Insert header footer in word

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When we insert a header or a footer on any page in a Word document, it automatically appears on all the pages. But sometimes, we need to insert headers and footers to some specific pages except the entire Word document. This tutorial will show you how to insert Headers and Footers on specific pages in Microsoft Word.

How do you put a Header on only certain pages in Word?

To insert a Header on only a certain page, say page 7 in Word, first, you have to insert a Next Page Section Break to the end of its previous page, page 6, and its next page, page 8. After that, insert your Header on the targeted page (page 7) and deselect the Link to Previous option. Now, delete the Header from the previous page (page 6) and the next page (page 8). This will put the Header on only the specific page. We have explained the entire process in detail in this article.

The steps to insert Headers and Footers to some specific pages in Microsoft Word are listed below:

1. Launch Microsoft Word.
2. Enable the Formatting Marks.
3. Go to the page on which you want to insert Header or Footer.
4. Insert a Section Break at the end of the page just before the targeted page.
5. Insert Header and Footer on the targeted page.
6. Unlink Header and Footer on the targeted page from the previous pages.
7. Delete Header and Footer from the page just before the targeted page.
8. Insert a Section Break at the end of the targeted page.
9. Select Header and Footer on the page next to the targeted page and unlink them from the previous pages.
10. Delete Header and Footer from the page next to the targeted page.

Let’s see all these steps in detail.

1] Launch Microsoft Word.

2] Select the Home tab and click on the Show/Hide Formatting Marks button to enable formatting marks (as shown in the above screenshot). The formatting marks will show you all the formatting that you do in your Word document. Hence, it will be helpful when you insert a Section Break.

3] Now, go to the page on which you want to insert Header and Footer, and add a Section Break to its previous page. Let’s say, if you want to insert the Header on page 5 in your document, you have to add Section Break on page number 4.

4] To add a Section Break, click at the end of that page (according to our example, it is page 4), and go to “Layout > Breaks > Section Break.” Now, select Next Page.

5] Now, go to the page where you want to insert a Header or a Footer. In the example that we have taken here, it is page 5. To insert Header and Footer, double-click at the top and bottom of that page respectively. Alternatively, you can insert the Header and the Footer from the Insert menu. Simply, go to the Insert menu and then click on the Header or the Footer drop-down menu to select the format of Header and Footer you want to insert into your document.

6] Type your Header and Footer on the targeted page. After that, click on the Design tab and deselect the Link to Previous option. When you are done, click on the Close Header and Footer button.

Read: How to use Header, Footer, and Footnote in Google Docs.

7] After inserting the Header and Footer, you will see that the Header and the Footer have automatically been added to all the pages in the document. To remove the Header and the Footer from all the previous pages, simply select them on the previous page (the page just before the targeted page), and press Delete. This will delete the Header and the Footer from all the pages before the targeted page.

8] To remove Header and Footer from the pages after the targeted page, add Section Break at the end of the targeted page. Let’s understand it with the help of the example that we have taken here. Our targeted page is 5. Therefore, to remove Header and Footer from all the pages after page 5, we have to insert the Section Break at the end of page 5.

To do this, go to “Layout > Breaks > Section Break” and select Next Page. Now, select Header and Footer on the page next to the targeted page (in our case, it is page 6) and deselect the Link to Previous option in the Design menu. After that, delete Header and Footer from the page next to the targeted page (page 6).

Now, your Header and Footer have successfully been inserted into a specific page in a Microsoft Word document. Save your document.

By following the above process, you can also add different Headers and Footers to different pages in a Word document.

How do I start a Header and a Footer on page 3 in Word?

To insert a Header and a Footer on page 3 in Word, first, you have to unlink the Header and Footer on page 3 from the previous pages (page 1 and page 2). For this, click at the end of page 2, go to “Layout > Breaks > Section Break,” and select Next Page. This will insert a Section Break after page 2. Now, insert Header and Footer on page 3. After that, click on the Design tab and then deselect the Link to Previous option.

Go to page 2 and delete Header and Footer from there. This will remove Header and Footer from the first two pages in your Word document.

Hope this helps.

Read next: How to add Header and Footer in Excel spreadsheet.

Sometimes you’ve got to make longer documents—such as business reports, school papers, and book-length materials. Microsoft Word headers, footers, and page numbers organize the document and make it easier for your readers to navigate. 

Here are a few good reasons to use Microsoft Word headers, footers, and page numbers:

• Find a page in the document. Imagine trying to find a specific passage in a 250-page document without page numbers! Microsoft Word page numbers update automatically as you add or delete pages. Plus, they’re easy to work with. You’ve got no excuse for not using this useful feature.
• Identify what you’re reading. Headers and footers also help the reader situate themselves in the document. For example, a glance at the footer can remind them that they’re reading Chapter 16 of The Greatest Novel Ever Written.
• Brand the document. Branding is another reason to use headers and footers. Add your organization’s name and logo. And, if you export your Word Doc into a PDF, you can even make the headers and footers clickable (or hyperlinked) to your website.

Insert Microsoft Word headers, footers, and page numbers in your document or start with a Microsoft Word template that includes pre-formatted headers, footers, and page numbers. Envato Elements and GraphicRiver are great sources of templates for Microsoft Word.

In this article, you’ll learn how to work with headers, footers, and page numbers in Microsoft Word. So, you and your readers can reap all their benefits. Let’s get started!

Note: I’m on Microsoft Word for Mac version 16.33. The steps may differ slightly depending on what version of Microsoft Word you’re using.

Your Quick Start Guide to Add Headers, Footers and Page Numbers (Video)

Are you ready to learn more about using headers, footers, and page numbers in Microsoft Word? Watch this quick screencast to learn all about Word headers and footers.

Or, study the complete written tutorial below.

Work With Headers and Footers in MS Word

Adding a Microsoft Word header or footer is quite intuitive. Follow these steps:

1. How to Insert Headers and Footers

To add a header, go to Insert > Header. 

Choose the built-in format you want to use from the menu that appears. You’ve got the option of a blank header, a blank header with three columns, or other built-in styles.

Choose the style you wish to use.

Follow the same steps to add a Microsoft Word footer, but click Insert > Footer instead to get started.

2. How to Insert Text in a Header or Footer

Double-click into the header or footer to open it. Replace the placeholder text, if there’s one, with your own. Otherwise, type your text.

Then, format header or footer text to make it look the way you want. Select the text, then click on the Home tab. From there, change the font, font size, color, and other settings.

To close the header or footer, under the Header & Footer tab, click the Close Header and Footer button. Or, double-click outside the header or footer.

Note: When the header or footer is closed, it’s locked and can’t be edited. Double-click on the header or footer section to open the Header & Footer view.

3. How to Insert the Date or Time in a Header or Footer

To add a date or time in a header or footer, click Insert > Date & Time. 

The Date and Time dialog opens.

Choose the format you wish you use. Check Update automatically, if you want the date and time to update each time you modify the document.

4. How to Insert a Logo in a Header or Footer

Aside from text, you can also insert images in a Microsoft Word header or footer. This is a good opportunity for you to brand your document by including your logo.

To insert a logo, open the header or footer. Double-click at the top (for header) or bottom (for footer) of the document. In this example, I’m adding a logo in the footer.

Click Insert > Pictures > Photo Browser.

Locate the logo on your computer, select the file, then click Insert.

The logo is now in the footer.

Double-click outside the footer or click on the Close Header and Footer button in the ribbon to close it.

Work With Microsoft Word Page Numbers

Page numbers are a common element to include in either the header or footer of your document. To learn how to number pages in Microsoft Word, follow these instructions:

1. How to Insert Page Numbers to a Header or Footer in Word

With the header or footer open, click Insert > Page Numbers …. 

The Page Numbers dialog opens:

Select the settings you want to use. Decide on the page number’s position and alignment.

There’s also a radio button to Show number on first page. By default, this button is unchecked. This means the first page of your document can be its cover, and the page number won’t be displayed on it. If you want the page number to appear on the first page, check this button.

From here, you can also change the format of the page numbers. With the Header & Footer tab open, click Page Number > Format Page Numbers …. 

This opens the page numbering format box, where you can make other settings: 

• Number format allows you to choose from Roman numerals or Arabic numerals or letters
• Include chapter number, if you’ve set up chapters in your document and want to include them in the page numbering, then check this button.
• Page numbering
• Continue from previous section continues the page count from the previous page.
• Start at ___ lets you restart the page count at any number.

After making your settings, click OK to apply.

2. How to Make Page Numbering Not Appear on the First Page 

If you want the first page of your document or section to be the cover page, then you wouldn’t want it to have a page number. To hide the page number from the first page of a document or section, do the following:

Click Insert > Page Numbers ….

The Page Numbers dialog opens. Uncheck the Show number on first page radio button.

Click OK.

3. How to Number Odd and Even Pages Differently

By default, headers and footers appear the same way on odd and even pages, like this:

But sometimes, you may want odd and even pages to appear differently. An example is in the case of books or magazines, where you want the page number to be on the outer edge of the spread when the (printed) document is open.

This is possible in Microsoft Word, where you can format headers, footers, and page numbers differently on odd and even pages.

To do this, double-click inside the header or footer.  This opens the Header & Footer ribbon. Check the button for Different Odd & Even Pages.

Edit your odd and even headers/footers separately. When you’re done, double-click outside the header/footer to close.

Now, the positions of the logo and page numbers are different for odd and even pages on my document:

4. How to Add Different Numbers and Formats to Different Sections

You can also use different page numbers and formats for different sections of your document. For example, in my document I want the page numbers in the Introduction section to be Roman numerals.

First, make sure you’ve broken your document into sections. 

To define a new section, place the cursor where you want a new section to begin. Then, click Insert > Break > Section Break. Choose whether you want the section to begin on the next page, continue on the same page as the previous section, or begin on either an odd or even page.

In this example, I inserted section breaks before and after the Introduction to make it a separate section from the rest of my document.

To double check if you’ve inserted section breaks where you want them, click on the Show/Hide Paragraph button on the ribbon. This displays how your document into paragraphs as well as sections.

Now, you’re ready to format the page numbers in a specific section.

Double-click in the footer part of the page to open the Header & Footer view. Click inside the footer you want to format.

On the Header & Footer ribbon, click Page Number > Format Page Numbers. 

Change the format to the settings you wish to use.

Click OK.

5. How to Control Page Numbers Using Fields

So far, we’ve been using Microsoft Word’s built-in formats for page numbers. For more control over how the page numbers display, use fields. 

Double-click on the top or bottom of page to open the Header & Footer view. In the header or footer, place the cursor where you want to insert the page number.

From the Header & Footer ribbon, click on the Field button. 

The Field dialog box opens. To add a page number, scroll down Categories, and select Numbering. Then, under Field names, select Page.

Click Options to change the number formatting. Make the selections you want to use, then click OK.

6. How to Fix Broken Page Numbers

Sometimes as the document gets larger and new pages and sections are added, page numbering can break. Below are two common page number errors and how to fix them.

Example 1: Page number starts over at 1 in the middle of the document

This can happen when you’ve defined a section, formatted its page number to restart at 1, then inserted a section break again.

Solution:

Examine the section breaks in your document by clicking on the Show/Hide Paragraph button. 

Check how the page numbers are formatted in the section, and make sure to uncheck Start at:___.

Example 2: Word is counting the cover page as page 1

The first page of the document is usually the cover page as well. Naturally, we don’t want it to be included in the page count. But what if your document does? Here’s one way to fix that. 

Solution:

Insert a section break after the cover: click Insert > Break > Section break. Select one of the options that appear.

Check the button for Different First Page.

On the page where you want the page count to begin, go to Page Number > Format Page Numbers. Check the radio button for Start at:___. Type the page number that you want the page count to begin at.

Work With Templates With Header and Footer Designs for Microsoft Word

If you’d rather not make any design and formatting decisions, the easiest thing to do is to start with a Microsoft Word template. A good template comes with header, footer, and page numbers all pre-formatted. These will automatically update as you add or remove pages.

Select a Word template like this e-book template for Microsoft Word that I found in Envato Elements.

If you want to edit the header, footer, or page number, click into the header/footer to open it. Make the changes you want to make following the relevant steps above. 

When you’re done, double-click outside the header/footer to close it.

Work With Other Header Options and Change Designs

Microsoft Word headers and footers also come with built-in designs for you to choose from.

To select one, click in the header or footer. Click the Header or Footer button on the ribbon. Scroll down to see all the available options. Choose a design from the selections that appear. 

Note: This will override any header or footer and page number settings you’ve already made.

Use Microsoft Word Header, Footer, and Page Numbers to Give Readers a Good Experience

By following the steps in this article, even beginning users of Microsoft Word can add headers, footers, and page numbers in their documents. Or, if you’d rather not worry about formatting these page elements, use a Microsoft Word template instead of starting from scratch. 

Envato Elements is a wonderful source of professionally designed Microsoft Word templates. Your subscription includes unlimited downloads of everything you need to produce a high-caliber document, from custom fonts to stock photos. 

To get templates a la carte, then GraphicRiver is another source of great Microsoft Word templates for you to explore.

Whether creating your own layout or starting with a template, Microsoft Word headers, footers, and page numbers help you provide a better experience for your readers. They’ll be able to more easily navigate the document and find the pages or sections they need.

You can also make the most of headers and footers to brand the document. Add your logo and organization name, as well as the author’s name, to increase brand recognition and establish your thought leadership.

What are your tips for using Word in long documents? Leave a comment and let us know.

Want to know about Header and Footer in Microsoft 365 Word and MS Word document? Want to insert a header or footer in Microsoft 365 Word and MS word older version? This article will provide you all details about them.

In this tutorial, you can view all details about the header and footer. And you can know how to add header and footer in Microsoft 365 Word and MS Word document. And remove the header from the first page. And remove the header or footer from the entire document.

Video Tutorial:

For our reader’s convenience, we provided this article in the form of video tutorial. If you are interested to read, you can skip the video and start reading.

1. How to Insert header and footer in Microsoft 365 Word?

Estimated Cost: 9.99 USD

Supply:

• Microsoft 365

Tools:

• Microsoft 365

Materials: software

2. How to edit Header and Footer in Microsoft 365 Word?

In the previous section, we have seen the procedure for inserting the header and footer into the Word document. Now in this section let us see how to edit the header and footer in the older version.

Step 1: Open the word document

The first thing you need to do is, open the word document in which you want to change the header and (or) footer.

Step 2: Click on Header or Footer

Once you open the document you can see a Header option at the top right side of your document and footer option at the bottom right side. Click on Header at the top or Footer option at the bottom. Then you can see an unlocked header or footer which supports editing as shown in the below image.

Now in that editing screen you can edit the Header and Footer.

3. How to remove Header and Footer in Microsoft 365?

Up to now, we have seen the procedure to insert and edit the header and footer. There are some cases where you don’t need header and footer to your document. Then you need to know how to remove those from word document. Follow the below steps for removing header and footer.

Step 1: Open the document

Firstly, select and open the document in which you want to remove the header and footer.

Step 2: Click on Header or Footer option at right side of document

Once you open the document, you can see your document which contains header and footer. There you can see header option at the top and the footer option at the bottom of your document. Click on anyone either the Header option or Footer option. Then the editing screen will appear for editing those two where you will find options to remove also.

Step 3: Click Options

In that editing screen itself, you can remove the header and footer. You can see an option namely Options at the right corner of the screen. Click on that Options.

Step 4: Click Remove Headers & Footers

Now in the options window, you can see different options related to header and footer such as Same across entire document, different first page, different last page, etc. Click on Remove Headers & Footers which is placed at the last position.

Step 5: Click Remove all

When you click on Remove Headers & Footers then it asks you a confirmation about your decision on removing the header and footer with ” This will delete all headers and footers including any existing page numbers” along with Remove all and cancel option. Click on Remove all option.

With these steps, the header and footer will be removed from your entire word document.

There are another situations where you need

Header and Footer in Older version MS Word:

Note: It is not recommended to use the older version of word. We recommend buying Microsoft 365 for the best features.

Video Tutorial:

We provided this article in the form of video tutorial for our reader’s convenience. If you are interested to read, you can skip the video and start reading.

4. How to Insert Header and footer in MS Word?

• Go to Insert and Choose Header to add header or Footer to insert footer. The Design tab will appear on the right side of the Ribbon.  Select any one of the styles. You will see a header or footer with a dotted box.

• Then type the desired information into the header or footer.

• When finished, click on Close Header and Footer or Press Esc key.

• Related: 4 Simple methods to make a table in Word
• How to change word document back ground color

5. How to Edit Headers and Footers in MS Word

After closing the Header or Footer, it will be visible but locked. If you want to edit the header or footer simply double-click on the header or footer to unlock and it will allow you to edit.

Design Tab Options

When your document’s  Header and Footer are unlocked, then the design tab will appear on the right side of the Ribbon, and various editing options are available.

6. How to remove Header and Footer?

Remove Header or footer from the first Page

If some documents you do not want to show Header or Footer only on the first-page select “Different first-page”. For Example, if you are numbering pages, you want to start numbering from the second page and want to hide the first page then use the “Different first-page” option.

Remove the Header or Footer from the Entire document

If you want to delete all information contained in the header or footer, click on the Header command and click remove header from that menu appears. Also, you can remove the footer using the footer command.

• You May Also Like: Quick Guide to create table of contents in Word documents
• How to password protect word document

Conclusion:

We think now you might know complete details about Header and footer in Microsoft 365 and older versions. Once again we recommend to buy Microsoft 365. Because it gives you many features.

I hope you like my article about Header and Footer in MS word. If you like it, do me a favor by sharing it with your friends. Please follow whatvwant on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

How to insert, edit, remove header and footer in Microsoft 365 and MS Word- FAQ