How to Add Stylized Headers and Footers to Your Documents

Headers and footers let you repeat information on every page without typing it twice

A header is text or images that appears at the top of every page in your document. A footer is the same thing at the bottom. Once you add them, they update automatically across all pages — so if you add a page number to the footer, it numbers itself. You can style them differently from the body text: different fonts, colors, borders, or background shades.

The steps differ depending on which editor you use. Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and LibreOffice all have header and footer tools, but they live in different menus and work slightly differently. This guide covers the three most common editors and shows you how to add, format, and remove headers and footers in each one.

Key Takeaways

Headers and footers automatically repeat on every page, so you add the content once and it appears throughout your document.
Google Docs, Word, and LibreOffice all have built-in header and footer tools, but the menu locations and formatting options differ between them.
You can add page numbers, dates, document titles, or images to headers and footers, and style them with different fonts and colors than your body text.
Most editors let you make the first page header or footer different from the rest, which is useful for title pages or cover sheets.
Removing a header or footer is faster than deleting the text — you disable the header or footer entirely rather than clearing it manually.

Adding a header or footer in Google Docs

Open your document in Google Docs. Click the Insert menu at the top, then select Header & footer. A dropdown appears with three options: Header, Footer, or Page number. Click whichever you want to add first.

A box appears at the top or bottom of your page where you can type. Type your text directly — you can use the formatting toolbar above the box to change the font, size, color, or alignment. When you are done, click anywhere in the document body to close the header or footer editor. The header or footer now appears on every page.

To add both a header and a footer, repeat the process: go back to Insert > Header & footer and choose the one you did not add yet. To edit an existing header or footer, double-click it on any page, make your changes, and click the document body to close the editor.

Adding a header or footer in Microsoft Word

Open your document in Word. Click the Insert tab at the top of the ribbon. On the right side of the ribbon, you will see a Header button and a Footer button. Click Header first if you want to add one.

A menu drops down showing preset header designs — blank, with a line, with a colored box, and others. Click Blank if you want to start from scratch, or pick a design you like. A header box opens at the top of your page. Type your text and use the toolbar to format it. When you are done, click in the document body to close the header editor.

To add a footer, click the Footer button the same way. To edit an existing header or footer, double-click it on any page. To remove a header or footer entirely, click the Header or Footer button and select Remove Header or Remove Footer from the menu.

Adding a header or footer in LibreOffice Writer

Open your document in LibreOffice Writer. Click the Insert menu at the top. Scroll down and hover over Header and Footer — a submenu appears. Click Header, then select the page style you want to add a header to (usually Default Page Style). A header box opens at the top of your page.

Type your text and use the toolbar to format it. When you are done, click in the document body to close the header editor. To add a footer, go back to Insert > Header and Footer > Footer and select the same page style. To edit an existing header or footer, double-click it on any page.

To remove a header or footer in LibreOffice, click Insert > Header and Footer > Header (or Footer), select the page style, and click the checkbox next to it to uncheck it. This disables the header or footer without deleting the text.

Adding page numbers, dates, and other automatic fields

All three editors let you insert fields that update automatically. The most common is a page number — useful in footers so readers know which page they are on. In Google Docs, while editing a header or footer, click Insert > Page number and choose where to place it. In Word, click Insert > Page Numbers while the header or footer is open. In LibreOffice, click Insert > Fields > Page Number.

You can also insert the current date, document title, or author name. In Google Docs, click Insert and look for Date or Title. In Word, click Insert and find Date & Time or Document Info. In LibreOffice, click Insert > Fields and choose from the submenu. These fields update automatically — the date changes each day, and the page number adjusts if you add or remove pages.

Making the first page header or footer different

Many documents need a different header or footer on the first page — for example, a title page might have no header, or a cover sheet might have a different footer than the rest of the document. All three editors support this.

In Google Docs, while editing a header or footer, look for the checkbox labeled Different first page. Check it, and the first page header or footer becomes separate from the rest. Edit it as needed. In Word, double-click the header or footer on the first page, and you will see a checkbox labeled Different First Page in the ribbon. Check it to enable separate first-page headers or footers. In LibreOffice, right-click the header or footer and select Edit, then look for options to manage first-page settings in the page style dialog.

Styling headers and footers with colors, borders, and fonts

Headers and footers do not have to match your body text. You can add a background color, a border, or change the font entirely. In Google Docs, while editing the header or footer, select the text and use the toolbar buttons for font, size, color, and text alignment. You can also click the paint bucket icon to add a background color to the text itself.

In Word, the formatting toolbar works the same way — select text in the header or footer and use the ribbon to change the font, size, color, or add borders. To add a border around the entire header or footer, right-click the header or footer box and select Borders and Shading. In LibreOffice, select the text and use the toolbar, or right-click and choose Character or Paragraph to access more detailed formatting options like line spacing and indentation.

A common design choice is to add a thin line below the header or above the footer to separate it visually from the body text. In Word, you can do this by right-clicking the header or footer and selecting Borders and Shading, then choosing a bottom border. In Google Docs and LibreOffice, you can add a border by selecting the text and using the borders button in the toolbar.

Removing headers and footers

If you no longer want a header or footer, do not delete the text manually — disable the header or footer entirely. In Google Docs, click Insert > Header & footer and click the header or footer you want to remove. A menu appears; click the trash icon to delete it. In Word, click the Header or Footer button and select Remove Header or Remove Footer. In LibreOffice, click Insert > Header and Footer > Header (or Footer), select the page style, and uncheck the checkbox.

Disabling a header or footer is cleaner than deleting the text because it removes the header or footer box entirely from every page at once. If you delete the text manually, the empty box may still appear on some pages, especially if you have multiple page styles in your document.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different headers or footers on different pages?

Yes, if you use different page styles or sections. In Word, you can insert section breaks and then enable Different First Page or Link to Previous to control which pages share headers or footers. In Google Docs and LibreOffice, the easiest approach is to use the Different First Page option for the first page, then keep the rest the same. For more complex layouts, you may need to split your document into sections.

Can I add an image to a header or footer?

Yes. In Google Docs, click Insert > Image while editing the header or footer. In Word, click Insert > Pictures. In LibreOffice, click Insert > Image. The image will appear in the header or footer and repeat on every page. You can resize it by dragging the corners.

Why does my header or footer look different on different pages?

This usually happens if you have multiple page styles or section breaks in your document. Each section can have its own header or footer settings. Check whether Link to Previous is enabled in Word, or whether you have accidentally created a new page style in Google Docs or LibreOffice. Disabling section breaks or resetting to a single page style will make headers and footers consistent.

Can I use a header or footer in a Google Doc that is shared with others?

Yes. Headers and footers in shared Google Docs work the same way as in personal documents. Anyone with edit permission can modify the header or footer, so be careful if you are sharing with people you do not fully trust. Consider using view-only sharing if you want the header or footer to stay unchanged.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.