Erin Wright Writing

Writing-Related Software Tutorials

How to Insert Headers and Footers on Specific Pages in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)

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Modern office space with text overly "How to Insert Headers and Footers on Specific Pages in Microsoft Word"This tutorial shows how to insert headers and footers on specific pages in Microsoft Word. For example, you may want to have a different header and footer for each chapter in your document.

The bonus section at the end shows how to remove the header and footer from the first page of the document or the first page of the section.

If you need a refresher on inserting, editing, and deleting headers and footers, please see my previous tutorial “How to Insert Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word.”

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

Watch more than 100 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac (a.k.a., Word for Mac).

How to Insert Headers and Footers on Specific Pages

The following steps will insert headers and footers on specific pages in Microsoft Word documents with or without existing headers and footers.

  1. Select the Home tab in the ribbon.
Home tab in Word 365
Figure 1. Home tab
  1. Select the Show/Hide button to show your formatting marks.
Show/Hide button in Word 365
Figure 2. Show/Hide button
  1. Select the Layout tab in the ribbon.
Layout tab in Word 365
Figure 3. Layout tab
  1. Place your cursor at the beginning of the page where you want the header or footer to start.
Cursor at start of page to insert headers and footers on specific pages in Microsoft Word
Figure 4. Cursor at start of page
  1. Select the Breaks button in the Page Setup group.
Breaks button in Word 365
Figure 5. Breaks button
  1. Select the Next Page section break from the drop-down menu.
Next Page option in the Breaks menu in Word 365
Figure 6. Next Page section break option

The section break should appear at the bottom of the previous page.

Next Page section break required to insert headers and footers on specific pages in Microsoft Word
Figure 7. Next Page section break in text
  1. Double-click in the header or footer area of the page where you want new headers or footers to start.
Header area in Word 365
Figure 8. Header area

Double-clicking opens the Header & Footer tab, which only appears when the headers or footers are selected.

  1. Deselect the Link to Previous button to disconnect the headers or footers in the section you just created from the previous section. When this button is deselected, its background color changes from dark gray to a light gray matching the rest of the ribbon.
Link to Previous button in Word 365
Figure 9. Link to Previous button

Important Notes about the Link to Previous Button

Deselecting the Link to Previous button only disconnects the headers or footers—it doesn’t disconnect the headers and footers.

The Link to Previous button will also disconnect any page numbers in the headers or footers. Please see “How to Start Page Numbers on a Specific Page in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)” for more information.

Skip to Step 11 if you have existing headers or footers.

  1. Select the Header or Footer button in the Header & Footer group.
Header and Footer buttons in the Header and Footer tab in Word 365
Figure 10. Header and Footer buttons
  1. Select a style from the drop-down menu.
Header menu in the Header and Footer tab in Word 365
Figure 11. Header menu
  1. Enter your information into the header or footer placeholders or replace existing text.
Replacement header text in Word 365
Figure 12. Replacement header text
  1. Select the Close Header and Footer button.
Close Header and Footer button in Word 365
Figure 13. Close Header and Footer button

The headers or footers you just created should now be different than the headers or footers in the previous section.

  1. Repeat steps 3 through 12 until you have created new headers or footers in each of your sections, as necessary.
  2. Reselect the Show/Hide button in the Home tab to hide your formatting marks (see figure 2).

How to Remove the Header and Footer from the First Page of the Document or Section

You may want to remove the header and footer from the first page of your document if it is a cover page or the first page of the section if it is a title page.

Important Note: Removing the header and footer will also remove the existing page number from the first page of the document or section.
  1. Place your cursor in the first page of the document or the first page of the section.
  2. Double-click inside the header or footer area to open the Header & Footer tab (see figure 8).
  3. Select Different First Page in the Options group.
Different First Page Option in Word 365
Figure 14. Different First Page option

The header and footer should be removed from the first page of the document or section.

  1. Select the Close Header and Footer button (see figure 13).

Related Resources

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

How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word