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 almost every version of Word, from 2010 onward.
If you prefer using the menu instead, go to the Insert tab at the top, click Page Break, and Word will create a new page right where your cursor sits. The keyboard shortcut does the same thing faster.
Word will not add blank pages on its own — you have to tell it to. If you just press Enter repeatedly to push text down, you are creating empty space within the same page, not a new page. That matters because page breaks stay in the right place when you edit, but pressing Enter does not.
Key Takeaways
- Use Ctrl+Enter (Windows) or Command+Enter (Mac) to add a new page with a single keystroke.
- A page break is different from pressing Enter — it stays in place when you edit, while empty lines shift around.
- You can see where your page breaks are by turning on formatting marks in the View menu.
- If you accidentally create a page break, delete it by clicking at the start of the next page and pressing Backspace.
Where page breaks appear and how to see them
When you insert a page break, Word marks the spot with a line that says "Page Break" — but you have to turn on formatting marks to see it. Go to the Home tab, look for the ¶ symbol (called the pilcrow), and click it. Now you will see dots for spaces, arrows for tabs, and a dotted line labeled "Page Break" wherever you inserted one.
Seeing these marks is useful because it shows you exactly where your pages divide. If you have a page break in the middle of a paragraph or table, you will spot it right away. If you turn the marks back off, the page breaks are still there — you just cannot see them anymore.
Some people leave formatting marks on all the time so they always know what is in their document. Others turn them on only when they need to troubleshoot. Either way, the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+8 (Windows) or Command+Option+8 (Mac) toggles them on and off without opening a menu.
Removing a page break you do not want
If you added a page break by accident, delete it by clicking at the very start of the page that comes after the break, then pressing Backspace once. Word will remove the page break and pull the content back up to the previous page.
This works only if your cursor is at the beginning of the line — if you click in the middle of a paragraph, Backspace will delete the character before your cursor instead. The easiest way to be sure you are at the start is to turn on formatting marks first, so you can see exactly where the page break is, then click right before it and press Backspace.
The difference between page breaks and section breaks
A page break starts a new page with the same formatting as the page before it — same margins, same header and footer, same column layout. A section break starts a new page and lets you change the formatting for that section only. Most of the time you want a page break.
You would use a section break if you wanted, for example, the first page of your document in one column and the rest in two columns, or if you wanted different headers on different pages. Section breaks are in the same Insert menu, but they are labeled as "Breaks" with a dropdown arrow. For a straightforward new page, stick with the page break.
Adding pages in the middle of your document
Click anywhere in the line where you want the new page to start, then press Ctrl+Enter. Word will insert a page break right there and move everything after it to the new page. You do not have to click at the very beginning of a line — Word figures out where to split.
This is useful when you are writing a document with chapters or sections and you want each one to start on a fresh page. Instead of manually spacing things out with Enter, use page breaks. If you later edit the text and add or remove paragraphs, the page breaks stay in the right place.
Why page breaks matter for editing and printing
When you use page breaks instead of empty lines, your document stays organized even when you make changes. If you add a paragraph to page one, page two automatically moves down — the page break moves with it. If you had created the page break by pressing Enter five times, those empty lines would stay in place, and your new paragraph might push text awkwardly into the middle of a page.
Page breaks also matter when you print or share your document. If someone opens your file on a different computer with different fonts or margins, the pages might reflow — but the page breaks will still be in the same place. Empty lines might end up in the wrong spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add multiple pages at once?
No, Word adds one page break at a time. If you need several new blank pages, press Ctrl+Enter once for each page you want. There is no shortcut to add five pages in one action.
What if I want a blank page in the middle of my document?
Insert a page break where you want the blank page to start. If the page before it has content that does not fill the whole page, Word will leave the rest of that page blank, then start your new content on the next page. You cannot force a completely blank page unless you insert a page break and then leave that page empty.
Does adding a page break change my document size?
No. A page break just tells Word where to divide the pages — it does not add any content. Your document file size stays the same, and the total number of words does not change.
Can I undo a page break if I change my mind?
Yes. Press Ctrl+Z to undo your last action, including a page break you just inserted. If you inserted the page break a while ago, you can click at the start of the page after the break and press Backspace to remove it.