Making headers in word

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The header is a part of a document located at the top margin of each page. It’s useful for showcasing additional information like the title, author, page number, or objects and images that add design to your document. 

Headers can also help keep documents organized and more readable. Setting up professional-looking headers in MS Word is like a walk in the park for most users. 

However, even experienced users may have difficulties when documents require more than one header, such as with corporate or academic documents. The cover page, the main text, and other pages in different orientations can all have dissimilar headers. 

Fortunately, MS Word offers several ways to add different headers on each page. 

• Using preset header options
• By inserting section breaks

We’ll walk you through each of these methods step by step in the tutorial down below. Don’t feel intimidated, as we’ve made this article with beginners in mind! We’ve also made sure to provide pictures for each step to make sure you can follow us every step of the way. 

Without further ado, here’s everything you need to know to have a different header on each page in MS Word. 

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Method 1: Using the Preset Header Options

In this method, we’ll show you how to access the Design tools of the header to configure two different header options. The first option is helpful if you simply want your first page to have a different header from the rest of the document. The other option allows you to set up two different headers for each odd and even pages. 

Here are the steps to access the Design tools of the header. 

Step 1: Open up a Word file. 

Before we get started, let’s open up a Word file. Feel free to use your own personal document if you already have one prepared. You can also choose to create a new blank document. We won’t really need any content in the main body, but make sure to have a document with at least 2-3 pages to see how each header option works. You can insert random text or press the Enter key multiple times to meet this number of pages. 

Step 2: Access the header section. 

Once our document is ready, go to the Insert tab and click the Header drop-down menu. Then, select the Edit Header option found at the bottom of the menu. 

Alternatively, you can double-click the top margin of your document to access the header section. 

Step 3: Access the header design tools. 

Now that the header section is enabled, you will be directed to the Header & Footer Design tab. Here, you’ll see two options to choose from: Different First Page and Odd & Even Pages. 

If you want the first page to have a different header from the rest of your document, tick the Different First Page checkbox. 

On the other hand, tick the checkbox next to Odd & Even Pages if you want the odd-numbered pages to have a different header from the even-numbered pages. 

Step 4: Insert content into your header. 

Insert your content accordingly to each header. Once done, double-click outside the header section to go back to the main text or press the Close Header and Footer button.  

Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up a different header on each page in MS Word. 

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Method 2: By Inserting Section Breaks

Section breaks identify the point at which a section ends and another one starts. Having section breaks help in organizing the different sections of your document. This way, you’ll find it easier to configure different headers for each page. 

Here’s how you can insert section breaks in your document. 

Step 1: Open up an MS Word file. 

Before anything else, we’ll have to open up an MS Word file. If you have one already open, go ahead and use that. Don’t worry about ruining your document, as we’re only making changes in the header section. After all, any unwanted changes can easily be undone by simply pressing the CTRL + Z keys on your keyboard. 

Step 2: Insert section breaks. 

Once our document is ready, move your cursor to the start of the page that you want in a different header and click on it. Then, go to the Layout tab and click the Breaks drop-down menu. Finally, select the Next Page option in the selection. 

For this example, we’ll insert the section break between the first and second paragraph. So, we’ll place our cursor right at the start of the second paragraph and insert a section break there. 

Now, place your cursor at the end of the section and repeat the process. You’ll notice that MS Word inserted paragraph spaces before and after the section and moved it separately to a page.

Step 3: Access the header section. 

Go to the Insert tab and click the Header drop-down menu. Then, select Edit Header from the list of options. 

Alternatively, you can simply double-click the top margin of the page to access the header section. 

Step 4: Unlink section header. 

In order to set up a different header for the page we’ve recently created, we’ll need to unlink it to the previous header format. So, with your cursor still inside the header section, click on the Link to Previous button found on the Header & Footer Design tab. 

You can now insert your content in the header section. Take note that you’ll have to repeat the same process for each section that you want to have a different header. 

To go back to the main text, simply double-click outside the header or press the Close Header and Footer button. 

There you have it! You’ve just inserted section breaks to have a different header on each page in MS Word. 

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Editing and Deleting Different Headers 

If you’ve come to the point that you need to edit or delete different headers, don’t worry because doing so is as easy as 1-2-3. 

To edit or delete different headers, all you need to do is access the Header and Footer Design tab using the steps discussed above. Remember that your headers are different because they are in different sections. So, each header section is accessible and should not affect the others as you edit or delete them. 

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Conclusion

That wraps it up for today! Hopefully, we’ve helped you figure out how to have a different header on each page in MS Word. Here’s a brief summary of what we’ve covered in this article. 

Learning to add different headers in a single document proves to be an essential skill. Most academic and corporate documents usually call for more than one header per document. 

In this guide, we’ve listed down two methods to have a different header on each page in MS Word. 

The first method makes use of the preset header tools provided by MS Word. 

The second method utilizes section breaks to accomplish the task.

We hope you’ve found this article helpful! 

Chapter Headers in Microsoft Word

Adding chapter headers to a Microsoft Word document requires three things:

1. Using a Heading style for your chapter headings
2. Adding section breaks between chapters
3. Generating the chapter headers

This might seem complex, but each step is simple. Read on to find out more.

Step One: Applying Heading Styles

The Heading styles in Word are used for headings and subheadings. Chapter titles are the main headings in a document, so they would usually be formatted with Heading 1. Whichever style you use, though, to prepare for applying chapter headers you should:

• Select a style and customize it as required
• Go through your work applying the chosen style to all chapter headings

Make sure to only use this style for chapter titles (you can use the other Heading styles for subheadings within chapters). This will let Microsoft Word tell the chapter titles apart from other text.

Step Two: Adding Section Breaks

Next, we need to add section breaks between chapters. Usually, you will want each chapter to start on a new page. You can do this throughout your document as follows:

• Find the first chapter title
• Place the cursor before the heading
• Go to Layout > Page Setup on the main ribbon
• Click Breaks and select Next Page from the dropdown menu
• Repeat for each chapter in the document

Doing this will tell Microsoft Word where each chapter starts and ends.

Step Three: Creating Chapter Headers

All we need to do now is tell Microsoft Word what goes in each header. To do this, we first need to make sure that the headers in each section are separated from one another. To do this:

• Go to the first chapter in your document
• Open the header by going to Insert > Header & Footer > Header > Edit Header on the ribbon
• With the header selected, go to Design > Navigation
• Deselect Link to Previous
• Repeat for each section of the document

And finally, to create the chapter headers themselves, all you need to do is:

• Open the header in the first chapter
• Go to References > Captions > Cross-reference
• Select Heading from the menu as your reference type
• Pick the relevant chapter title and click Insert
• Repeat for each chapter of your document

This will insert the text formatted with the selected Heading style at the top of each page in each section. You can also apply the same header throughout multiple sections by leaving the Link to Previous option selected for each section after the first.

If you later update your chapter titles, don’t forget to update your chapter headers! Getting your work proofread is a great way of making sure you don’t miss issues like this, so get in touch today.

When I first wrote this blog post, Word 2003 was still the predominant version of the program, more commonly used than Word 2007. (And Word 2010 was just a gleam in some Microsoft programmer’s eye…) So I basically wrote the post for users of 2003 and then just posted a brief explanation where to find the same functions in 2007, which was the first version to use ribbons instead of dropdown menus. Over the years, this has been one of the most popular T4L posts but now that 2007 and 2010 are more widely used, I’ve decided to spell out the steps for those versions in full. You can still find the instructions for Word 2003 and earlier versions later in the post.

NOTE: I’ve never had Office 2013, so I can’t say if there are any differences for that version, but I now have Office 2016 and the process is exactly the same, so it’s a good bet that it is for 2013 as well. (If you have Word 2013 and there is any difference, please post a comment below and I’ll add that info here.)

Both sets of instructions are for creating different sections in an MS-Word document so you can change the header for each section. For example, you might want to have different headers with each chapter name to help readers find the section they’re looking for more quickly.

Note: The same techniques work for creating separate footers, which you might want to do to start Page 1 after a Table of Contents, for example.

Section Break vs. Page Break

You may already know that you can force a page break by placing your cursor in front of the text you want to start on the next page and pressing Ctrl + Enter on your keyboard. (And if you don’t know that, consider this a bonus tip!) 🙂

However, that won’t work for our purpose. We don’t want to just move the text to the next page; we want to start a new section so we can create a new header.

Instructions for Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016

Put your cursor at the start of the text you want to start a new section.

On the Page Layout ribbon, click the down arrow beside the Breaks button. (In Word 2016, the ribbon is just called Layout. I don’t know which one it is in 2013.)

Select Section Breaks > Next Page.

Now the text is at the top of the next page.

Move your cursor near the top of the page and double-click to display the Header area.

NOTE: Some readers have reported that if they create a Header section using the Insert > Header command and choose anything other than the Blank option, the instructions don’t work. I’m not sure why this is as it works for me, but if you are still having problems after following these steps, try changing the Header format to Blank.

The Header and Footer Tools Design ribbon has opened at the top of the page. You can see that the Link to Previous button is depressed, meaning the two sections will have the same header. (You can also see a Same to Previous tab on the bottom border of the header section.)

Click the Link to Previous button.

The Same as Previous tab is now gone from the header section.

Type “Section 2 Header” in the header area.

Double-click in the main text area of the page.

This will close the header section and remove the toolbar. The new header appears at the top of the page.

Now, if you scroll back up to the first page, you can see that the header is still blank, because the two headers are no longer linked. You could also enter text into the header area and it wouldn’t change the header on the next page.

Simply repeat these steps for each new section and you can have as many different headers as you want.

Instructions for Word 2003 and Earlier Versions

Note: The screenshots below show a document I used when I wrote the original post. I no longer have it and I no longer have Word 2003, so I can’t update the document. But the dialog boxes should look the same.

Put your cursor at the start of the text you want to start a new section.

From the Insert menu, select Break.

In the dialog box that comes up, select the “Next page” radio button from the “Section break types” area.

Now the text is at the top of the next page. You can tell it’s also the beginning of a new section by looking at the status line at the bottom left of the Word window.

From the View menu, click Header and Footer.

The header section of the page will display and the Header and Footer toolbar also appears.

You’ll notice, above the header box, it says “Same as previous.” This is the default option for when you create a header, and that’s what we need to change.

Click the Same as Previous button on the toolbar.

You can mouse over the buttons to see the names of them. You want to click it so it doesn’t look like it’s depressed.

The “Same as previous” text is now gone from the header box at the top of the page.

Type “Section 2 Header” in the header area.

Double-click in the main text area of the page.

This will close the header section and remove the toolbar.

Now, if you scroll back up to the first page, you can see the header is still blank, because the two headers are no longer linked.

Simply repeat these steps for each new section and you can have as many different headers as you want.

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When one of the default Microsoft Word headers doesn’t work for you, create your own with these steps.

Microsoft Word provides a built-in feature to create headers for your documents. This way, you can add your company logo, stamps, or branding elements without having to create them again and again.

Creating a custom header for your organization is a great way to make your Word documents look professional. It can also reduce one of the repetitive design tasks on your documents. Here’s how you can make your Word documents stand out with a custom header.

You can either add the built-in headers from Microsoft Word or customize them as per your requirements.

1. To start, open your Word document and click on the Insert tab.

2. Next, click on the Header option to either add a header or edit it. Here you’ll also see the built-in headers provided by Microsoft Word.

3. After selecting one of the Built-in headers, click on Close Header and Footer to start editing your document.

This is a great option if you’re creating college projects or personal documents that don’t require a lot of customizing. However, we’re more interested in designing the header to match our styles. So let’s see how that’s done!

1. Just below the built-in header features on the Word menu, you’ll see the Edit Header option. Select that to edit your header.

2. This will display the Design tab of Header & Footer Tools. With the options under this tab, you can create a personalized header that suits your style.

Tip: Double-click on the top of any page of the document to open the Edit Header option.

Here are the different elements you can customize to create your unique header. All options are available on the Header & Footer tab on the Ribbon:

Pictures

Pictures are the most important visual element in a header. A picture can be a company’s logo or something else.

1. With the Header & Footer tab open, select Pictures. Next, browse to the image you want to add from your PC and insert it in your document’s header.

2. You can also add images from the web using the Online Pictures option located in the Insert group of the Header & Footer ribbon.

Document Title

1. Go to the Document Info menu on the Insert group and click on Document Title.

2. This creates a placeholder in the Header section. You can update your Document Title here.

Document Title is just one of the information about the Word Document. Likewise, there are other properties you can add to the header.

Document Property

Document Property can be any detail regarding the document such as Author, Company, Company Address, etc.

1. To add these, go to Document Info > Document Property, and select the property that you want to add.

2. As an example, let’s add the Author of the document to the header. When you select the option, it will create a placeholder for the author. By default, it will take the current author’s name. However, this is editable and can be updated.

Page Number

1. Click on Page Number to display the dropdown.

2. Select the Top of Page option to include it in the header. Again, Microsoft Word has some built-in designs to add a Page Number to your header. You can select the one that you want to add.

Date & Time

1. Click on Date & Time.

2. Select the format you want to insert in the document.

3. If you want to automatically update this information, then you can check the Update automatically box.

4. After selecting the format, click OK.

Quick Parts

Quick Parts can be used to add frequently-used blocks of text to the documents. Quick Parts is another method to speed up your header design. Let’s look at how to use Quick Parts within the header.

1. Save Selection lets you select the written portion you want to add from the option of Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. Select OK and it will be saved in the Quick Part gallery.

2. AutoText is a pre-made block of text. You can browse from a selection of default AutoText under the option of Quick Parts. You can also make one and add it to the Quick Parts gallery.

3. The Field option displays information that is specific to the current document or page. The information in the field includes the author name, page number, document title, and document date.

Likewise, you can select the properties that meet your requirements. Once done, click on OK to save your choice.

4. With the option of Building Blocks Organizer, you can view and organize different properties of Quick Parts. From the different Building Blocks that are available, you can Edit Properties, Insert, or Delete. Once done, you can click on Close to save your changes.

​​​​How to Create a Branded Header in Word

Now that we’ve looked at all the options available let’s create a branded header for an organization. Using headers and footers in MS Word is important to create that professional document.

1. Double-click on the top of the page to open Header & Footer Tools.

2. To add a Page Number on Top of Page, select a design of your choice.

3. Click on Pictures to insert any graphic. This can be a colorful design or a logo saved in one of the image formats.

4. You can also add a company logo to the header. For our example, let’s see how it will look with both images.

5. Now that your header is ready, you can start creating documents with it. Double-click anywhere below the header area to add the content for the document.

You can use these design skills to create any other document in Microsoft Word. For instance, you can create a certificate template for your school or company or design a custom cover page. Combine a custom cover page with a unique header to make your documents stand apart from others instantly.

Headers are extremely useful when you want to add essential page information to the top of every page on your document. However, if it’s still time-consuming or difficult for you, go with a built-in header template.

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.

You can customize headers and footers in Word to include everything from page numbers and the date to a logo and document author.

Headers and footers allow you to include specific information in a Word document. For example, if you need to add your name or document title onto every page, your header allows for that. You can add the same information to your footer, where page numbers and references might also appear.

We’ll show you how to insert a custom header and footer into Microsoft Word. You can then customize it with the information your document needs.

Use the Built-In Headers and Footers in Word

If you want a quickly add a header or footer to a Word document, you can use one of the preset options. These let you pick a layout for your header or footer. For example, you may wish to use a header or footer with three columns, apply a style that uses color, or format it to include specific details.

To add a preset header or footer in Word:

1. Go to the Header & Footer section of the Insert tab on the ribbon bar.
2. Click Header or Footer, then review the options in the drop-down box.
   1. If you want a page number, click that drop-down arrow and pick a location.
3. Select the header or footer style you want, and it will appear in your document.

If the option you select is waiting for additional details, go to the designated area in the header or footer to add them. For example, you may need to add a custom document title.

How to Add a Blank Header or Footer

Another way to add a header or footer is to create it entirely from scratch. To do this, double-click within the header or footer section of the document.

This opens the Header & Footer tab for you to customize further.

Customize the Header or Footer

You can type whatever you like in the header or footer section once it is open for editing. While this is convenient, you can also insert other details automatically using the Header & Footer tab on the ribbon bar.

On the left side of the ribbon, you have the same built-in header, footer, and page number options as above. This allows you to apply a preset style or add page numbers afterward.

To the right, you’ll see the Insert section of the ribbon. This lets you pop in the details you want to use, such as the date and time, document title, and more.

• Date & Time: To include the date and time, click the Date & Time button. Choose the format you want to use in the window that appears and click OK.

• Document Info: In this drop-down box, you’ll see options like Author, File Name, and Document Title. You can also pick a different Document Property in the same pop-out menu for things like Category, Company, and Manager.

• In addition, you choose from a slew of Field options. This includes things like a hyperlink, citation, section, or symbol. Select Field, review the available options, then choose the option you want. Click OK to insert it.

• Quick Parts: If you have AutoText set up, such as a signature, use the Quick Parts drop-down options. You can also select Document Properties or a Field option from the same drop-down menu.

• Pictures and Online Pictures: If you want to include an image, such as a company logo, use the Pictures and Online Pictures buttons to choose and insert the image.

The remaining options on the Header & Footer tab allow you to jump between the header and footer sections easily, use different headers and footers on odd and even pages, and adjust the spacing between the section and the margin.

You can use the Font formatting options on the Home tab to apply bold or italic formatting or choose a font style and color just like your document text.

To finish editing the header or footer, click Close Header and Footer on the right side of the ribbon. Alternatively, double-click a spot outside of those areas in your document.

Edit or Remove a Header or Footer

You can change or remove a header or footer in Word at any time after you insert it.

To do this, go to the Insert tab, click either Header or Footer, and choose Edit Header or Edit Footer from the drop-down list. This will open the section ready for you to make your changes.

To remove them, choose Remove Header or Remove Footer in the drop-down list.

Make Your Headers and Footers Useful in Word

Whether you want to stick with simple page numbers with the date and time or include specifics like the document author and a company logo, you have flexible ways to make your headers and footers more useful in Microsoft Word.

For more, take a look at how to insert and format a text box or how to remove a horizontal line in Word. Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook to keep up with new how-tos like this!