To insert a page break in Google Docs, click where you want the new page to start, then click Insert > Break > Page break. The shortcut is Ctrl + Enter on Windows or a Chromebook, or Command + Enter on a Mac. Page breaks only work in documents set to the Pages format, not Pageless.
A page break is a marker that pushes everything after it to the top of the next page. It stays put when you edit the text above it, which is why it is more reliable than pressing Enter over and over to reach a new page.
Before You Start
- Where this works: Google Docs in a web browser on a computer, and the Google Docs app on Android, iPhone, and iPad.
- Edit access: you need to be able to edit the document. If you can only view or comment, ask the owner for edit access or make your own copy.
- Pages format: Google says breaks are not available in pageless documents. A pageless document scrolls continuously with no page edges, so there is nothing to break. The troubleshooting section below shows how to switch.
How to Insert a Page Break in Google Docs
These steps follow Google’s help page on page breaks and margins.
- Open your document in Google Docs.
- Click at the spot where you want the next page to start. For a clean result, click just before the first word of the heading or paragraph that should begin the new page.
- Click Insert in the menu bar at the top.
- Point to Break near the bottom of the menu. A smaller menu opens to the side.
- Click Page break.
Everything after your cursor moves to the top of a new page. If you clicked in the middle of a paragraph, the paragraph splits in two at that point, so check where the cursor is before you insert the break.
Insert a Page Break With the Keyboard Shortcut
The shortcut does the same thing as the menu and is faster when you are typing. Click where the new page should start, then press the keys for your computer. They come from Google’s list of keyboard shortcuts for Google Docs.
| Computer | Insert page break |
|---|---|
| Windows PC | Ctrl + Enter |
| Chromebook (ChromeOS) | Ctrl + Enter |
| Mac | Command + Enter |
On a Mac keyboard the Enter key is usually labeled Return.
How to Insert a Page Break on Android, iPhone, or iPad
Google lists the same steps for the Android app and the iPhone and iPad app.
- Open the document in the Google Docs app.
- Tap Edit (the pencil icon).
- Tap the place in the text where the new page should start.
- Tap Insert (the plus icon).
- Tap Page break.
The break is added at the cursor. Google’s mobile instructions cover page breaks only; they do not list section breaks, so add those on a computer.
How to Always Start a Heading on a New Page
Add page break before is a paragraph setting, not a separate break. It tells Google Docs to start that paragraph on a new page every time, no matter how the text above it changes. Google suggests it for keeping a heading at the top of a page, which makes it a good fit for chapter titles.
- Click anywhere in the heading or paragraph.
- Click Format > Line & paragraph spacing. The Line & paragraph spacing button in the toolbar opens the same list.
- Click Add page break before.
To undo it, click in the same paragraph and choose Add page break before again to turn it off.
In the mobile app, Google’s steps are: tap Edit, tap More at the top right and turn on Print layout, double-tap the paragraph, tap Format > Paragraph, and turn on Add page break before.
How to Add a Section Break
A section break splits a document into sections, which are parts that can each have their own layout. Google says you can change the margins or page numbers of different sections, and a section break is also what lets one part of a document use a different header or footer. Use a plain page break when all you want is a new page.
- Click where you want the new section to start.
- Click Insert > Break.
- Choose Section break (next page) to start the section on a new page, or Section break (continuous) to start it on the same page.
Section breaks are hidden by default. To see them, click View > Show section breaks; click it again to hide them. Google notes that this choice carries over to every document you open until you change it.
Once a section exists, you can give it its own header by unchecking Link to previous, as covered in our guide to adding or changing a header in Google Docs, or restart numbering there with the steps in how to add page numbers in Google Docs.
Column breaks
The same Break menu has a Column break, which moves the following text to the top of the next column. Google’s columns help page says the option is not available until your text is in two or more columns; see how to make two columns in Google Docs. Columns and breaks are also the main layout tools when you build a newsletter from a Google Docs template.
How to Check That the Page Break Worked
- The text after your cursor now starts at the top of the next page, with empty space left at the bottom of the page before it.
- Add or delete a few lines above the break. The text after the break should still start at the top of a page.
- If the result is not what you wanted, press Ctrl + Z (Command + Z on a Mac) right away to undo it.
How to Remove a Page Break
On a computer, click just under the page break, at the start of the text that follows it, and press Backspace (Delete on a Mac keyboard) until the text moves back up. Google’s instructions say to press Backspace or Delete until the page break is removed, so it can take more than one press if there are empty lines in the way.
In the mobile app, tap just below the page break and use the delete key on the on-screen keyboard.
Google’s help page does not give separate steps for deleting a section break. Turning on View > Show section breaks first makes the break visible, so you can see what you are deleting and undo it if text you wanted disappears.
If the page still will not go away, the cause may be a paragraph with Add page break before turned on. Turn it off from Format > Line & paragraph spacing. Our guide on how to delete a blank page in Google Docs covers the other causes.
Troubleshooting Page Breaks
The Break options are missing or do nothing
Your document is most likely in Pageless format. To switch it on a computer, Google’s page setup instructions say to click File > Page setup, select Pages at the top of the window, and click OK. You can also click Format > Switch to Pages format. In the Android app, tap Edit, tap More at the top right, tap Page setup, and turn Pageless off. The same help page has a separate set of steps for iPhone and iPad.
Switching to Pages changes how the whole document is laid out for everyone who opens it. Wide tables and images that fit a pageless document may need adjusting afterward.
Column break is grayed out
That is expected in a single-column document. Put the text into two or more columns with Format > Columns first.
You cannot click the Insert menu items
Check the mode button near the top right of the toolbar. If it says Viewing, or you only have view or comment access, you cannot change the document. Switch to Editing if it is offered, or ask the owner for edit access.
Page break is unavailable where you clicked
Google’s help page does not list places where a page break cannot go. If the option is grayed out while your cursor is inside a table, header, or footer, click in an ordinary paragraph in the body of the document and try again.
An extra blank page appeared
This usually means there are two breaks in a row, or a page break followed by a paragraph that has Add page break before turned on. Remove one of them using the steps above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut for a page break in Google Docs?
Press Ctrl + Enter on Windows or a Chromebook, or Command + Enter on a Mac, with the cursor where the new page should begin.
Why is there no Break option in the Insert menu?
Your document is in Pageless format, where page and section breaks are not available. Switch it with File > Page setup > Pages > OK, then try again.
Can I add a page break on my phone?
Yes. In the Google Docs app, tap Edit, tap where you want the break, tap Insert (the plus icon), and tap Page break. The document must be in Pages format.
What is the difference between a page break and a section break?
A page break only moves the following text to a new page. A section break starts a new section, either on the next page or on the same page, and each section can have its own margins, page numbering, and header or footer.
Can I see where the page breaks are?
A page break has no line of its own on a computer; you see it as the text jumping to the next page. Section breaks can be shown as lines with View > Show section breaks.
Do page breaks carry over when I download the document?
The break is part of the page layout, so a PDF made from the document starts a new page at the same place. See how to save a Google Doc as a PDF and check the page layout in the file before you send it.
Related Guides
- How to add footnotes in Google Docs
- How to change the zoom level in Google Docs
- How to make a cover page in Google Docs, which uses a page break after the cover
Next step: if your document has chapters, turn on Add page break before for each chapter heading so every chapter keeps starting on a fresh page as you edit.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.