The fastest way to add a page in Word
Press Ctrl+Enter (Windows) or Command+Enter (Mac) to insert a page break and start a new page when ready. This is the method most people use because it works the same way in every version of Word and takes one keystroke.
If you prefer using the menu, click the Insert tab at the top, then click Page Break in the Pages group. The result is identical — Word moves everything after your cursor to a fresh page.
The difference between a page break and just pressing Enter repeatedly matters. A page break is a single command that Word recognizes as "start a new page here." Pressing Enter many times just adds blank space, which means if you edit the document later and text shifts, your blank space might end up in the middle of a paragraph instead of at a page boundary.
Key Takeaways
- Use Ctrl+Enter (or Command+Enter on Mac) to add a page break — this is faster than using the menu and works in all Word versions.
- A page break is a single command, not repeated Enter presses, so your pages stay properly separated even after you edit the document.
- You can see where page breaks are by turning on formatting marks in the View tab, which shows a page break as a dotted line with the words "Page Break".
- If you accidentally add a page break, click right before it and press Delete to remove it.
- Section breaks are different from page breaks and are used when you need different formatting (like different margins or headers) on different pages.
Where the page break actually goes
The page break appears wherever your cursor is positioned when you press the keyboard shortcut or click the button. If your cursor is in the middle of a sentence, Word splits that sentence — the part before the cursor stays on the current page, and the part after the cursor moves to the new page.
This is usually not what you want. Before you insert a page break, click at the end of the paragraph or section where you want the page to end. Then insert the break. Your text will flow naturally, with the new page starting at the beginning of the next paragraph.
If you insert a break in the wrong spot, you can undo it when ready by pressing Ctrl+Z (or Command+Z on Mac), or you can click right before the page break and press Delete to remove it.
Seeing page breaks on your screen
By default, Word does not show you where page breaks are. You might insert one and then wonder later whether it is actually there. To see all page breaks in your document, click the View tab and turn on Formatting Marks (the button that looks like a pilcrow, or ¶). Page breaks now appear as a dotted line across the page with the words "Page Break" in the middle.
Formatting marks also show you other invisible characters — spaces appear as dots, tabs as arrows, and paragraph marks as pilcrows. Many writers leave this on all the time because it makes it obvious where you have pressed Enter versus where a page break exists. You can turn it off the same way you turned it on.
When to use a section break instead
A section break is different from a page break. Use a page break when you straightforward want to start a new page with the same formatting as the rest of your document. Use a section break when you need different formatting on different pages — for example, different margins, different headers and footers, different column layouts, or different page orientation (portrait versus landscape).
To insert a section break, click Insert, then click the small arrow next to Page Break to see the menu. Choose the type of section break you need: Continuous (starts a new section on the same page), Next Page (starts a new section on a new page), Odd Page (starts on the next odd-numbered page), or Even Page (starts on the next even-numbered page).
Most people never need section breaks. If you are writing a straightforward document, page breaks are all you need.
Adding multiple pages at once
If you need to add several blank pages to your document, you can insert multiple page breaks in sequence. Click where you want the first new page to start, then press Ctrl+Enter once for each page you want to add. Each keystroke creates one page break.
Alternatively, you can type the number of pages you want, then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to insert that many pages at once — though this method is less reliable across different Word versions and is not worth learning if you only need to add a page or two.
Removing a page break you no longer need
If you added a page break and later decide you do not want it, the fix is straightforward. Click right before the page break (you can see it if you have formatting marks turned on) and press Delete. The page break disappears, and the text from the next page flows back up to fill the space.
If you cannot see the page break, turn on formatting marks first. Then you can see exactly where it is and delete it precisely. Do not try to delete a page break by pressing Backspace from the beginning of the next page — this works sometimes but is unreliable.
Why your document might have unexpected page breaks
Sometimes Word adds page breaks automatically without you asking. This usually happens because of formatting settings, not because you inserted a break. For example, if you have set a paragraph to "Page Break Before" in the paragraph formatting menu, Word will always start a new page before that paragraph.
To check whether a paragraph has this setting, right-click the paragraph and choose Paragraph. Click the Line and Page Breaks tab and look for a checkbox next to "Page Break Before". If it is checked, uncheck it. You can also check "Widow/Orphan Control" — if this is on, Word may add page breaks to prevent single lines of text from appearing alone at the top or bottom of a page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a page without using a page break?
Technically yes, but you should not. Pressing Enter many times will move text to a new page, but Word does not recognize it as a page break. If you edit the document later, the blank space might end up in the middle of a paragraph. Always use a page break instead.
What is the difference between Ctrl+Enter and just clicking Insert Page Break?
There is no difference in the result — both create the same page break. Ctrl+Enter is just faster because you do not have to move your mouse to the menu.
Can I delete a page break by selecting it and pressing Delete?
Yes, if you can see it. Turn on formatting marks first so the page break is visible, then click on the dotted line and press Delete. Clicking directly on the page break itself (not just before it) makes deletion more reliable.
Does adding a page break change the file size of my document?
Slightly, but not enough to matter. A page break is a single invisible character, so it adds almost nothing to the file size. You can add hundreds of page breaks without noticing any difference in how fast the document opens or saves.
What happens to page breaks if I convert my Word document to PDF?
Page breaks stay exactly where they are. The PDF will have the same page structure as your Word document. If you want to change where pages break in the PDF, you need to edit the Word document first, then convert it again.