Delete a header by opening the header editing area and clearing the text

To remove a header from your Word document, double-click in the header space at the top of the page to enter header editing mode, select all the text in that header, and delete it. Word will then remove the header from your document. The process takes about 30 seconds and works the same way whether you are using Word on Windows, Mac, or the web version.

Headers often appear on every page of a document by default, so deleting one removes it from the entire document unless you have set up different headers for different sections. If you only want to remove the header from some pages, you will need to work with section breaks instead — but for most documents, the straightforward deletion method is what you need.

Key Takeaways

  • Double-click at the top of any page to enter header editing mode, then select and delete the text.
  • Deleting a header removes it from all pages in your document unless you have created separate sections with different headers.
  • If you want to keep the header on some pages but remove it from others, you need to insert a section break and create a new header for the pages where you want it gone.
  • The header editing area closes automatically when you click back into the main document text.

The fastest way: double-click and delete

Open your Word document and position your cursor near the very top of the page, in the blank space above the first line of text. Double-click in that space. Word will open the header editing area, and you will see the header text highlighted with a blue border around it. The main document text will dim slightly, showing you are now working in the header rather than the body.

Click once to place your cursor inside the header, then press Ctrl+A (on Windows) or Command+A (on Mac) to select all the text in the header. Press Delete or Backspace. The header text disappears. Click anywhere in the main document below to close the header editing area and return to normal editing. The header is now gone from your document.

What happens if your document has multiple sections

If you have inserted section breaks in your document — for example, to have different headers in different chapters — deleting the header in one section may not delete it everywhere. When you double-click to edit the header, look at the top of the header editing area. You will see text that says "Header" followed by information about which section you are in.

If the header shows "Same as Previous" in that area, the header is linked to the section before it, and deleting it will affect multiple sections at once. If it does not say that, you are editing a unique header for just that section. To remove the header from all sections, you will need to repeat the delete process in each section where the header appears, or you can unlink the sections so they all share the same header again.

Removing a header from only some pages

If you want to keep a header on most pages but remove it from a specific page or group of pages, you cannot straightforward delete the header — you need to create a section break first. Position your cursor at the beginning of the page where you want the header to stop. Go to the Insert menu, select Break, and choose Section Break (Next Page). This creates a dividing line in your document.

Now double-click in the header area of the page after the break. The header editing area will open. At the top, you will see a button or toggle that says "Link to Previous" or shows a chain icon. Click that button to unlink this section's header from the previous one. Now you can delete the header text in this section without affecting the pages before it. The pages before the break will keep their original header, and the pages after will have no header.

Restoring a header you deleted by mistake

If you delete a header and when ready realize you need it back, press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) to undo the deletion. Word will restore the header exactly as it was. You can undo multiple times if you made other changes after deleting the header.

If you closed the document and reopened it, or if too much time has passed, the undo history is gone and you cannot recover the deleted header through undo. You will need to retype the header or copy it from a backup version of the document if you have one saved.

Headers in Word Online versus the desktop version

The process is nearly identical in Word Online (the web version you access through Office.com or Microsoft 365). Double-click at the top of the page to enter header editing mode, select the text, and delete it. The main difference is that Word Online has fewer formatting options for headers, but the basic deletion works the same way.

If you are using Word Online and the header area does not respond to a double-click, try clicking the Insert menu and looking for a Header option there. Some versions of Word Online organize the header tools differently, but the end result is the same — you enter the header editing area, select the text, and delete it.

Why headers sometimes reappear after deletion

Occasionally a header seems to come back after you delete it. This usually happens because you have a template or a style applied to your document that automatically inserts a header. Check the Insert menu and look for Header options. If you see a header listed there with a checkmark or highlight, that template is reapplying the header every time you open the document.

To stop this, go to Insert, find the Header option, and select "Remove Header" or "None" from the menu. This tells Word not to use the template's default header. After that, the header should stay deleted. If the header still reappears, the document itself may have a header embedded in its template file, and you may need to edit or replace the template.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete the header from just the first page?

Yes. Go to Insert, then Header, and look for an option that says "Different First Page" or similar. Turn that option on. Now the first page will have its own separate header that you can edit or delete independently from the rest of the document. Double-click the header on the first page and delete it as normal.

What if I delete the header but the footer stays?

Headers and footers are separate. Deleting a header does not touch the footer. If you want to remove the footer as well, double-click at the bottom of the page instead of the top, select the footer text, and delete it the same way.

Does deleting a header affect page numbers?

If your page numbers are in the header, deleting the header will remove the page numbers too. If your page numbers are in the footer, they will stay. To keep page numbers but remove other header content, enter the header editing area and delete only the text you do not want, leaving the page number field in place.

Why does my header have a gray box around it?

The gray or blue box appears when you are in header editing mode. It shows you the boundary of the header area. This is normal and just a visual guide. The box disappears when you click back into the main document. It does not print and is not part of the actual header.

Can I undo a header deletion after I save the document?

No. Once you save the document, the undo history is cleared. If you need the header back, you will have to retype it or restore the document from a previous version if your system has file history or backup enabled.