Find and delete a section break in three steps
A section break in Word is an invisible marker that tells the program a new section starts — usually because you want different page numbering, headers, footers, or margins in that part of the document. To delete one, you need to see where it is first, then remove it. Word hides section breaks by default, so the first step is turning on the formatting marks that show them.
Open your document and press Ctrl + A to select all text (or Cmd + A on Mac). Then press Ctrl + Shift + 8 (or Cmd + Option + 8 on Mac) to show all formatting marks. Section breaks appear as a line of text that says "Section Break (Next Page)", "Section Break (Continuous)", or "Section Break (Even Page)" — the type depends on how it was created. Once you see it, click directly on that line and press Delete or Backspace. The section break disappears, and the two sections merge.
After you delete a section break, the section that comes after it inherits the formatting from the section before it. If you had different margins or headers in the second section, they will change to match the first section now. This is why Word asks you to confirm the deletion sometimes — it is warning you that formatting will shift.
Key Takeaways
- Section breaks are invisible by default; press Ctrl + Shift + 8 (Windows) or Cmd + Option + 8 (Mac) to see them as text on the page.
- Click directly on the section break line and press Delete to remove it; the two sections will merge and the second section will take on the formatting of the first.
- Deleting a section break changes the formatting of everything after it, so check your margins, headers, and page numbering after you remove one.
- If you delete a section break by accident, press Ctrl + Z when ready to undo and restore it.
Why section breaks exist and when you might want to remove one
Section breaks let you have different formatting rules in different parts of the same document. A common reason to use one is if your first page needs no header or footer, but pages two onward do. Another is if you want the introduction in single-column format and the main text in two columns. You might also use a section break to restart page numbering — for example, to number the introduction with Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) and the main chapters with regular numbers (1, 2, 3).
You delete a section break when you no longer need that formatting difference. If you added a section break to separate an introduction from the main text, but then you decide the whole document should look the same, removing the break merges them back together and applies one set of formatting rules to the whole thing.
The difference between section break types
Word offers three types of section breaks, and knowing which one you have helps you understand what will happen when you delete it. A Next Page break forces the new section to start on a fresh page — this is the most common type. A Continuous break starts the new section on the same page, which is useful if you want different column counts or margins without a page jump. An Even Page break forces the new section to start on an even-numbered page, often used in books where chapters always begin on the right side.
When you delete any of these breaks, the formatting difference ends, but the page layout may shift. If you had a Next Page break and delete it, the text that was on the next page may now flow back onto the previous page if there is room. If you had a Continuous break and delete it, the column count or margin change disappears when ready.
What happens to headers and footers when you delete a section break
Headers and footers are often the reason section breaks exist in the first place. If your document has a different header on page one than on the rest of the pages, there is a section break between them. When you delete that break, the header from the first section applies to the entire document — so if page one had no header and pages two onward had a header with your name and the date, deleting the break removes the header from all pages.
Before you delete a section break that controls headers or footers, scroll through your document and note what each section's header looks like. That way you will know what to expect after the deletion. If you realize you made a mistake, undo the deletion right away with Ctrl + Z.
Deleting multiple section breaks at once
If your document has many section breaks and you want to remove all of them, you can do this faster using Find and Replace. Press Ctrl + H to open the Find and Replace dialog. Click More (or Options on Mac) to expand the menu, then click Special and choose Section Break from the list. Leave the Replace field empty and click Replace All. Word will delete every section break in the document at once.
This approach is risky if your document relies on section breaks for formatting — you may end up with a document that looks completely different. Use it only if you are certain you want all sections merged into one. If you are unsure, delete section breaks one at a time instead, checking the result after each deletion.
Undo a deleted section break if you change your mind
If you delete a section break and then realize the formatting is wrong, press Ctrl + Z when ready to undo. Word keeps a history of your recent changes, so as long as you have not closed the document or made many other edits, undo will restore the break. If you have already made other changes and want to go back further, press Ctrl + Z multiple times or click the undo arrow in the toolbar and select the specific action you want to reverse.
If you closed the document without saving after the deletion, the break is gone for good — Word does not recover unsaved changes. This is why it is a good habit to save your document before making big formatting changes, then save again after you confirm the result looks right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a section break without losing the text?
Yes. Deleting a section break only removes the formatting boundary — all the text stays in the document. The text that was in the second section straightforward becomes part of the first section and takes on its formatting rules.
What if I delete a section break and the page numbers go wrong?
If your page numbering was set to restart at a section break, deleting the break will make the numbering continuous again. To fix this, you can add a new section break where you want the numbering to restart, then right-click the page number and choose "Format Page Numbers" to set it to start at a specific number.
Why does my document look different after I delete a section break?
The section after the break inherited different formatting — different margins, columns, headers, or page orientation. When you delete the break, that section now uses the formatting from the section before it, so the whole document looks uniform. This is expected behavior.
Can I delete a section break on a Mac the same way as Windows?
Yes, the process is the same, but the keyboard shortcut to show formatting marks is different. On Mac, press Cmd + Option + 8 instead of Ctrl + Shift + 8. Once you see the section breaks, click on one and press Delete to remove it, just like on Windows.
Is there a way to see section breaks without turning on all formatting marks?
Not in the standard view. Turning on formatting marks shows all invisible characters — spaces, tabs, paragraph marks, and section breaks together. You can turn them off again once you have found and deleted the break you need, or leave them on if you find them helpful for editing.