Erin Wright Writing

Writing-Related Software Tutorials

How to Insert and Delete a Blank Page in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)

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Paper on clipboard with text overlay "How to Insert and Delete a Blank Page in Microsoft Word"

This tutorial shows how to insert a blank page in Microsoft Word (without repeatedly pressing the Enter or Return key on your keyboard). We will also look at how to delete a blank page.

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This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 100 other videos about Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps will also work for Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word for Mac.

How to Insert a Blank Page in Microsoft Word

  1. Place your cursor where you would like to insert the blank page.
  2. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon.
Insert tab in Word 365
Figure 1. Insert tab
  1. Select Blank Page in the Pages group.
Blank Page button in Word 365
Figure 2. Blank Page button

Your blank page should be inserted into your document.

How to Delete a Blank Page in Microsoft Word

These steps show how to delete a blank page inserted using the steps above. If this method doesn’t work for you, please see the bonus section below for two additional deletion methods.

  1. Select the Home tab in the ribbon.
Home tab in Word 365
Figure 3. Home tab
  1. Select the Show/Hide button in the Paragraph group to show the hidden formatting marks in your document.
Show/Hide button in Word 365
Figure 4. Show/Hide button
  1. Place your cursor at the start of the page break automatically created when you inserted your blank page.

Important Note: Mac users may have to place their cursor at the end of the page break rather than the start in order to delete the break.

Cursor at the start of a Page Break in Word 365
Figure 5. Cursor at the start of a page break
  1. Press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the page break.
  2. (Optional) If your blank page was inserted between existing content rather than at the end of your document, also delete the page break automatically created after the existing content.

Your blank page should be deleted.

Two More Ways to Delete Blank Pages

Blank pages can be created by several other issues, including leftover section breaks and unnecessary paragraph marks.

Delete Blank Pages Created by Section Breaks

If your unwanted blank page was created by a section break, you must delete the section break to delete the blank page.

  1. Select the Show/Hide button in the Home tab (see figure 4) to locate the section break.
  2. Place your cursor at the start of the break and press the Delete key on your keyboard. (Mac users may have to place their cursor at the end of the break in order to delete it.)

Delete Blank Pages Created by Paragraph Marks

Blank pages can be created by unnecessary paragraph marks.

  1. Select the Show/Hide button in the Home tab (see figure 4) to locate the paragraph marks.
  2. Select the paragraph mark or place your cursor directly in front of it, and then press the Delete key on your keyboard until the blank page is removed.

Related Resources

How to Create a Cover Page in Microsoft Word (Built-In and Custom)

How to Create Newspaper-Style Columns in Microsoft Word

How to Insert Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word