraph within the cell (Enter) or moving to the next cell (Tab).

Before you start

Identify the exact table where the jumping behavior occurs, as this glitch is usually triggered by the specific formatting properties of individual tables rather than a global document setting.

Solution 1Recommended

Change Table Text Wrapping to 'None'

Disabling the 'Around' text wrapping option on the affected table resolves the cursor jumping issue caused by layout miscalculations in long documents.

When a table is set to 'Around' text wrapping in a very long document, the word processor can sometimes miscalculate the layout flow when new lines or cells are added. Setting the wrapping style to 'None' (or 'In line with text') stabilizes the cursor behavior and stops it from moving to the bottom of the page.

Select the affected table

Hover your mouse over the table where the problem occurs and click the four-headed arrow icon in the top-left corner to select the entire table.

Open Table Properties

Right-click anywhere on the selected table and choose 'Table Properties' from the context menu.

Adjust Text Wrapping

In the 'Table' tab of the dialog box, look for the 'Text wrapping' section. Select 'None' (or 'In line with text' depending on your specific software version) instead of 'Around'.

Apply and test

Click 'OK' to save your changes. Try pressing Enter or Tab inside the table again to confirm the cursor no longer jumps to the bottom of the document.

Standard Key Behavior in Tables: Under normal circumstances, pressing Tab moves your cursor to the next cell and creates a new row if pressed in the final cell. Pressing Enter inserts a new paragraph within the current cell.

Smooth Document Editing

Edit Complex Documents Flawlessly with WPS Office

WPS Writer offers a highly stable layout engine for long documents and complex tables, allowing you to easily adjust table properties and edit text without experiencing unexpected cursor jumps.

1. Open your document in WPS: Launch WPS Office and open your .docx file containing the tables.
2. Select the problem table: Click on the crosshair icon at the top left of the table to select it completely.
3. Access Table Properties: Right-click the selection and choose 'Table Properties' from the dropdown menu.
4. Modify Text Wrapping: Under the Table tab, set Text Wrapping to 'None' and click OK to instantly resolve the layout glitch.

Highly stable document layout engine for long and complex filesFull format compatibility with Microsoft Word (.docx) documentsIntuitive table formatting and editing toolsFree and lightweight alternative to standard office suites

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Tab add a new row instead of moving to the next cell?

If your cursor is located in the very last cell of a table (the bottom-right corner) and you press the Tab key, the word processor automatically inserts a new row below it to facilitate rapid data entry. To avoid this, use the arrow keys or your mouse to navigate out of the table.

How do I add a regular tab space inside a table cell?

Since the standard Tab key is mapped to move the cursor to the next cell, you must press 'Ctrl + Tab' to insert an actual tab indentation space within a table cell.

Can corrupted document formatting cause the cursor to jump?

Yes. In long documents containing heavily formatted or wrapped tables, the background layout calculations can become corrupted or laggy. Changing the table's text wrapping to 'None' or pasting the content without formatting into a fresh document usually resolves the issue.

Document & File Issues