Sections let you explore different formatting to different parts of the same document

A section in Word is a container that holds its own page setup, headers, footers, and column layout. Without sections, every page in your document follows the same rules. With sections, you can have page 1 in portrait orientation and pages 2–4 in landscape, or add a header only to certain pages, or switch from single-column text to three-column text mid-document. Sections are the tool that lets you break those formatting rules without starting a new file.

The most common reason to create a section is to change page orientation or margins partway through. The second most common is to add headers or footers to some pages but not others. You create a section by inserting a section break at the point where you want the formatting to change.

Key Takeaways

  • A section break marks the point where formatting changes, and each section can have its own page orientation, margins, headers, and column layout.
  • You insert a section break by going to Layout > Breaks and choosing the type of break that matches what you want (Continuous, Next Page, Odd Page, or Even Page).
  • After you insert a break, click into the new section and change its formatting—the old section stays unchanged.
  • Headers and footers are linked between sections by default, so you must unlink them if you want different headers on different pages.
  • You can see all section breaks in your document by turning on formatting marks (Ctrl+* on Windows, Cmd+8 on Mac).

The four types of section breaks and when to use each

Word offers four kinds of section breaks, and the one you choose determines where the new section starts. A Continuous break starts the new section on the same page, which is useful when you want to change from one column to two columns without a page gap. A Next Page break pushes the new section to the next page, which is what you want when you change orientation or add a new chapter. An Odd Page break starts the new section on the next odd-numbered page, and an Even Page break starts it on the next even-numbered page—these are mainly for printed books where chapters always start on the right-hand page.

For most documents, you will use either Continuous or Next Page. If you are switching from portrait to landscape, use Next Page. If you are keeping the same page orientation but changing the number of columns or margins, Continuous usually works better because it does not waste blank space.

How to insert a section break

Open your document and click at the exact spot where you want the formatting to change. This is the end of the old section and the beginning of the new one. Then go to the Layout tab (called Page Layout in older versions of Word). Click Breaks, and a dropdown menu appears with your four options. Click the break type you need.

Word inserts the break invisibly by default. To see where all your section breaks are, turn on formatting marks by pressing Ctrl+* on Windows or Cmd+8 on Mac. Section breaks show up as a line of text that says "Section Break (Continuous)" or "Section Break (Next Page)" depending on the type. You can delete a section break by clicking on it and pressing Delete—this merges the two sections back together and the second section takes on the formatting of the first.

Changing formatting in a specific section

After you insert a section break, click anywhere in the new section. Then open the Layout tab and change the margins, orientation, or column layout as needed. Only that section changes. The section before the break keeps its old formatting, and any section after the new one keeps whatever formatting it had.

If you want to change margins for just one section, go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins, and at the bottom of the dialog box you will see a dropdown that says "explore to:". Make sure it says "This section" rather than "Whole document". The same rule applies to orientation: go to Layout > Orientation, and the change applies only to whichever section your cursor is in.

Unlinking headers and footers between sections

By default, headers and footers are linked across all sections. This means if you type text into the header of section 1, that same text appears in the header of section 2, section 3, and every other section. If you want different headers on different pages, you must unlink them.

Click into the header of the section where you want a different header. Double-click the header area at the top of the page to open it for editing. On the Header & Footer Tools Design tab, you will see a button called Link to Previous. Click it to turn off the link. Now you can type a new header for this section without affecting the others. Repeat this for each section that needs its own header. The same process works for footers—double-click the footer area and click Link to Previous to unlink it.

Common section formatting tasks

To change a document from portrait to landscape partway through, insert a Next Page section break at the point where you want to switch. Click into the new section and go to Layout > Orientation > Landscape. The pages before the break stay portrait; the pages after stay landscape until the next section break.

To add a header only to certain pages, insert a Next Page section break before the first page that should have a header. Click into that section's header, unlink it from the previous section, and type your header text. Pages before the break will have no header (or will keep their old header if one existed).

To switch from single-column to multi-column text, insert a Continuous section break where you want the columns to start. Click into the new section and go to Layout > Columns, then choose how many columns you want. The text before the break stays single-column; the text after flows into multiple columns on the same page.

Troubleshooting sections that do not behave as expected

If a section break is not working the way you expected, first turn on formatting marks to see exactly where the break is. Sometimes a break ends up in the middle of a paragraph instead of at the end of a line, which can cause unexpected behavior. Delete the break and reinsert it in the correct location.

If you change formatting in a section and it affects the whole document, you probably forgot to click into the new section before making the change. Click into the section you want to modify, confirm your cursor is in that section by looking at the status bar at the bottom (it often shows which section you are in), and try again. If headers or footers are still linked when you want them separate, make sure you clicked Link to Previous to turn off the link—clicking it again turns the link back on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a section without deleting the text in it?

Yes. Turn on formatting marks, click on the section break line itself, and press Delete. The text stays; only the break disappears. The section that was after the break now merges with the section before it and takes on that section's formatting.

What happens if I have a section break but no formatting is different?

Nothing breaks. A section break by itself does not change anything—it just creates a container for formatting changes. If you insert a break but never change any formatting in the new section, the document looks and prints the same as if the break was not there. You can delete it or leave it.

Can I have different page numbers in different sections?

Yes. Double-click the footer to open it, unlink it from the previous section, and go to Insert > Page Number. Then right-click the page number and choose Format Page Numbers. You can restart numbering at 1, start at a different number, or use a different numbering style for that section only.

Why does my section break keep moving when I edit the document?

Section breaks are anchored to the paragraph they are in. If you delete or move text near the break, the break moves with it. To prevent this, make sure the break is at the end of a paragraph, not in the middle of one. If a break keeps shifting, delete it and reinsert it at the correct location.