indentations

Indentation is the spacing added at the start of lines or blocks of text to indicate structure, hierarchy, or emphasis. It is a basic typographic device used in manuscripts, books, and digital documents. The most common forms are first-line indentation (the first line of a paragraph is offset from the left margin) and hanging indentation (all lines after the first are indented). A block indent shifts the entire paragraph and is often used for block quotations, pull quotes, or to align text in lists or catalogs.

In prose, indentation marks the start of a new paragraph and helps guide reading. In design, it can create rhythm, separate sections, or set off quoted material without extra vertical space. In computing, indentation can be functional or cosmetic: in languages like Python, indentation defines code blocks and affects meaning; in languages such as C, Java, or JavaScript, indentation is primarily for readability and does not affect execution.

Creating indentation depends on the tool. Word processors offer paragraph settings for first-line or left indentation; reference lists often use hanging indents; in CSS, the text-indent property controls the first line, while margins control block indentation; in editors, tabs or spaces are used to structure code blocks.

Different style guides prescribe indent sizes—commonly about 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) for first-line indents, with variations by publication. Consistency is valued to improve readability, while inconsistent indentation can mislead readers or disrupt the document’s visual flow.