Insert pages numbers in word

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  1. Select Insert > Page Number, and then choose the location and style you want.

  2. If you don’t want a page number to appear on the first page, select Different First Page.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  1. On the Insert tab, click the Page Number icon, and then click Page Number.

  2. Select a location, and then pick an alignment style. Word automatically numbers every page, except designated title pages.

  3. To change the numbering style, select Format and then choose the formatting you want to use.

  4. Select OK twice to close both dialog boxes.


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Easily add page numbers to the header or footer in your Microsoft Word document


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  • Inserting (PC & Mac)
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  • Formatting (PC & Mac)
  • |

  • Inserting (Mobile)
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  • Video
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  • Expert Q&A
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  • Tips

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.
  1. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 1

    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!
  2. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 2

    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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  3. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 3

    3

    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. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 5

    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.
  2. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 5

    2

    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.
  3. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 6

    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.
  4. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 8

    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.
  5. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 8

    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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  1. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 9

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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.

  2. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 10

    2

    Tap the more button. While in Edit mode in the Word mobile app, tap the more button (three horizontal dots).

  3. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 11

    3

    Tap Home. Then, select Insert to switch to the Insert menu.

  4. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 12

    4

    Choose Page Numbers. Then, select the placement location for the numbers.

  5. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 13

    5

    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!

  6. Image titled Insert Page Numbers in Word Step 12

    6

    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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Add New Question

  • Question

    In the insert box, the page number icon is grayed out and not available for use. How do I activate it?

    Kyle Smith

    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.

    Kyle Smith

    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.

  • Looking for money-saving deals on Microsoft Office products? Check out our coupon site for tons of coupons and promo codes on your next subscription.

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About This Article

Article SummaryX

1. Click Insert.
2. Click Page Number.
3. Select a position.
4. Choose a style.

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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 423,281 times.

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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

  1. How to add page numbers
  2. How to format page numbers
  3. How to remove the page number from the first page
  4. 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.

  1. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon.

Insert tab in Word 365

Figure 1. Insert tab
  1. Select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group.

Page Number button in the Insert tab of Word 365

Figure 2. Page Number button
  1. Select a location to insert the page numbers from the drop-down menu:
    • 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.

Page number menu in Word 365

Figure 3. Page number menu
  1. Select additional location and style options from the submenu. (The options will depend on the selection made in step 3.)

Page number submenu in Word 365

Figure 4. Page number submenu

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.

  1. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
  2. Select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group (see figure 2).
  3. Select Format Page Numbers from the drop-down menu.

Format Page Numbers option in Word 365

Figure 5. Format Page Numbers option
  1. Select the options you want from the Page Number Format dialog box.
    • 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.)

Page Number Format dialog box in Word 365

Figure 6. Page number format options
  1. Select the OK button.

OK button in the Page Number Format dialog box on Word 365

Figure 7. 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.

  1. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
  2. Select the Header or Footer button in the Header & Footer group. (Choose the location where your page numbers are located.)

Header and Footer buttons in Word 365

Figure 8. Header and Footer buttons
  1. Select Edit Header or Edit Footer from the drop-down menu.

Edit Footer option in Word 365

Figure 9. Edit Footer option
  1. 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.

Different First Page option in Word 365

Figure 10. Different First Page option

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.

  1. Select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group.

Page Number button in the Header and Footer tab in Word 365

Figure 11. Page Number button in the Header & Footer tab
  1. Select Format Page Numbers from the drop-down menu (see figure 5).
  2. Enter the number 0 into the Start at menu in the Page Number Format dialog box.

"Start as" page number menu in Word 365

Figure 13. “Start at” menu
  1. Select the OK button (see figure 7).

The page number on the second page should be changed to number 1.

  1. Select the Close Header and Footer button.

Close Header and Footer button in Word 365

Figure 14. 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.

  1. Place your cursor at the first page of your document or where you want page numbers to begin.

  2. Select the Insert tab.

  3. Select Page Number in the Header & Footer group.

  4. Select Page Number again from a drop-down menu.

  5. 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.

  6. Select Header or Footer on the toolbar to format the page numbering. 

  7. Select a format from the menu options.

  8. 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.

Thanks for letting us know!

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