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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →To remove header or footer content in Word, choose Insert > Header > Remove Header or Insert > Footer > Remove Footer; to reduce the white space at the top or bottom of the page, change the page margins separately under Layout > Margins. To remove a header or footer from just one page, use a section break and turn off Link to Previous in that section.
Header/footer content and page margins are separate settings, so deleting a header or footer does not change the page margins. Choose the fix that matches what you want to remove.
Remove every header and footer from the document
If you no longer need headers or footers anywhere in the file, remove them from each section.
- Open the document in Word.
- Go to Insert > Header and choose Remove Header.
- Go to Insert > Footer and choose Remove Footer.
- Repeat the process for other sections if needed.
Removing a header or footer in one section does not remove it from other sections. A document can contain separate header and footer content for its title page, main text, appendices, or other sections.
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Reduce the white space at the top or bottom of the page
If the header or footer is gone but the page still has too much space, change the page margins:
- Open the Layout tab.
- Choose Margins.
- Select a smaller preset, such as Narrow, or choose Custom Margins.
- Reduce the Top value to reclaim space above the document text, or reduce the Bottom value to reclaim space below it.
- Select OK.
Margins affect the document page, not just the header or footer. This is the setting to change when the goal is to move the body text closer to the top or bottom edge. Removing the header/footer object alone leaves the page margins unchanged.
Remove only the first-page header or footer
For a title page that should not show the same header or footer as later pages, use Word’s first-page option.
- Double-click inside the first-page header or footer.
- On the Header & Footer tab, select Different First Page.
- Delete any remaining content in the first-page header or footer if necessary.
- Select Close Header and Footer, or double-click in the document body.
Different First Page is a toggle. It creates a separate first-page header/footer area, allowing the first page to be blank while later pages retain their content. The option applies separately to headers and footers, so check both areas if both must be removed.
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Remove a header or footer from one later page
A normal page break cannot create a page with different header or footer behavior. Insert a section break before the page that needs different settings.
- Place the cursor at the beginning of the page that should have different header/footer settings.
- Choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page. This inserts a section break before the target page and starts it as a new section.
- Double-click the header or footer on the new page.
- On the Header & Footer tab, select Link to Previous to turn it off. The button should no longer be active.
- With the header selected, choose Header > Remove Header. For the footer, choose Footer > Remove Footer.
- Close the header/footer area and check the pages before and after the section break.
Turn off Link to Previous before removing or editing the current section’s header or footer. If the sections remain linked, a change intended for one section can affect the preceding linked sections. Headers and footers must also be handled separately: removing the header does not remove the footer.
Remove a page number without removing the whole header
A page number is usually an object or field inside the header or footer. If the header contains other information that must remain, do not remove the entire header/footer.
- Double-click the header or footer containing the number.
- Click the page number itself.
- Press Delete.
- Close the header/footer area.
You can also try Insert > Page Number > Remove Page Numbers. If other header/footer content must remain, selecting only the number and pressing Delete is safer: Microsoft warns that the command can remove the entire header or footer in documents where headers or footers are already configured.
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If some numbers remain, check for multiple sections and the Different Odd & Even Pages setting. Word treats odd-page and even-page headers/footers as separate objects.
Remove spacing inside a header or footer
Sometimes an apparently empty header/footer still occupies space because it contains a blank paragraph, paragraph spacing, a table, an image, or a page-number field. Inspect the area for content and formatting before changing margins.
- Double-click inside the affected header or footer.
- Select the blank paragraph or other content.
- Go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > Line Spacing Options.
- In the Paragraph dialog, use the Indents and Spacing tab.
- Reduce the line spacing and set unnecessary paragraph spacing to 0 pt.
- Remove any unwanted objects, extra paragraph marks, tables, or fields.
For paragraph spacing in the document body, use Layout > Paragraph and set Before and After to 0 where appropriate. To remove style-based spacing across the document, choose Design > Paragraph Spacing > No Paragraph Space.
Choose the right fix
| What you want | Use this command |
|---|---|
| Delete all header content | Insert > Header > Remove Header |
| Delete all footer content | Insert > Footer > Remove Footer |
| Reduce white space at the page edge | Layout > Margins |
| Hide content on the first page only | Different First Page |
| Hide content on a later page only | Layout > Breaks > Next Page, then disable Link to Previous |
| Delete one page number while retaining other header content | Select the number and press Delete |
| Remove blank space caused by an empty paragraph | Adjust paragraph spacing in Line Spacing Options |
Check odd and even page settings
If a header or footer disappears on odd pages but remains on even pages, the document may use separate odd/even headers or footers.
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- Double-click a header or footer.
- On the Header & Footer tab, check whether Different Odd & Even Pages is selected.
- Inspect and edit the odd-page and even-page areas separately.
Removing one of these objects does not necessarily remove the other. This setting is useful for book-style documents, but it can make a supposedly removed header or footer appear to return on alternating pages.
Word for the web and mobile
Header and footer controls vary between desktop Word, Word for the web, and mobile versions. Microsoft documents the most complete set of header/footer options in the desktop versions. If a required command is missing in the web or mobile version, open the document in desktop Word and make the change there.
Quick troubleshooting checklist
- The content disappeared but the white space remains: reduce the top or bottom margin through Layout > Margins.
- The header returns in another part of the document: inspect the next section and repeat the removal there.
- Changing one page changes several pages: turn off Link to Previous in the section you want to edit.
- A page break did not work: replace it with Layout > Breaks > Next Page.
- One number remains: check separate sections and Different Odd & Even Pages.
- An apparently empty area still takes up room: inspect for blank paragraphs, paragraph spacing, tables, images, or fields inside the header/footer.
FAQ
Why is there still white space after I remove the header in Word?
Removing a header deletes its content, but it does not change the page’s top margin. Go to Layout > Margins and choose a smaller preset or set a smaller custom Top margin. Also inspect the header for blank paragraphs, spacing, tables, images, or fields.
How do I remove a header from only one page?
For the first page, double-click the header and select Different First Page. For a later page, place the cursor at its beginning, insert Layout > Breaks > Next Page, open the new section’s header, turn off Link to Previous, and choose Header > Remove Header.
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- Bright white paper (92 GE; 104 Euro) offers great contrast for crisp printing and vivid color
- Virgin copy paper providing professional quality results; acid-free to prevent yellowing
Can I use a page break to remove a header from the next page?
No. A page break does not create independent header/footer behavior. Use Layout > Breaks > Next Page to insert a section break, then disable Link to Previous.
How do I remove a footer but keep the page number or other footer content?
Open the footer and remove only the unwanted object. If removing a page number, click the number and press Delete. Avoid Remove Page Numbers when other required footer content is present.
Why does the header remain on alternate pages?
The document may have Different Odd & Even Pages enabled. Odd-page and even-page headers are separate objects, so inspect and remove both if necessary.
The Bottom Line
Use Remove Header or Remove Footer to delete header/footer content, but use Layout > Margins to reduce the page’s top or bottom white space. For a later page only, insert a Next Page section break before it and disable Link to Previous before making the change.
Quick Recap
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