The simplest way to add a page in Word
To add a new blank page in Microsoft Word, press Ctrl+Enter on Windows or Command+Enter on Mac. Word will when ready insert a page break and move your cursor to the top of the new page. This works whether you are in the middle of typing or at the end of your document.
If you prefer using the menu instead, go to the Insert tab at the top of the window, then click Page Break. The result is identical — Word creates a fresh page and positions your cursor there, ready for you to start typing.
The keyboard shortcut is faster once you remember it, but both methods do the same thing. Use whichever feels more natural to you.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl+Enter (Windows) or Command+Enter (Mac) to insert a page break and create a new page when ready.
- You can also use the Insert menu and click Page Break if you prefer not to use keyboard shortcuts.
- A page break is different from pressing Enter repeatedly — it forces the text to move to a fresh page instead of just adding blank lines.
- Page breaks stay in place even if you edit the text above them, so your document structure remains stable as you revise.
Why a page break is better than pressing Enter many times
When you need a new page, it is tempting to just press Enter over and over until you reach the bottom of the current page. This creates a problem: if you later edit the text above those blank lines, the spacing collapses and your new page moves up or disappears entirely. A page break, by contrast, is a permanent instruction that says "start a new page here, no matter what."
Word treats a page break as a single character in your document. You can see it if you turn on formatting marks — go to the Home tab and click the ¶ symbol. A page break appears as a dotted line with the words "Page Break" inside it. This makes it straightforward to find and delete if you change your mind later.
Where the page break actually appears in your document
When you insert a page break, Word places it at the exact spot where your cursor is sitting. Everything before the break stays on the current page (or pages), and everything after the break moves to a new page. If your cursor is in the middle of a paragraph, the break splits that paragraph — the first half stays above, and the second half moves below.
This is usually not what you want. Before inserting a page break, click at the very end of the line or paragraph where you want the page to end. Then press Ctrl+Enter. This keeps your text together and makes the document easier to read.
Removing a page break you no longer need
If you insert a page break and later decide you do not need it, you can delete it. First, turn on formatting marks by clicking the ¶ symbol in the Home tab. You will now see the page break displayed as a dotted line. Click directly on that line to position your cursor there, then press Delete or Backspace. The page break vanishes, and the text below it moves up to fill the space.
If you cannot see the page break even with formatting marks turned on, it may be hidden in a section break or a table. In that case, use Find and Replace: press Ctrl+H, click More Options, then check Find All Formatting and search for "^m" (the code for a page break). Word will highlight every page break in your document so you can navigate to the one you want to remove.
Page breaks versus section breaks — when you need each one
Word offers two similar but different tools: a page break and a section break. A page break straightforward moves your cursor to a new page. A section break does that and also lets you change formatting — like margins, headers, or page numbering — starting from that new page.
For most documents, a regular page break is all you need. Use a section break only if you want different formatting on different pages. For example, if your document has a title page with no page number, followed by chapters that start numbering at page 1, you would use a section break between them. To insert a section break, go to Insert, click Page Break, and select Section Breaks from the dropdown menu.
What happens when you print a document with page breaks
Page breaks in Word do not print as visible lines or marks. When you print your document, Word straightforward starts a new sheet of paper where the page break is located. The page break itself does not appear on the printed page — only the text does.
This is why page breaks are reliable: they control where your pages divide without adding any visible content. If you want to see how your document will look when printed, use Print Preview. Go to File, then click Print. The preview pane on the right shows you exactly where each page will break.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I insert a page break in the middle of a sentence?
Yes, but it will split your sentence across two pages. Word allows page breaks anywhere in a document. If you want to keep a sentence together on one page, position your cursor at the end of the sentence or paragraph before inserting the break.
Does a page break affect the file size of my document?
No. A page break is stored as a single character in your document and adds almost no size. Even a document with hundreds of page breaks will be only slightly larger than one without them.
What if I want to start a new page but keep the same header and footer?
A regular page break will do this automatically. Your header and footer stay the same across all pages unless you insert a section break and change the header or footer settings for that section.
Can I see all the page breaks in my document at once?
Yes. Turn on formatting marks by clicking the ¶ symbol in the Home tab. Every page break will appear as a dotted line labeled "Page Break." You can then scroll through your document and see exactly where each break is located.