Notepad++ Word Wrap - Quick and Simple Guide

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Notepad++ word wrap

Notepad++ word wrap prevents horizontal scrolling and enhances readability when working with files containing lengthy lines.  It can also help you separate a document with mixed content, such as text and code.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you 5 easy ways to use it.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

  1. Launch Notepad++.
  2. Press Alt + V to access the View menu, followed by W to toggle word wrap.

Using the Toolbar

  • Launch the tool on your computer.
  • Look for the toolbar just below the menu bar.
Locate the Toolbar:
  • Identify the “Word wrap” icon resembling a paragraph symbol and click on it.
Toggle Word Wrap Icon
  • Check your document to see if lines wrap within the visible window.
Confirm Word Wrap

Using the Menu Bar

  • Open Notepad++.
  • Navigate to the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click on View to reveal a dropdown menu.
Access the View Menu
  • Locate the Word Wrap option within the View menu and click on it. A checkmark will appear next to it once it’s enabled.
Enable Word Wrap

Splitting Long Lines (Soft Wrap)

  • On Notepad++, go to the menu bar and select View.
Open the view menu
  • Within the dropdown menu, click on Word wrap to toggle it.
Activate soft wrap
  • To control the width of the soft wrap, drag the right margin in the document window to your desired column width. Lines will automatically wrap at this specified width.
Adjust Document Width

Rewrapping Text at Specific Column Widths

You can also wrap text using the TextFX plugin. Here’s how to do it:

  • Go to plugins and click on plugins admin. Search for TextFX in the search box. 
Search for TextFX
  • Depending on your version of Notepad++, you might find TextFX or TextFX2. Click on its checkbox and then on Install
Click install
  • Select Yes for Notepad++ to install TextFX and restart.
Wait for TextFX to install
  • Highlight the text you want to rewrap or reformat within the document.
Select Text
  • Go to the TextFX menu in the menu bar.
Find the TextFX menu
  • Select TextFX Edit and then choose ReWrap Text to (Clipboard or 72) width. You can then enter your desired width.
Choose TextFX Edit Option

Notepad++ documents often have long lines, making them difficult to read or follow logically. However, with editing tools like Notepad++ Word Wrap, you can make your code or text more reader-friendly. 

More about the topics: notepad++