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Word’s footer can hold ordinary text, a page number, or both. You can use it for a document title, author name, confidentiality notice, date, section label, or a counter such as Page 3 of 12.
The important distinction is between a footer and a section. A normal footer repeats throughout the same section. If only one part of a document needs different text or numbering, you need a section break and may also need to turn off Link to Previous.
These instructions apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016 on Windows and Mac, unless a web-specific step is identified.
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Add text to a footer in Word
The quickest way to edit an existing footer is to open it directly on the page.
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- Open the document in the desktop Word app.
- Double-click near the bottom edge of a page, inside the footer area.
- Click where the footer text should appear and type it. For example, enter
Internal use onlyorProject Report. - Format the text using the normal Home-tab controls. You can change the font, size, alignment, color, and spacing like any other text.
- Select Close Header and Footer, or press Esc.
Text added this way appears in the footer of other pages in the same section. It will not necessarily appear on a first page, an odd page, or an even page if one of Word’s special footer options is enabled.
You can also open an existing footer through Insert > Header or Footer > Edit Footer.
Use a footer template instead
If the document has no footer, select Insert > Header or Footer > Footer, then choose one of the built-in layouts. Word creates the footer and places the cursor in it. Replace the sample text with your own wording.
Add a page number to the footer
If you do not need to preserve a particular footer layout, Word can create the footer and insert the number in one operation.
- Select Insert > Page Number.
- Choose a location in the footer, such as Bottom of Page.
- Select a page-number style from the gallery.
- Click Close Header and Footer or press Esc.
Word inserts a page-number field rather than ordinary typed text. The field updates automatically as pages are added, removed, or rearranged.
Insert the number into an existing footer
To keep footer text that is already there:
- Double-click inside the footer.
- Place the cursor where the number should go—for example, after the document title.
- Select Insert > Page Number > Current Position.
- Choose a style.
- Type any surrounding text before or after the field, such as
Pageor— Internal.
A footer can therefore contain a combination such as Project Report | Page 4. Do not type the changing number manually; use the page-number field so it remains accurate.
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Create “Page X of Y”
“Page X of Y” displays the current page and the document’s total number of pages—for example, Page 4 of 18.
When a footer already exists
- Double-click in the footer and place the cursor at the desired position.
- Select Insert > Page Number > Current Position.
- Choose a Page X of Y format.
- Close the footer.
When there is no footer
- Select Insert > Page Number.
- Choose a footer location.
- Scroll through the styles until you find Page X of Y.
- Select the format you want.
If the total does not appear to update immediately after editing the document, select the field and press F9. You can also select the whole document with Ctrl+A and press F9 to update its fields.
Combine a title and page number cleanly
For a simple footer, type the title, insert the page-number field, and use alignment controls. For example:
Research Notes Page 7
A more stable layout uses a two-column, borderless table:
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- Select Insert > Table and create a one-row, two-column table.
- Type the document title in the left cell.
- Click the right cell and choose Insert > Page Number > Current Position.
- Right-align the contents of the right cell.
- Select the table, open the table border controls, and choose No Border.
This prevents the page number from shifting when the title changes length. You can use the same approach for “Page X of Y”.
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Hide the page number on the first page
To keep the footer on the first page but remove its number, or to give the first page a different footer:
- Double-click the header or footer.
- On the Header & Footer tab, select Different First Page.
- Word switches to a separate first-page footer. If the number is still visible there, select that page-number field and press Delete.
- Click in the footer on the remaining pages and make sure the page number is present there.
Different First Page applies to the first page of each section, not just the first page of the entire document.
Make the second physical page display 1
Turning on Different First Page hides or separates the first-page footer; it does not automatically renumber the next page. If the second physical page must show 1:
- Click in the footer.
- Select Page Number > Format Page Numbers.
- Under Page numbering, select Start at.
- Enter
0and select OK.
The hidden first page is treated as page 0 for numbering, so the next page displays 1.
Start page numbering in a later section
Use this method for documents with a cover page, front matter, appendices, or chapters that require independent numbering.
- Place the cursor at the point where the new section should begin.
- Select Layout > Breaks > Next Page. This creates a new section beginning on the next page.
- Double-click in the footer of the new section.
- On the Header & Footer tab, select Link to Previous to turn it off. The button should no longer be active.
- Select Page Number > Format Page Numbers.
- Choose the required Number format, such as
1, 2, 3,a, b, c, ori, ii, iii. - Choose Start at and enter the first number for this section, then select OK.
- Insert or edit the footer text and page-number field as required.
Header and footer links are separate. If the number is in the footer, you must turn off Link to Previous while editing the footer; unlinking the header does not unlink the footer.
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Section-break choices
| Break | What it does |
|---|---|
| Next Page | Starts the new section on the following page. |
| Continuous | Starts the new section on the same page. |
| Even Page | Starts the section on the next even-numbered page. |
| Odd Page | Starts the section on the next odd-numbered page. |
A regular page break is not enough. It moves content to another page but does not create a separately formatted section or an independent footer.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchUse different footers on odd and even pages
Books and duplex-printed reports often place page numbers toward the outside edge of each page.
- Double-click in a footer.
- Select Different Odd & Even Pages on the Header & Footer tab.
- Edit the odd-page footer and insert its number with Insert > Page Number > Current Position.
- Move to an even page and edit that footer separately.
- Insert and align the page number in the even-page footer.
Word now maintains separate odd-page and even-page footer variants. A number inserted in one does not automatically create the same layout in the other.
Word for the web
The web version has different commands and fewer section controls:
- To edit a footer, select Insert > Header & Footer.
- To add a page count, select Insert > Page Numbers > Include Page Count, then choose a location.
- When finished, select Close Preview.
- To use or change section breaks, select Open in Word and perform the work in the desktop application.
Word for the web can add page breaks, but it cannot currently add or change section breaks. That means independent numbering for a later section requires desktop Word.
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Fix common footer and numbering problems
| Problem | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| The change affects every page | The pages are in one section, or the new section is still linked. Add Layout > Breaks > Next Page, then turn off Link to Previous in the relevant footer. |
| Link to Previous is dimmed | There is no section break before the area you are editing. A normal page break does not create one. |
| Only the first page changes | Different First Page is enabled. First-page and other-page footers are separate variants. |
| All numbers disappeared after deleting one | You probably deleted the number from the shared “Other Pages” footer. Reopen the footer, select the other-pages variant, and use Insert > Page Number to restore it. |
| Odd and even pages have unexpected layouts | Different Odd & Even Pages is enabled. Disable it, or edit both footer variants. |
| The footer is not visible in print or PDF | It may sit outside the printable area or be obscured by the bottom margin. Check Layout > Margins, the paper size, and the printer’s printable area, then preview or export again. |
| A section break is hard to find | Select Home > Show/Hide (¶). Word displays section-break markers in the document. |
FAQ
Can I put normal text and a page number in the same Word footer?
Yes. Open the footer, type the ordinary text, and insert the number at the cursor with Insert > Page Number > Current Position. The number remains an updating field while the other text stays editable.
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Why does a page break not give me a different footer?
A page break only starts a new page. To create a separately formatted footer, use Layout > Breaks > Next Page, then turn off Link to Previous in the new section’s footer.
Does Different First Page make the second page start at page 1?
No. It separates or hides the first-page footer but does not change the numbering sequence. Use Page Number > Format Page Numbers > Start at and enter 0 if the second physical page must display 1.
How do I add Page X of Y in Word for the web?
Select Insert > Page Numbers > Include Page Count, then choose the location. The desktop command is Insert > Page Number, where you can choose a Page X of Y style.
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Why is my footer different on every other page?
Different Odd & Even Pages is probably enabled. Open the footer and disable that option, or edit the odd-page and even-page footer separately.
Can Word for the web create section breaks?
No. Open the file in the desktop Word application to add or change section breaks and create independent footer numbering.
The Bottom Line
For a basic footer, double-click the bottom of a page, type the text, and use Insert > Page Number > Current Position to add the number beside it. Use Different First Page for a cover page, and use Layout > Breaks > Next Page plus Link to Previous for numbering or footer changes in a later section. A page break alone will not separate the footer.
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