How to Split Text into Columns on Websites

Learn how to use Helperbird's split text into columns on websites. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.

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Removed in Helperbird 2026.7.28: Paragraph columns is no longer part of Helperbird. This guide stays online for reference. For shorter lines that are easier to track, use Paragraph width instead.

What are Paragraph Columns?

Paragraph Columns splits the text on a webpage into multiple columns, similar to how newspapers and magazines organize content. Instead of one wide block of text, you get narrower columns that are easier to read.

This helps your eyes track from line to line without getting lost.


Who is This For?

This feature is helpful for:

  • People who find wide text blocks hard to read
  • Anyone who loses their place on long lines
  • Students reading long articles
  • People with dyslexia who benefit from shorter line lengths
  • Anyone who prefers a newspaper-style layout

Step 1: Open Helperbird

Click the Helperbird icon in your browser toolbar. It looks like a small owl and is usually in the top-right corner of your browser.

This will open the Helperbird menu.


Step 2: Open the All Features Section

Scroll down to the bottom of the Helperbird menu. You will see a section called All Features.

Click the arrow next to All Features to expand it and show all available features.


Step 3: Find Paragraphs

Look through the list of features until you see Paragraphs.

Click the arrow button on the Paragraphs row to open its panel.


Step 4: Find Text Columns

The Paragraphs panel contains Paragraph borders, Paragraph highlight, Line width, and Text columns.

Scroll down to Text columns.


Step 5: Turn on Text Columns

Find Text columns with a toggle switch next to it.

Click the toggle to turn it on. The toggle will turn green when it is enabled.


Step 6: Adjust the Number of Columns

After turning on Text columns, a slider will appear with a minus button on one side and a plus button on the other.

Move the slider, or click the plus button (More columns) and minus button (Fewer columns), to choose how many columns you want. The current number of columns is shown in a bubble above the slider handle.

Tip: Two or three columns work great for wide screens. One column is better for smaller screens or focused reading.


Video Tutorial


Need Additional Help?

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please contact the Helperbird support team. You can reach us at Helperbird support. We are happy to help you get the most out of Helperbird.

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This extension has been an absolute lifesaver. I have that fantastic combo of ADHD and Dyslexia while trying to go through college. I have difficulty keeping letters in order, seeing the gaps between words, and with ADHD on top, I lose focus A LOT. The immersive reader has been my new best friend. It drowns out the rest of the content on the page, changes the font to something I can read, and highlights the word as it reads to me. My eyes are forced to keep going in the right direction. I can slow down and pay attention to what I'm reading. I don't even have to go back and read the same paragraph 5 times to understand it! The screen overlay has been outstanding for eye strain and being able to distinguish between words and spaces. The custom font and spacing for research articles have been an enormous advantage! I can actually read the research papers now and not have this daunting 2 column fine print page to squint over.All around, this has been the best purchase I've ever had. I use this every day, with every assignment. I don't even struggle with story-based questions anymore. The immersive reader helps me read, listen, and understand the question all at once. I am still exploring what I can use this with and how it can make my academic career, and I keep getting impressed with every new way I find to use it. Seriously, try it out. You won't regret it at all. Even if you don't have dyslexia or ADHD, just try it out. You might find that it helps you understand the content you're trying to learn even better!

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Have an amazing collection of assistive tools that have benefits for everyone. For me, the combination of Microsoft's Immersive Reader and Apple's reading machine voice (US Alex) makes Helperbird my first choice for processing web content.

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