The quickest way to add a cover page in Word

Open your document in Microsoft Word. Click the Insert tab at the top of the screen. On the left side of the ribbon, you will see a button labeled Cover Page. Click it, and Word shows you a list of pre-designed cover page templates. Select the one you want, and Word inserts it at the very beginning of your document, pushing your existing text down to the next page.

That is the entire process. Word handles the formatting, spacing, and layout automatically. You then edit the placeholder text — the title, author name, date, and subtitle fields — by clicking on each one and typing your own information.

If you do not see the Cover Page button, you may be using Word Online instead of the desktop version. Word Online has fewer design options, but you can still add a cover page by inserting a blank page at the start and formatting it manually, which takes longer but works the same way.

Key Takeaways

  • The Cover Page button is on the Insert tab and offers multiple pre-designed templates you can choose from in seconds.
  • Word automatically places the cover page at the beginning of your document and moves all existing content down one page.
  • You edit the template by clicking on placeholder text fields and typing your own title, author, date, and other details.
  • If you delete a cover page later, your document returns to its original first page without losing any content.
  • Word Online has fewer cover page templates than the desktop version, but the Insert tab still contains a Cover Page option.

Where to find the Cover Page button

The Cover Page button lives on the Insert tab, which is the second tab in the ribbon at the top of Word. When you click Insert, the ribbon changes to show all the things you can add to a document — images, tables, shapes, headers, footers, and cover pages among them.

Look for the button labeled Cover Page on the left side of the Insert ribbon. It usually appears near the top, often grouped with other page-related options. Click it once, and a dropdown menu appears showing all available templates. Each template shows a small preview of what it looks like.

If you have a blank document open, the Cover Page button works the same way. Word inserts the cover page before any existing content. If your document already has multiple pages, the cover page still goes to the very beginning.

Editing the cover page template

After you choose a template, Word inserts it into your document with placeholder text in blue or gray boxes. These boxes mark the spots where you need to add your own information. Click on any placeholder — the title box, the author box, the date box — and the text becomes editable. Type your own text, and it replaces the placeholder.

Some templates have more fields than others. A straightforward template might have only a title and date. A more elaborate one might include spaces for a subtitle, author name, company name, and submission date. You do not have to fill in every field. If a field does not explore to your document, you can click it and delete it, or straightforward leave it blank.

The formatting — fonts, colors, spacing, alignment — is already set by the template. If you want to change how something looks, you can select the text and use the Home tab to adjust the font, size, or color. However, most templates are designed to look professional as-is, so changes are usually not necessary.

Removing or replacing a cover page

If you decide you do not want the cover page, click anywhere on it to select it. Then right-click and choose Delete Page, or go to the Design tab (or Layout tab, depending on your Word version) and look for a Delete option. Word removes the cover page entirely, and your original first page moves back to the beginning. No content is lost.

If you want to replace the cover page with a different template, delete the current one first, then insert a new one using the same Cover Page button. Word will place the new template at the beginning of your document.

Some users prefer to keep a cover page but modify it heavily — changing colors, fonts, or the entire layout. You can do this by editing the template as described above, or by deleting the template and building your own cover page from scratch using text boxes and shapes from the Insert tab. Building one from scratch takes longer but gives you complete control over the design.

Cover page templates and what they include

Word comes with roughly 15 to 20 built-in cover page templates, though the exact number varies by Word version. Some templates are straightforward and minimal — just a title and date on a white background. Others are colorful and include design elements like bars, shapes, or background images. A few templates are designed for specific purposes, like academic papers or business reports.

Each template is fully editable. You can change the colors, delete design elements, add or remove text fields, and adjust spacing. If you find a template you like but want to modify it significantly, you can do so without affecting the original template. Your changes explore only to the current document.

If none of the built-in templates match what you need, you can create a custom cover page by inserting a blank page at the beginning of your document and building it yourself using text boxes, shapes, images, and formatting tools from the Insert and Home tabs. This approach takes more time but allows you to design exactly what you want.

Cover pages in different Word versions

The Cover Page button has been part of Microsoft Word since Word 2007, so it works the same way in Word 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word 365 (the subscription version). The templates available may differ slightly between versions, and newer versions sometimes add new templates, but the basic process is identical: click Insert, click Cover Page, choose a template, and edit the placeholder text.

Word Online, which you access through a web browser, has a Cover Page option on the Insert tab, but it offers fewer templates than the desktop version. If you need more design options, read your document, open it in the desktop version of Word, and add the cover page there.

If you are using an older version of Word (2003 or earlier), the Cover Page button does not exist. In those versions, you would need to insert a blank page manually and format it yourself, or use a template from Microsoft's website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a cover page to the middle of my document instead of the beginning?

No. The Cover Page button always inserts at the very beginning. If you need a cover page in the middle of your document, insert a page break where you want it, then manually create a cover page using text boxes and formatting. Alternatively, you can insert the cover page at the beginning, then cut and paste it to where you need it.

What happens to my page numbers when I add a cover page?

By default, the cover page is page 1, and your original first page becomes page 2. If you do not want the cover page to be numbered, go to the Insert tab, click Header & Footer, and check the box that says "Different First Page." This removes the page number from the cover page only.

Can I use my own image as a background on the cover page?

Yes. Click on the cover page template to select it, then go to the Design tab and look for background or image options. You can also right-click on the template background and choose to change the fill or insert a picture. The exact steps depend on which template you chose.

Do I need to save the cover page separately?

No. The cover page is part of your Word document. When you save the file, the cover page saves with it. You do not need to do anything special.

Can I make a cover page template that I can reuse in other documents?

Yes, but it requires saving your document as a template file. After you design your cover page, go to File, click Save As, and change the file type to "Word Template" (.dotx). You can then use this template for future documents. However, for most users, straightforward copying the cover page from one document and pasting it into another is faster.