How to Insert a Page Break in Word (and When to Use a Section Break)
If you start a new page by pressing Enter until the cursor drops onto the next page, it'll work — until you edit something above it and everything shifts. Breaks fix that for good.
Quick reference
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| Page break | Ctrl + Enter |
| Section break | Layout → Breaks → Next Page |
| Column break | Ctrl + Shift + Enter |
| See breaks | Ctrl + Shift + 8 (¶) |
1. Insert a page break
Click where you want the new page to begin and press Ctrl + Enter. Or go to Insert → Page Break.
Everything after the cursor moves to the top of a new page, and it stays there no matter how much you edit above.
2. What's a section break?
A page break just starts a new page. A section break starts a new section, and each section can have its own:
• Page orientation (portrait or landscape)
• Headers and footers
• Page numbering
• Margins and columns
• Headers and footers
• Page numbering
• Margins and columns
3. Insert a section break
1. Click where the new section should start.
2. Go to Layout → Breaks.
3. Choose one of:
• Next Page — new section on a new page (the most common).
• Continuous — new section on the same page, useful for switching to columns mid-page.
• Even Page / Odd Page — new section on the next even or odd page, for books.
2. Go to Layout → Breaks.
3. Choose one of:
• Next Page — new section on a new page (the most common).
• Continuous — new section on the same page, useful for switching to columns mid-page.
• Even Page / Odd Page — new section on the next even or odd page, for books.
4. See where your breaks are
Press Ctrl + Shift + 8 or click the ¶ button on the Home tab. Breaks appear as dotted lines labelled Page Break or Section Break (Next Page).
5. Remove a break
1. Turn on ¶ so you can see the break.
2. Click just before the break line.
3. Press Delete.
2. Click just before the break line.
3. Press Delete.
Deleting a section break merges two sections; the text before it takes on the formatting of the section after it.
6. Make a heading always start on a new page
Instead of adding page breaks by hand, set it once in the style:
1. Right-click Heading 1 in the Styles gallery → Modify…
2. Format → Paragraph → Line and Page Breaks.
3. Tick Page break before.
2. Format → Paragraph → Line and Page Breaks.
3. Tick Page break before.
Troubleshooting
There's a blank page I can't delete. It's usually a stray page break or empty paragraphs. Turn on ¶ and delete them.
Removing a section break changed my orientation. The earlier section took on the later section's layout. Undo with Ctrl + Z and delete the other break instead.
Wrapping up
Use Ctrl + Enter for a simple new page. Reach for a section break whenever part of the document needs different headers, numbering or orientation.
