To add a page in Word, click where you want the new page to start, then go to the Insert tab and select Blank Page. Word adds an empty page at that spot. To start a new page with the text after your cursor, press Ctrl + Enter to insert a page break. If you end up with a page you did not want, you can delete an empty page in Word.
These steps cover Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019 and Word 2016 on Windows and Mac, plus Word for the web. They come from Microsoft’s Insert a blank page in Word and Insert a page break in Word guides.
How to Add a Blank Page in Word
The cursor position decides where the page lands. Click at the very start of the document to put the new page before page 1, at the end of a paragraph in the middle to put it after that text (everything after the cursor moves down), or at the end of the last page to add it at the end.
- Click where you want the blank page to go.
- Select the Insert tab.
- Select Blank Page in the Pages group. If your Word window is narrow, select Pages first, then Blank Page.
- Click on the new page and start typing. The cursor is already at the top of the empty page.
Behind the scenes, Blank Page adds two page breaks: one that ends the current page and one that ends the new empty page. Press Ctrl + Shift + 8 (⌘ + 8 on a Mac) to show them as Page Break lines.
How to Start a New Page With a Page Break
Word adds a break automatically at the end of each page, but you can insert a manual page break whenever you want to start a new page.
- Windows: click just before the text that should move to the next page, then go to Insert > Page Break, or press Ctrl + Enter.
- Mac: click where you want the break, then go to Insert > Page Break or Layout > Breaks > Page, or press ⌘ + Return.
- Word for the web: go to Insert > Page Break.
The Windows shortcut comes from Microsoft’s Word keyboard shortcuts list. Use a page break instead of pressing Enter many times. Extra Enter presses shift around as you edit, so a heading you pushed to the top of a page can end up in the middle of one, but a page break stays put.
Blank Page vs. Page Break: Which Should You Use?
The difference: Insert > Blank Page puts a whole empty page into your document, while Insert > Page Break pushes whatever comes after the break to the top of the next page.
| What you want | Use |
|---|---|
| An empty page in the middle for a chart, notes or a pasted section | Blank Page |
| A new chapter or heading at the top of a fresh page | Page Break |
| A new page with its own orientation, margins or headers | Section break (Next Page) |
| A styled title page at the front | Cover Page |
How to Add a Page With Different Layout (Section Break)
A page break only starts a new page. If the new page needs to be landscape, have different margins, or use different headers and page numbers, add a section break instead. A section is a part of the document that can have its own page setup.
- Click where the new page should begin.
- Go to Layout > Breaks.
- Under Section Breaks, select Next Page. Word starts a new page that is also a new section.
- Change the setting you need, such as Layout > Orientation > Landscape. It applies only to the new section.
Microsoft’s section break guide lists the four types: Next Page, Continuous, Even Page and Odd Page. A section break is also how you make only one page landscape in Word.
How to Make a Heading Always Start a New Page
If every chapter heading should open a new page, a paragraph setting does it for you, and it keeps working as the text grows or shrinks.
- Click in the heading.
- On the Home tab, select the small arrow in the corner of the Paragraph group (on a Mac, go to Format > Paragraph).
- Select the Line and Page Breaks tab.
- Check Page break before, then select OK.
To apply it to every heading at once, right-click the heading style (such as Heading 1) in the Styles gallery, select Modify > Format > Paragraph, and set the same option.
How to Duplicate a Page in Word
Word has no duplicate-page button, but Microsoft’s Copy a page in Word guide shows how to copy one:
- Place your cursor at the beginning of the page you want to copy.
- Click and drag to the bottom of the page. For a one-page document, press Ctrl + A to select everything.
- Press Ctrl + C, or select Home > Copy.
- Place your cursor at the bottom of the page before where the copy should go, then select Insert > Blank Page or press Ctrl + Enter.
- Click on the new page and press Ctrl + V.
When you paste, use the Paste Options that appear below the text to keep the original formatting or paste text only. To put the copy in a separate file, go to File > New > Blank document and paste it there. On a Mac, use ⌘ in place of Ctrl.
How to Add a Cover Page
According to Microsoft’s Add a cover page in Word article, go to the Insert tab, select Cover Page in the Pages group, and pick a design. Then click the sample text, such as the title, and type your own.
For an elegant title on a cover page, try one of the best cursive fonts in Word, such as Edwardian Script ITC.
- If you insert another cover page, it replaces the first one. If the document has a cover page made in an older Word version, delete it by hand first.
- For a plain title page you build yourself, add a page break after the title, then center the text in Word horizontally and vertically.
- To remove it, select Insert > Cover Page > Remove Current Cover Page.
How to Add a Page in Word for the Web
- Open the document and make sure it is in editing mode, not a read-only view.
- Click where the new page should start.
- Go to Insert > Page Break. The text after the cursor moves to a new page.
For an empty page in the middle, insert two page breaks in a row, then click between them to type. If the browser shows the document as one long page, turn on Separate Pages to show page ends in Word Online.
How to Check That It Worked and Undo It
- Look at the page count on the status bar at the bottom of the window. It should go up by one.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + 8, the shortcut that displays all nonprinting characters, to see the Page Break or Section Break line you added.
- To remove a page break, select its line and press Delete. Press Ctrl + Shift + 8 again to hide the marks.
Troubleshooting
I can’t find Blank Page
Make sure you are on the Insert tab, not Home. On a small screen the Pages buttons collapse into a single Pages button. If you only see tab names and no buttons, select Insert to open it.
The page was added in the wrong place
Press Ctrl + Z (⌘ + Z on a Mac) to undo, click in the right spot, and try again. Check where the cursor is before you select Blank Page, because Word always inserts at the cursor.
Text jumps to a new page on its own
The paragraph probably has Page break before or Keep with next turned on. Open the Paragraph box, go to Line and Page Breaks, and uncheck the setting.
An extra empty page appeared
Turn on Show/Hide (Ctrl + Shift + 8) and delete the extra Page Break line or empty ¶ marks. Opening View > Navigation Pane > Pages also shows what is on each page (here’s how to open the Navigation pane in Word).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remove a page I added?
Follow the steps to delete the page in Word.
How do I move a page to a different spot?
Follow the steps to change the page order in Word.
Can I add several pages at once?
Select Blank Page once for each page you need. Each click adds another empty page at the cursor.
Will my page numbers and table of contents update?
Page numbers update on their own. A table of contents doesn’t, so right-click it and choose Update Field after adding pages. To build and refresh one, follow how to insert a table of contents in Word.
Writing a report with sources? You can add a footnote in Word for each one.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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