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How to Add Page Numbers in Word: A Step-by-Step Guide

Author Zhoumandy Last modified

Microsoft Word is a powerful tool for creating professional documents, and adding page numbers is essential for navigation and reference. Whether you are preparing a report, thesis, or any lengthy document, proper pagination can greatly enhance the readability and structure of your work. This guide will walk you through the process of adding, formatting, and removing page numbers in Microsoft Word.

A page number added

Video: Add Page Numbers in Word


Insert Page Numbers in Word

Adding page numbers to your document helps readers navigate and reference sections or information easily. Here’s how you can insert page numbers:

Step 1: Open your Word document

Launch Microsoft Word and open the document you wish to edit.

Step 2: Use the Page Number feature

Click on the Insert tab in the Ribbon. In the Header & Footer group, click on Page Number.

Page Number button on the ribbon
Step 3: Select the position and style

You'll see a dropdown menu providing various options for where you can place the numbers.

  1. Choose where you would like the page numbers to appear (Top of Page, Bottom of Page, Page Margins, or Current Position).
  2. After selecting the position of the page numbers, Word will present a range of styles showing different fonts and alignments. Choose one that aligns with the overall formatting of your document.
Page Number options
Result

After you have placed the page numbers, Word will automatically number each page in your document.

Page number added
Tips:
    • When you're done, select Close Header and Footer or press the Esc key.

Close Header and Footer button on the ribbon

  • To get back to a header or footer to make changes, double-click in the header or footer area.
  • If you want to change appearance of a page number, follows the steps below:
    1. Double-click to select the page number.
    2. Go to the Home tab, and change the font family, style, size, and color in the Font group.

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    Format Page Numbers in Word

    To customize the format of your page numbers, please do as follows.

    Step 1: Open Page Number Formatting

    Go to the Insert tab in the Ribbon and click on Page Number. Then select Format Page Numbers from the dropdown menu.

    Format Page Numbers option on the ribbon

    Step 2: Choose your Numbering Format

    In the Page Number Format dialog box, you can select different numbering formats including Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3,...), Roman numerals (i, ii, iii,...), letters, and more. Select the format that best suits your document's style or requirements.

    Page Number Format dialog box
    Result

    Click OK to apply your formatting choices.

    Page number formatted

    Set the starting number:

      • If your document needs to start with a number other than 1, you can specify the starting number in the Start at field.

    Page Number Format dialog box with Start at field highlighted

    • This feature is useful for documents with a title page or a preface that shouldn’t be counted as the first page. To know more details about how to set the second page as the first page, please refer to this chapter: Make the Second Page the First Page

    Hide Page Number from the First Page in Word

    Often, the first page of a document, such as a title page, does not require a page number. Here’s how to omit the number from the first page.

    Step 1: Enter the Header or Footer

    Double-click the header or footer area (where your page numbers are) to activate the Header & Footer Tools.

    Step 2: Select Different First Page

    In the Header & Footer tab that appears, check the Different First Page option.

    Different First Page option on the ribbon
    Result

    The page number of the first page is now removed.

    Page number of the first page is removed
    Tips:
      • When you're done, select Close Header and Footer or press the Esc key.

    Close Header and Footer button on the ribbon

    • To get back to a header or footer to make changes, double-click in the header or footer area.

    Make the Second Page the First Page in Word

    If you need the actual content to start from the second page of the document, but treat it as page 1, follow these steps.

    Step 1: Insert page numbers as normal

    Start by inserting page numbers into your document as the steps above: Insert Page Numbers in Word.

    Step 2: Adjust the numbering sequence
      1. Go to the Insert tab in the Ribbon and click on Page Number. Then select Format Page Numbers from the dropdown menu.

    Format Page Numbers option on the ribbon

      1. In the Page Number Format dialog box, check the Start at option, and set the Start at box to 0.

    Page Number Format dialog box

      1. Click OK. You can see the first page is numbered as page 0 and the second page as page 1.

    The first page is numbered as page 0 and the second page as page 1

    Step 3: Hide Page Number from the First Page
      1. Double-click the header or footer area (where your page numbers are) to activate the Header & Footer Tools.
      2. In the Header & Footer tab that appears, check the Different First Page option.

    Different First Page option on the ribbon

      1. Click Close Header and Footer or press the Esc key.

    Close Header and Footer button on the ribbon

    Result

    Now the second page is set as page 1 and the original first page has no numbers.

    The second page is set as page 1 and the original first page has no numbers

    Remove Page Numbers in Word

    If you need to remove page numbers from your entire document, follow these simple steps.

    Step 1: Enter the Header or Footer

    Double-click the header or footer area (where your page numbers are) to activate the Header & Footer Tools.

    Step 2: Remove Page Numbers
      1. In the Header & Footer tab that appears, click on Page Number. Then select Remove Page Numbers from the dropdown menu.

    Remove Page Numbers option on the ribbon

      1. Click Close Header and Footer or press the Esc key.

    Close Header and Footer button on the ribbon

    Result

    Now all page numbers from the document are deleted.

    All page numbers are removed

    By following these steps, you can master the control of page numbering in Microsoft Word, making your documents more professional and easier to navigate. Whether you need to prepare an official report or submit an academic paper, these skills are essential for any Word user. For more Word tips and tricks, please click here to access our extensive collection of hundreds of tutorials.