Formatting Issues

How to Remove Blue Dots or Marks from the Side of a Word Page

Bushra Parveen Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to remove unexpected blue dots or marks appearing along the side margin of a Word document.

How to Remove Blue Dots or Marks from the Side of a Word Page

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Viewing and formatting a document
Observed behavior: Blue dots or mysterious marks appear along the side of the page, often caused by the document being in Outline view, visible table gridlines, or non-printing formatting characters.

Before you start

Before making changes, click 'File' and select 'Print' to check the Print Preview. If the marks do not appear in the preview, they are merely on-screen visual aids that will not affect your final printed or exported document.

Solution 1Recommended

Switch Document View to Print Layout

This is the most common and effective solution. Sometimes Word inadvertently opens documents in Outline view, which displays structural dots and marks on the side.

Outline view is designed for organizing document structure, but it changes the standard appearance of your pages by adding bullet-like marks in the margins.

Open the View Tab

Navigate to the top ribbon in Microsoft Word and click on the 'View' tab.

Select Print Layout

In the 'Views' group on the far left, click on 'Print Layout'. The side marks should immediately disappear, and the document will return to its standard page appearance.

Save to lock the view: Once you switch to Print Layout, save the document immediately so Word remembers to open it in this view next time.

Solution 2

Hide Table Gridlines

If the marks resemble dotted blue lines, you might be looking at invisible table gridlines.

Solution 3

Disable Non-Printing Characters and Check Paragraph Settings

Formatting marks and pagination settings can display as small squares or dots in the left margin.

Easily Manage Document Views and Formatting with WPS Office

If you find Microsoft Word's layout options confusing or prone to accidental changes, try WPS Office. It provides an intuitive interface where document views, formatting marks, and table gridlines can be toggled effortlessly while maintaining flawless compatibility with all your Word documents.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office Free on your computer.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word document.
3. Switch View: Go to the 'View' tab and click 'Print Layout' to instantly clear any Outline view artifacts.
4. Toggle Marks: Navigate to the 'Home' tab and click the 'Show/Hide Editing Marks' icon to clean up your page visually.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word formats (.doc, .docx)Clean, intuitive ribbon interface that's easy to navigateOne-click toggles for formatting marks and layout viewsLightweight and free to use

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Will these blue dots or side marks show up when I print the document?

No. Marks caused by Outline view, table gridlines, or non-printing characters are visual aids for on-screen editing only. They will not appear in a physical printout or an exported PDF.

Why does my Word document keep opening in Outline view?

This usually happens if the document was last saved while in Outline view. To fix this permanently, switch the view to 'Print Layout' and immediately save the document.

What do the small black squares in the left margin mean?

Small squares in the left margin indicate that special pagination formatting is applied to that specific paragraph, such as 'Keep with next', 'Keep lines together', or 'Page break before'. You can remove them by adjusting the paragraph settings.

Document & File Issues