The fastest way to remove a blank or unwanted page
To delete a page in Microsoft Word, select all the content on that page and press Delete or Backspace. If the page is blank, place your cursor at the top of it, then hold Shift and press Ctrl+End to select everything from that point to the end of the document, then press Delete. For a page in the middle of your document, click at the start of the page you want to remove, then use Shift+Page Down to select the entire page, and press Delete.
The reason this matters for privacy: when you delete visible text, Word's track changes feature (if enabled) can still record what was removed. If you share the document with others, they may be able to see deletions you made. Before sharing, go to Review > Track Changes > Accept All Changes to finalize edits, or turn off Track Changes entirely if you do not want a record of what you removed.
Word also keeps deleted content in the undo history until you close the file. If someone gains access to your computer while the file is open, they can undo your deletions and see what you removed. Closing the file without saving preserves the undo history; saving the file locks in your deletions.
Key Takeaways
- Select the page content and press Delete or Backspace — the method depends on whether the page is blank or contains text.
- Track Changes records deletions even after you remove text, so turn it off or accept all changes before sharing the document.
- Deleted content stays in the undo history while the file is open, so close without saving if you want to hide what you removed.
- Blank pages often come from extra paragraph marks or page breaks, not from empty space, so you may need to delete the formatting mark itself.
Deleting a page that contains text
Click anywhere on the page you want to delete. Then press Ctrl+A three times in quick succession — the first press selects the current paragraph, the second selects the current section, and the third selects the entire document. Instead, use a more precise method: click at the very beginning of the page, hold Shift, then click at the end of the page. This selects only that page's content.
Once the page is selected, press Delete or Backspace. The text disappears, and if the page was the only content on that page, the page itself is removed from the document. If text from the next page moves up to fill the space, that is normal — Word reflows content automatically.
Deleting a blank page
Blank pages are usually caused by extra paragraph marks, page breaks, or section breaks, not by empty space. To find what is creating the blank page, turn on formatting marks: press Ctrl+* (or Ctrl+Shift+8 on some keyboards). You will see paragraph symbols (¶), page break symbols, and section break symbols displayed on screen.
Look for a paragraph mark or page break symbol on the blank page. Click right before it and press Delete. If the blank page disappears, you have found the culprit. If multiple paragraph marks are stacked, delete them one at a time until the blank page is gone. If you see a page break symbol (a line labeled "Page Break"), click on it and press Delete to remove the break itself.
After you delete the formatting mark, turn off the display of formatting marks by pressing Ctrl+* again. The blank page should now be gone, and your document should have one fewer page.
Handling pages at the end of your document
If the blank page is at the very end of your document, place your cursor on that page and press Ctrl+End to jump to the absolute end of the document. Then press Backspace repeatedly to delete any trailing paragraph marks or page breaks. Word documents always end with at least one paragraph mark, so you may not be able to delete the final mark — that is expected behavior.
If you have a blank page before the final page, it is usually a page break or section break left over from editing. Use the formatting marks method described above to find and delete it.
Track Changes and what others can see
If Track Changes is turned on (you can see "Track Changes" highlighted in the Review tab), every deletion you make is recorded. When you delete text, Word marks it as deleted rather than removing it completely. Anyone who opens the document can see what was deleted, who deleted it, and when — even if you pressed Delete on your keyboard.
To turn off Track Changes before you delete, go to the Review tab and click Track Changes to toggle it off. The button should no longer be highlighted. Now deletions will not be recorded. If you have already made deletions with Track Changes on, go to Review > Accept All Changes to finalize them. This removes the deletion marks and makes the removals permanent in the document.
Before sharing a document with anyone, check the Review tab for Track Changes. If it is on, either turn it off and re-save, or accept all changes. Otherwise, the recipient will see a record of everything you deleted.
Undo history and what stays on your computer
When you delete content in Word, it goes into the undo history. As long as the file is open, you (or anyone with access to your computer) can press Ctrl+Z to undo the deletion and see what was removed. This undo history is stored in your computer's memory while the file is open.
Once you close the file, the undo history is discarded — unless you save the file first. If you save after deleting, the deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. If you close without saving, the undo history is lost, but the file reverts to its last saved state, so your deletions are undone anyway.
If you want to delete content and make sure no one can recover it from the undo history, close the file without saving. Be aware that this also undoes any other changes you made since the last save. If you want to keep other changes but hide specific deletions, save the file after deleting, then close it. The deletion is now permanent and cannot be recovered through undo.
Deleting pages from a document with multiple sections
Documents with different headers, footers, or column layouts often use section breaks to separate pages. If you delete a page that is part of a section, you may accidentally delete the section break, which can change the formatting of the pages around it.
To avoid this, turn on formatting marks first (Ctrl+*) so you can see section breaks. They appear as lines labeled "Section Break (Continuous)" or "Section Break (Next Page)". If you need to delete a page but keep the section break, select only the content on the page, not the section break itself, and press Delete. If you want to remove the section break too, click on the break line and press Delete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a blank page keep coming back after I delete it?
A blank page usually returns because there is a page break or section break creating it, or because a table or image is pushing content to the next page. Turn on formatting marks (Ctrl+*) to see what is causing the page. If it is a page break, click on it and delete it. If it is a table at the end of the document, click after the table and delete any extra paragraph marks.
Can I delete a page without losing the text on it?
Yes. Cut the text instead of deleting it: select the content, press Ctrl+X, then delete the page. The text is now in your clipboard and you can paste it elsewhere. Alternatively, copy the text (Ctrl+C) before deleting the page, so you have a backup in your clipboard.
What if I accidentally deleted a page I needed?
Press Ctrl+Z when ready to undo the deletion. If you have already closed the file, open it again — as long as you did not save after deleting, the file will revert to its last saved state with the page intact. If you saved after deleting, the page is gone from that file, but you may have an earlier version in your recent files or in OneDrive if you use it.
Does deleting a page in Word delete it from my computer permanently?
No. Deleting a page from a Word document only removes it from that file. The file itself stays on your computer until you delete the file. If you want to permanently remove a file from your computer, right-click it and select Delete, then empty your Recycle Bin.
Why does Word show a page break symbol when I delete content?
A page break symbol appears when you have manually inserted a page break (using Ctrl+Enter or Insert > Page Break). Deleting the text before it does not remove the break itself. Click on the page break symbol and press Delete to remove it, or turn off formatting marks if you do not want to see it.