How do I reformat a paragraph to fit a specific line width in Vim?

Explanation

The gq operator reformats text by wrapping lines to fit within the textwidth setting. Combined with the ap text object (a paragraph), gqap reflows the paragraph under the cursor so that no line exceeds the configured width. This is essential when editing prose, commit messages, documentation, or any text where consistent line lengths matter.

How it works

• gq — The format operator. It wraps text according to textwidth (or 79 if unset, depending on formatoptions).
• ap — The "a paragraph" text object, which selects the current paragraph (contiguous non-blank lines).
• Together, gqap reformats the entire paragraph around the cursor.

Set your desired width first:

:set textwidth=80

Example

Before (a long, unwrapped line):

This is a very long line that contains a lot of text and should really be wrapped to a more reasonable width for readability in a terminal or editor window.

After gqap with textwidth=40:

This is a very long line that
contains a lot of text and should
really be wrapped to a more
reasonable width for readability
in a terminal or editor window.

Tips

• Use gqq to reformat just the current line.
• Use gq} to reformat from the cursor to the end of the paragraph.
• In visual mode, select lines and press gq to reformat the selection.
• Use gw instead of gq to reformat without moving the cursor.
• Set formatoptions+=a for automatic reformatting as you type.