This tutorial shows how to start page numbers on a specific page in Microsoft Word.
Do you need a refresher on page numbers? Please see “How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word” or “How to Add Page Numbers in Word for Mac” to learn how to add and format page numbers, remove the page number from the first page, and start the second page with page number 1.
This tutorial is available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.
Watch more than 200 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.
The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps will also work in Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word for Mac (Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac). These steps don’t apply to Word for the web.
How to Start Page Numbers on a Specific Page
The following steps will work in documents with or without existing page numbers.
- Select the Home tab in the ribbon.
- Select the Show/Hide button to show your formatting marks.
- Select the Layout tab in the ribbon.
- Place your cursor at the beginning of the page where you want the page numbers to start.
- Select the Breaks button in the Page Setup group.
- Select the Next Page section break from the drop-down menu.
The section break should appear at the bottom of the previous page.
- Double-click in the header or footer area of the page where you want the page numbers to start. Double-clicking opens the Header & Footer tab, which only appears when the headers or footers are selected.
- 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.
- Select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group.
- Select Format Page Numbers from the drop-down menu.
- (Optional) Select an option from the Number format menu in the Page Number Format dialog box if you want to use a different format than your existing page numbers.
- Select the Start at radio button.
- Enter the starting page number in the Start at text box.
You can enter a page number that does not physically exist in your document. For example, if your document is nine pages long, you can still start with page number 90.
- Select the OK button.
If you have existing page numbers, the section you just created should now start with the number you entered into the Page Number Format dialog box.
If you don’t have existing page numbers, continue to add them as shown in “How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word.”
- Select the Close Header and Footer button.
- Reselect the Show/Hide button in the Home tab to hide your formatting marks (see figure 2).
Pro Tip: After inserting your new page numbers, remember to update your table of contents.
Related Resources
How to Insert Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word
How to Insert Section Breaks in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)
How to Insert Page Breaks in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)
Updated December 11, 2022