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Select Insert > Page Number, and then choose the location and style you want.
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If you don’t want a page number to appear on the first page, select Different First Page.
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If you want numbering to start with 1 on the second page, go to Page Number > Format Page Numbers, and set Start at to 0.
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When you’re done, select Close Header and Footer or press Esc.
Tip: To get back to a header or footer to make changes, double-click in the header or footer area.
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On the Insert tab, click the Page Number icon, and then click Page Number.
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Select a location, and then pick an alignment style. Word automatically numbers every page, except designated title pages.
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To change the numbering style, select Format and then choose the formatting you want to use.
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Select OK twice to close both dialog boxes.
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Adding page numbers in Microsoft Word is easy! Whether you’re writing a 10-page essay or a thesis paper, there are a variety of ways to customize the page numbers. Use the Insert tab to quickly add page numbers. From there, you can change the formatting and numbering options. This wikiHow guide will show you how to add page numbers to your Microsoft Word document on Windows and macOS, as well as in the Word mobile app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad.
Things You Should Know
- On desktop or mobile, go to the Insert tab, then select «Page Number» to add page numbers.
- Double-click the page number to make changes to the font, color, or style.
- Double-click the header or footer, then go to Page Number > Format Page Numbers for additional options.
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1
Click Insert. This is in the tab menu bar at the top of Word. Alternatively, double-click the top or bottom of the page to open the Header or Footer editing menu.
- Don’t forget to save your work as you go!
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2
Click Page Number. This opens a pop-up menu for choosing where to place the page numbers.[1]
- In the Insert menu, Page Number is near the center.
- In the Header & Footer design tab, Page Number is on the left.
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Choose a page number position. This can be in the header or footer, and located left, center, or right.
- You can also toggle the option to include the page count in the page numbering (e.g. 1 of 3).
- Selecting a page number position will open the “Header & Footer” tab.
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1
Double-click a page number. This will select it and show a pop-up menu with options for changing the font, color, and style. This change will edit every page number automatically.
- You could even cross out the page numbers if that’s your style.
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Start numbering on the second page. If you want the first page to have no numbering, and start at 1 on the second page, follow these steps:
- Double-click the header or footer to open the Header & Footer design tab.
- Check the “Different First Page” checkbox.
- Click Page Number then Format Page Numbers.
- Select “Start at” and change it to 0.
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3
Restart page numbers by using page breaks. If you want to start a new numbering later in the document, you’ll need to use a page break.
- Place your cursor at the beginning of the page you want to restart the numbering on.
- Go to the Layout tab, then click Breaks.
- Select Next Page in the Breaks options menu.
- Double-click the header or footer in the second section. This will open the Header & Footer design tab.
- Click Page Number then Format Page Numbers.
- Select the radio button labeled «Start At,» then select «1» to restart the page count at 1.
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4
Use «Format Page Numbers» for additional changes. This can be located by going to Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers. You can change:
- The number format. You can change this to Roman numerals, letters, or another style.
- The chapter number.
- The starting number.
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5
Click Close Header and Footer. This will return you to editing the body of the document. Alternatively, press Esc to close the header and footer editor.
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Open your Word document on your Android, iPhone, or iPad. It’s easy to use Word on your phone or tablet to insert page numbers into your document.
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Tap the more button. While in Edit mode in the Word mobile app, tap the more button (three horizontal dots).
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Tap Home. Then, select Insert to switch to the Insert menu.
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Choose Page Numbers. Then, select the placement location for the numbers.
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Format the page number. After selecting the placement, double-click the page number. Then, tap the text edit button (the icon with the letter A and a pen). You can change the font, size, color, and more!
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Go to Headers and Footers. This is in the Insert menu. You can set a different first page, change how odd and even pages look, or remove the page numbers entirely.
- When working in Online mode, any changes made in the app will appear on your desktop version of Word.
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Question
In the insert box, the page number icon is grayed out and not available for use. How do I activate it?
Kyle Smith is a wikiHow Technology Writer, learning and sharing information about the latest technology. He has presented his research at multiple engineering conferences and is the writer and editor of hundreds of online electronics repair guides. Kyle received a BS in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
wikiHow Technology Writer
Expert Answer
The page numbering feature isn’t available in certain layouts. Go to View and select Print Layout. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, try restarting and/or updating Microsoft Word.
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If you plan on creating a complex header or footer (like your name, or a title), try and add the page numbers first. They will be much easier to work with.
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1. Click Insert.
2. Click Page Number.
3. Select a position.
4. Choose a style.
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This tutorial shows how to add page numbers in Microsoft Word. Then, we will format page numbers, remove page numbers from the first page, and start the second page with page number 1.
Table of Contents
- How to add page numbers
- How to format page numbers
- How to remove the page number from the first page
- How to start the second page with page number 1
Do you want to start your page numbers on a specific page? Please see “How to Start Page Numbers on a Specific Page in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac).”
This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.
Watch more than 200 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.
The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps will also work in Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010. However, your interface may look slightly different in those older versions of the software.
Are you on a Mac? Please see “How to Add Page Numbers in Word for Mac.”
Important Note: Page numbers added to the top of the page or the bottom of the page will be inserted into the header or footer. The page numbers will replace any existing text placed in the same location within the header or footer. Therefore, you should add page numbers before adding other elements to the header or footer.
- Select the Insert tab in the ribbon.
- Select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group.
- Select a location to insert the page numbers from the drop-down menu:
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- Top of Page (in the header)
- Bottom of Page (in the footer)
- Page Margins
- Current Position
The Current Position option is the current location of your cursor in the header, footer, or body of the text. If the current position is in the body of the text, the page number will only appear on the current page. It won’t appear in the same location on other pages.
- Select additional location and style options from the submenu. (The options will depend on the selection made in step 3.)
Your page numbers should appear immediately.
How to Format Page Numbers in Microsoft Word
This section shows how to change the number format, include chapter numbers, and start on a specific page.
- Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
- Select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group (see figure 2).
- Select Format Page Numbers from the drop-down menu.
- Select the options you want from the Page Number Format dialog box.
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- Number format (e.g., numerals, letters, Roman numerals)
- Include chapter number (This option only works if you already established heading numbers.)
- Continue from previous section (When this option is selected, your sections will be number continuously. If you do not want the page numbers to continue from the previous section, select Start at.)
- Start at (This option will default to page 1. However, if you enter another number, such as 5, the page number 5 will appear on the first page of the document or first page of the section.)
- Select the OK button.
Your page number formatting should be applied immediately.
How to Remove the Page Number from the First Page in Microsoft Word
You may want to remove the page number from the first page because it is a title page or a cover page.
- Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
- Select the Header or Footer button in the Header & Footer group. (Choose the location where your page numbers are located.)
- Select Edit Header or Edit Footer from the drop-down menu.
- Select Different First Page in the Options group in the Header & Footer tab.
Pro Tip: The Header & Footer tab only appears while you are working in headers or footers.
The page number on the first page should disappear. If the page number does not disappear, select it and press the Delete key to remove it manually.
How to Start the Second Page with Page Number 1 in Microsoft Word
After removing the page number from the first page, as shown in the previous section, you can force the second page to start with page number 1.
- Select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group.
- Select Format Page Numbers from the drop-down menu (see figure 5).
- Enter the number 0 into the Start at menu in the Page Number Format dialog box.
- Select the OK button (see figure 7).
The page number on the second page should be changed to number 1.
- Select the Close Header and Footer button.
Related Resources
How to Adjust Page Margins in Microsoft Word
How to Adjust Line Spacing in Microsoft Word
How to Insert Page Breaks in Microsoft Word
How to Use the Editor in Word for Microsoft 365 (Spelling & Grammar Check)
Updated April 05, 2023
How to Add Page Numbers in Word
Create page numbers in Word 2013, 2016, 2019 and Microsoft 365
Updated on October 16, 2020
What to Know
- Go to the Insert tab > Page Number > Page Number > Top of Page (Header) or Bottom of Page (Footer).
- Under Alignment, select Left, Right, or Center > OK.
- To format the page numbering, click Header or Footer > Format > choose format. Double-click anywhere in the document.
This article explains how to add pages numbers to documents in Word 2019, 2016, 2013, and Word for Microsoft 365.
If your Microsoft Word document is long (or book-length), you might want to add page numbers to the header or footer. When you print a document, the headers and footers can be printed as well.
The steps for adding pages numbers is basically the same for Word 2019, 2016, 2013, and Word for Microsoft 365.
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Place your cursor at the first page of your document or where you want page numbers to begin.
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Select the Insert tab.
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Select Page Number in the Header & Footer group.
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Select Page Number again from a drop-down menu.
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Under Position, select Top of Page (Header) or Bottom of Page (Footer) to indicate where to place the numbers on the page.
Under Alignment, select Left, Right, or Center.
Select OK to save the selections and exit the menu.
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Select Header or Footer on the toolbar to format the page numbering.
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Select a format from the menu options.
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Double-click anywhere in the document to hide the header and footer areas.
Customize Headers and Footers
You can also customize the headers and footers in all versions of Microsoft Word. You do that from the same area where you added page numbers.
To begin, select Header or Footer to see your options.
In recent editions of Word, you can also get additional header and footer styles online from Office.com.
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Add Page Numbers in Word Documents using Headers or Footers
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated November 15, 2022
Applies to: Microsoft® Word® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)
You can add page numbers in Word documents at the top or bottom of pages using headers or footers. When you insert page numbers in headers and footers, they should be inserted as fields so that they will automatically update as the document is edited. In this article, we’ll review page numbering in simple and more complex Word documents.
Recommended article: How to Add or Remove Page Breaks in Microsoft Word
Note: Some Ribbon tabs may appear with slightly different names if you are working on Word 365 and have a smaller screen or different display settings. Buttons on the Ribbon may appear as icons only and are also affected by screen size and display settings. The Header & Footer tab may appear as Header & Footer Tools Design if you are working on an older version of Word.
Add page numbers in a one section document
By default, Microsoft Word documents contain one section.
To insert page numbers in a one section document:
- Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
- In the Header & Footer group, click Header or Footer. A drop-down menu appears.
- Click Edit Header or Edit Footer (although you can select one of the building blocks that appear, you will have more control over your header or footer if you edit it yourself). Word displays the document in Header / Footer mode. A Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab appears in the Ribbon.
- Click in the header or footer.
- If you would like text to appear (such as the word Page), type it.
- In the Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab, click Page Number. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select Current Position and then Plain Number. A page number field is added to the header or footer.
- You can select the page number field by dragging over it and then apply formatting such as font size or alignment (on the Home tab in the Ribbon).
- To return to the document, double-click anywhere in the document area. You can also click Close in the Header & Footer Tools Design tab. To easily return to Header / Footer mode, double-click in the header or footer area.
The following Header & Footer Tools Design tab appears in the Ribbon when you are in Header / Footer mode:
You can also press Alt + Shift + P to insert the page number field.
Turn off the display of page numbers on the first page in a one section document
Some users may want to turn off the display of page numbers on the first page of a document.
To turn off the display of page numbers on the first page in a one section Word document:
- Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
- In the Header & Footer group, click Header or Footer. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select Edit Header or Edit Footer. Alternatively, you can double-click in the header or footer area.
- In the Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab, check Different First Page in the Options group. Word creates a different header and footer for the first page of the document and a regular header and footer for all other pages. You can now enter page numbers, text or images in the First Page Header and / or First Page Footer if you’d like.
- To return to the document, double-click anywhere in the document area. You can also click Close in the Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab. To return to Header / Footer mode, double-click in the header or footer area.
Below is the Different First Page check box in the Header & Footer Tools Design tab:
Understand page numbers and sections
You can add different page numbers in sections in a Word document. Each section can have a different starting page number, a different numbering style (such as roman numeral) or no numbering at all. For example, you could create a document with three sections with a section for a title page with no numbering, a section for a table of contents page with roman numeral numbering that starts with (i) and another section for the main document that starts with Page 1.
Add different types of page numbers using sections
If you want to have different numbering in parts of a document (such as restarting numbering after a table of contents or using roman numeral numbering), you’ll first need to create sections.
To create a section in a Word document:
- Click in the document where you want to insert a section break.
- Click the Layout or Page Layout tab in the Ribbon and click Breaks. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select a type of section break (normally Next Page under Section Breaks).
Breaks appears in the Page Setup group:
View section breaks
It’s a good idea to click Show/Hide ¶ in the Paragraph group on the Home tab in the Ribbon so you will be able to see where section breaks have been inserted in your document:
With Show/Hide ¶ on, section breaks normally appear as follows:
You can also view section breaks by clicking the View tab in the Ribbon and selecting Draft in the Views group. To return to the default view, click the View tab in the Ribbon and select Print Layout in the Views group:
Insert page numbers in a section and change numbering
If you want to change numbering in different parts of a Word document, you will need to separate your document into sections and create different headers and footers in the sections.
Typically, you will want to ensure that the header and footer in the section are not linked to the previous section’s header and footer. For example, if you have two sections, one for a table of contents and a second section for the main document, click in the second section and unlink the header and footer with the previous section’s header and footer.
It’s best not to add any text, images or page numbers in the headers or footers before you unlink the headers and footers.
To set up page numbering in a section and then change numbering:
- Add section breaks where necessary.
- Click anywhere in the section in which you want to add page numbers and restart page numbering.
- Double-click in the header or click the Insert tab and the Ribbon, select Header and then Edit Header.
- In the Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab in the Ribbon, click Link to Previous to deselect it (to break the link with the header from the previous section).
- Click in the footer.
- In the Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab, click Link to Previous to deselect it (to break the link with the footer from the previous section).
- Click in the header or footer and in Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab, click Page Number in the Header & Footer group. A drop-down menu appears.
- Choose Current Position and then Plain Number. A page number field is inserted.
- Drag over the page number field to select it.
- To change the page numbering in the section, click Page Number in the Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab and click Format Page Numbers. A dialog box appears.
- Enter a number beside Start at if you want to restart numbering (such as 1).
- If you would like a different numbering style (such as roman numerals), select a style from the Number format drop-down menu.
- Click OK.
- To return to the document, double-click in the middle of the document.
The following dialog box appears when you select Page Number and then Format Page Numbers in the Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab:
You can also right-click a page number field and select Format Page Numbers from the drop-down menu to access the Page Number Format dialog box:
Similar to a one section document, you can select Different First Page for specific sections if you’d like. Click in the section, double-click in the header or footer and select Different First Page on the Header & Footer or Header & Footer Tools Design tab. You can also select Different Odd & Even Pages.
Be very careful when deleting section breaks. If you delete a section break, the current section takes on the section settings from the following section and your headers, footers, page numbering, orientation and margins could change.
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