Office Settings & Configuration

How to Turn Off Automatic Numbering in OneNote

Aamir Naveed Akram Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to stop the application from automatically formatting text into numbered lists when typing a number followed by text.

How to Turn Off Automatic Numbering in OneNote for Windows 10

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: Windows 10
Scenario: Taking free-form notes that happen to start with numbers, where a structured list format is not desired.
Observed behavior: OneNote automatically converts text into a numbered list and applies indentation as soon as a number and a period are typed at the beginning of a line.

Before you start

Check whether you are using the built-in OneNote for Windows 10 app or the OneNote desktop application (part of Microsoft Office), as the steps to modify editing settings differ between the two versions.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable Auto-Numbering in OneNote for Windows 10 App

Use the Home tab ribbon to manually remove automatic numbering formats for specific paragraphs in the Windows 10 app version of OneNote.

The OneNote for Windows 10 application relies on direct paragraph formatting rather than a global toggle switch for this feature.

Select the text

Click into the text block where the automatic numbering has already started.

Open the Home tab

Navigate to the Home tab on the top ribbon of the application.

Access Numbering settings

Locate the Paragraph group and click on the Numbering dropdown menu.

Remove the numbering

Select None from the dropdown list to strip the numbering format from your text.

Disable Auto-Numbering in OneNote for Windows 10 App

Fixing Indentation: This action removes the automatic number but may leave the text indented. You can manually press the Backspace key to align the text back to the left margin.

Solution 2

Turn Off Auto-Numbering Globally in OneNote Desktop

Disable automatic list creation across the entire application using the Advanced settings in the standard desktop version of OneNote.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneNote keep making my text a numbered list?

OneNote includes a default AutoFormat feature that assumes you want to start a list whenever you type a number followed by a period and a space. This is designed to save time but can be disabled in the desktop version's Advanced Editing options.

Can I turn off automatic bullet points in OneNote as well?

Yes. In the OneNote desktop app, navigate to File > Options > Advanced. Under the Editing options section, uncheck the setting labeled 'Apply bullets to lists automatically'.

How do I remove the blank space left after deleting the number in OneNote for Windows 10?

Once you set the Numbering option to 'None', the number disappears but the tabbed indent remains. Place your cursor at the very beginning of that line of text and press the Backspace key once or twice to remove the leftover indentation.

Is OneNote for Windows 10 different from the OneNote desktop app?

Yes, OneNote for Windows 10 is a pre-installed Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app with a simplified interface. The OneNote desktop app is the robust application included with Microsoft 365 and Office 2019/2021, containing more advanced configuration menus like the global 'File > Options' menu.

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