On the right side, look for the AutoCorrect Options section and click the AutoCorrect Options button there. Click the AutoFormat tab, and uncheck the check boxes next to any features you don't want. In the Word Options window that appears, on the left side, switch to the Proofing category. Quick Guide: To Turn Off Automatic Formatting in Word Click the File tab on the Ribbon. On the sidebar that opens, click the Options command. I am able to change shapes, but the 'Auto Fit' is driving me nuts. To turn off automatic hyperlinking, switch over to the File menu. Now any new tabs that you type are nothing but lowly tabs, and you are back in control of your backspaces. I am creating a flow chart that does not fit the 'automatic' Smart Art layouts.
It simply means that Word assumes you want to indent the paragraph if you start it out by pressing the Tab key.
What you have just experienced is the automatic indenting feature in Word.
If you are like me, you probably scream a bit, and then delete the paragraph and continue typing. You've done it before-you are typing along, minding your own business, when you press the Tab key at the beginning of a paragraph and notice that everything in the paragraph is automatically indented.