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How to Fix Overlapping Text and Line Spacing in SharePoint Tables
Question details
Users are experiencing overlapping text and incorrect paragraph spacing in SharePoint Online text web parts, tables, and bulleted lists after a recent platform update.
- Product
- SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating or editing text web parts, tables, headings, or bulleted lists within SharePoint pages.
- Observed behavior
- Text lines overlap each other and paragraph spacing renders incorrectly, requiring tedious manual corrections across multiple affected intranet pages.
Verify if the overlapping text issue is isolated to a single page or if it affects multiple SharePoint pages to determine if a service-wide support ticket is necessary.
Open a Support Ticket for a Service-Wide Solution
Since manual edits are impractical for numerous affected pages, escalate the widespread formatting issue to your tenant administrator.
Overlapping text across multiple text web parts is typically caused by a backend SharePoint update that alters CSS rendering. A tenant-level fix from Microsoft is the most efficient way to resolve this without editing every page manually.
Gather URLs and screenshots of the overlapping text in tables and bulleted lists across different SharePoint pages.
Reach out to your internal SharePoint or Microsoft 365 tenant administrator and provide them with the documented examples.
Ask the administrator to open an official support ticket with Microsoft to deploy a backend fix for the updated web parts.
Apply a Keyboard Workaround for Bulleted Lists
Use this temporary keyboard shortcut to correctly align the first bullet point in a list and prevent it from overlapping with preceding text.
Adjust Line and Paragraph Spacing Settings Manually
Manually tweak the spacing settings within individual text web parts to separate overlapping lines on critical pages.
Draft and Format Documents Flawlessly with WPS Office
If SharePoint updates are causing formatting frustrations, consider drafting your documents and tables in WPS Office first. It is a free, lightweight alternative that guarantees precise control over line spacing and bulleted lists before you upload or share your work.
- 1. Download and Install: Get WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your device.
- 2. Draft your content: Use WPS Writer to create your tables, lists, and documents with precise formatting controls.
- 3. Copy or Upload: Save your document in standard formats like .docx, or copy perfectly formatted text directly into your SharePoint pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my SharePoint text web parts suddenly start overlapping?
Overlapping text and incorrect spacing in SharePoint often occur immediately following a platform update. These updates can inadvertently alter how styles render line height and paragraph spacing in text web parts and tables.
Does the Shift+Enter workaround fix all overlapping text in SharePoint?
No, pressing Shift+Enter is primarily a temporary workaround for correcting the placement of the first item in a bulleted list. For widespread issues across standard paragraphs or large tables, a service-wide fix from Microsoft is usually required.
How can I avoid manually editing every affected SharePoint page?
If the overlapping text issue is widespread across your SharePoint site, manual correction is highly impractical. The best approach is to contact your Microsoft 365 tenant administrator to open a support ticket for a service-level resolution.
