How to Delete a Blank Page in Google Docs

To delete a blank page in Google Docs, click at the very end of the blank page and press Backspace until the page disappears. If it stays, the page is being held open by a page break, a section break, extra paragraph spacing, or a table at the end of the document, and each of those has its own fix below.

Google Docs has no “delete page” button. A page only exists because something is on it, even if that something is invisible. Remove the hidden item and the page goes away by itself. The break and margin steps here follow Google’s help page on page breaks and margins.

Before You Start

• Where this applies: Google Docs in a web browser on a Windows PC, Mac, or Chromebook, plus the Google Docs app for Android, iPhone, and iPad. The computer version has the most tools, so use it if the app does not fix the page.
• You need edit access. If you can only view or comment on the document, you cannot remove anything. Ask the owner for edit access or make your own copy.
• The document must use Pages format. Google Docs has two layouts. Pages splits the document into printable pages. Pageless is one continuous scroll with no pages at all, so there is no blank page to delete. Check this in File > Page setup.
• You can undo any step. Press Ctrl + Z (Command + Z on a Mac) right away if you delete something you wanted to keep.

How to Delete a Blank Page in Google Docs

Start with this method. It removes empty paragraphs, which are the most common reason for a blank page at the end of a document.

1. Open the document at docs.google.com and scroll to the blank page.
2. Click in the blank page. The blinking cursor lands on the last empty line it can reach. On many Windows keyboards, Ctrl + End also jumps to the end of the document.
3. Press Backspace repeatedly. Each press removes one empty paragraph or one break. Stop when the cursor sits right after the last character of your real text and the blank page is gone.
4. If the blank page is in the middle of the document, click just before the first character on the page that follows it and press Backspace until that text moves up. You can also click after the last character on the page before the blank one and press Delete. On a Mac laptop keyboard, forward delete is normally Fn + Delete.

Go slowly near the end. One press too many removes the last character of your text, or joins two paragraphs together. If that happens, press Ctrl + Z once.

See What Is Hiding on the Blank Page

If Backspace did not work, stop guessing and make the hidden formatting visible. Non-printing characters are marks for things like paragraph ends and breaks. They show on screen but never print.

1. At the top of the document, click View.
2. Click Show non-printing characters.
3. Look at the blank page and at the bottom of the page before it.

Google says these marks appear in blue and show paragraph breaks, line breaks, section breaks, page breaks, column breaks, tabs, and spaces. A stack of paragraph marks means empty lines. A page break or section break mark tells you a break is forcing the new page. Click View > Show non-printing characters again to hide the marks when you finish. Hiding them does not delete anything. The option is described on Google’s outlines, rulers, and non-printing characters help page.

If you do not see this option in the View menu, check that the document is in Pages format and that you are using Google Docs on a computer, not the mobile app.

How to Remove a Page Break or Section Break

A page break is a marker that pushes everything after it to the next page. It is easy to add one by accident, because the shortcut is Ctrl + Enter (Command + Enter on a Mac). A page break at the bottom of a full page, or two page breaks in a row, leaves an empty page.

1. Click directly under the page break. In practice that is the very start of the first line after the blank page.
2. Press Backspace or Delete until the break is removed. Google’s instructions use exactly these two keys.
3. Check that the text below moved up and the blank page is gone.

A section break splits the document into parts that can have their own margins or page numbers. The Section break (next page) type also starts a new page. Section breaks are hidden by default.

1. Click View > Show section breaks. A line appears wherever a section break was added.
2. Click at the start of the text just below the section break line.
3. Press Backspace. If nothing happens, click at the end of the text just above the line and press Delete instead.

Warning: a section can carry its own margins, orientation, headers, or page numbering. Removing the break merges two sections, so the formatting of the text around it can change. Look over the nearby pages afterward and press Ctrl + Z if the layout changed in a way you do not want. Google notes that the Show section breaks setting stays the same for every document you open until you change it.

Turn Off “Add Page Break Before”

This is a paragraph setting, not a break you can click on, so Backspace cannot remove it. It tells Google Docs to always start that paragraph on a new page. It is often applied to headings.

1. Click anywhere in the first paragraph after the blank page. If the blank page is the last page, click in the empty line on it.
2. Click Format > Line & paragraph spacing.
3. If Add page break before has a check mark, click it to turn it off.

The paragraph moves back up to follow the text before it.

Fix Spacing and Margins That Push Text to a New Page

Sometimes there is no break at all. The last paragraph simply has extra space after it, and that space does not fit on the page. You cannot backspace over paragraph spacing, so change the setting.

1. Click in the last paragraph of your text. If there is an empty line on the blank page, select from the last paragraph through that empty line.
2. Click Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Custom spacing.
3. Under the paragraph spacing boxes, enter 0 for the space before and after the paragraph.
4. Click Apply.

Google covers these controls on its paragraph and font formatting help page. That page also lists three options in the same menu that can move text to the next page on purpose: Keep with next, Keep lines together, and Prevent single lines. If a short paragraph or a heading keeps jumping to a new page, click in it and turn these off.

If only a line or two spills onto the last page, a slightly smaller margin can pull it back.

1. Click File > Page setup.
2. Make sure Pages is selected at the top of the window.
3. Under Margins, lower the bottom margin a little, for example from 1 inch to 0.8.
4. Click OK.

Warning: margins apply to the whole document or section, so every page reflows, not just the last one. Check the rest of the document before you print or share it. Google’s page settings help page explains the dialog.

What If a Table at the End Creates a Blank Page?

Google Docs keeps an empty line after a table at the end of a document, and you cannot delete it. When the table fills the page, that one line lands on a new page. The workaround is to make the line so small that it fits under the table. This is a common workaround, not a documented Google fix, so results depend on how tightly the table fills the page.

1. Click in the empty line after the table.
2. In the font size box on the toolbar, type a very small size such as 1 and press Enter.
3. Click Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Custom spacing, set the space before and after to 0, and click Apply.

If the line still does not fit, reduce the bottom margin as described above, or shorten the table slightly by removing an empty row. If the table itself is no longer needed, you can delete the whole Google Docs table. Copy any content you want to keep first.

How to Delete a Page That Has Text on It

To remove a page along with its contents, delete everything on it.

1. Click just before the first character on the page.
2. Scroll to the bottom of that page, hold Shift, and click after the last character. Everything between the two clicks is highlighted.
3. Check the highlight. A paragraph that runs onto the next page will be cut in the middle, so adjust the selection if needed.
4. Press Delete or Backspace. The text below moves up to fill the space.

If a blank page remains afterward, an empty paragraph or a break is left over. Use the earlier sections to clear it.

How to Delete a Blank Page in the Google Docs App

The Android, iPhone, and iPad apps have fewer tools, and there is no non-printing characters view. The basic fixes still work.

1. Open the document in the Google Docs app and tap Edit (the pencil icon).
2. Tap More (the three dots) at the top right and turn on Print layout. This shows the document as separate pages so you can see the blank one.
3. Tap at the end of the blank page and tap the delete key on the on-screen keyboard until the page closes up.
4. For a page break, Google’s instructions are to tap below the page break, then delete the break.
5. For a paragraph that always starts on a new page, double-tap the paragraph, tap Format, tap Paragraph, and turn off Add page break before.

If the page will not go away in the app, open the document on a computer and use the section break, spacing, and margin steps above.

How to Get Rid of Pages Altogether

If the document will only be read on a screen, you can switch to Pageless format so there are no pages to go blank. On a computer, click File > Page setup, select Pageless, and click OK. In the Android app, Google’s steps are Edit > More > Page setup, then turn Pageless on.

Know the trade-off first. Google’s pages or pageless help page says headers, footers, and watermarks are not shown in Pageless format, and you cannot add features such as page numbers or columns. Nothing is lost. Switch back to Pages in the same window and those elements return. Pageless is a poor choice for anything you plan to print.

Confirm the Page Is Gone, or Undo the Change

• Confirm: scroll to where the blank page was. The text should run from one page straight onto the next. For a final check, open File > Print and look at the page count in the preview, then cancel.
• Undo right away: press Ctrl + Z (Command + Z on a Mac) as many times as needed.
• Undo later: Google Docs keeps earlier versions of the file. Open the version history, pick a version from before your edit, and click Restore this version. Restoring replaces the whole document, including other people’s later edits, so use it with care. Google explains the steps on its version history help page.

Troubleshooting

• Backspace does nothing. You are probably pressing it against a paragraph setting, not a character. Check Add page break before and the custom spacing values.
• Break options are missing or grayed out. Google says page breaks, section breaks, and margin controls are not available in Pageless format. Switch to Pages in File > Page setup.
• You cannot type or delete anything. You likely have view or comment access only. Request edit access from the owner.
• The blank page shows only when printing. Check for a section break or a large bottom margin near the end, and look at the print preview after each change.
• The page has an image or drawing on it. A large object that does not fit on the previous page moves to the next one and leaves a gap. Make the object smaller or move it.
• A blank first page. Click before the first character of your text and press Backspace, then check Add page break before on the first paragraph.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why won’t Backspace delete the blank page in Google Docs?

Backspace only removes characters and breaks. It cannot remove a paragraph setting such as Add page break before, space after a paragraph, or the empty line Google Docs keeps after a table. Turn on View > Show non-printing characters to see what is on the page, then use the matching fix above.

Is there a delete page button in Google Docs?

No. Google Docs creates and removes pages automatically based on the content. To remove a page, delete the text, empty lines, or break that fills it.

How do I delete a blank page at the end of a Google Doc?

Click at the end of the last page and press Backspace until the cursor is right after your last word. If the page remains, set the paragraph spacing after the last paragraph to 0, or reduce the bottom margin slightly in File > Page setup.

Will deleting a page break remove my text?

No. Removing a page break only removes the marker. The text that followed it moves up to join the text before it. If you press Backspace too many times, you can delete a character by mistake, and Ctrl + Z brings it back.

How do I delete a blank page in Word?

Word uses different menus and its own paragraph marks. See how to delete an empty page in Word.

How do I add a page break on purpose?

Click where the new page should start and click Insert > Break > Page break. There is more detail in our guide to inserting a page break in Google Docs.

Next Step

Once the extra page is gone and the layout looks right, you can add page numbers in Google Docs so the final page count is easy to check.