Where to find and open the footer

The footer in Word is the space at the bottom of every page where you can add page numbers, dates, or repeated text. To edit it, you need to enter footer-editing mode, which is different from regular document editing.

Open your document in Microsoft Word. Go to the Insert tab at the top of the screen. On the right side of that tab, you will see a button labeled Footer. Click it, and a dropdown menu appears showing footer style options — you can choose a blank footer or one with a pre-made design.

If you already have a footer and just want to change what it says, double-click at the very bottom of any page in your document. The footer area will highlight in a light blue box, and the main document text will dim. You are now in footer-editing mode.

Key Takeaways

  • Double-click the bottom of any page to enter footer-editing mode, or use Insert > Footer to add a new one.
  • Type directly into the footer box just as you would in the main document — it will appear on every page automatically.
  • Page numbers are added through Insert > Page Number while you are in footer-editing mode, not by typing them manually.
  • Click outside the footer box or press Escape to exit footer-editing mode and return to normal document editing.
  • Different sections of your document can have different footers if you use section breaks, but most documents use the same footer throughout.

Typing and formatting text in the footer

Once you are in footer-editing mode, the footer box is ready for you to type. Click inside it and type whatever you want to appear at the bottom of every page — your name, a document title, the date, or any other text.

You can format footer text the same way you format regular document text. Highlight the text you want to change, then use the buttons in the Home tab to make it bold, italic, change the font size, or change the color. The footer text will be smaller than body text by default, which is standard.

If you want to add a page number, do not type it manually. Instead, stay in footer-editing mode, go to the Insert tab, and click Page Number. Choose where you want the number to appear (left, center, or right), and Word will automatically number every page for you. If you add a page number this way, it updates correctly even if you add or delete pages later.

Adding dates and other automatic fields

Beyond page numbers, you can insert fields that update automatically. While in footer-editing mode, go to Insert and look for Field or Date & Time depending on your Word version. These options let you add the current date, the date the document was last saved, or the document's file name.

The advantage of using these automatic fields instead of typing a date by hand is that they update. If you insert the current date as a field and then open the document three months later, it will show today's date, not the old one. For most footers, you want the date to be static (not changing), so you can type it manually instead.

Removing or clearing a footer

To remove a footer entirely, go to the Insert tab and click Footer. At the bottom of the dropdown menu, select Remove Footer. This deletes the footer from every page in your document.

If you want to keep the footer but clear out the text inside it, double-click the footer to enter editing mode, select all the text in the footer box (Ctrl+A on Windows, Command+A on Mac), and press Delete. The footer box remains, but it is now empty.

Exiting footer-editing mode

When you are done editing the footer, you need to return to normal document editing. Click anywhere in the main document text above the footer area, and the footer will dim again. You can also press Escape on your keyboard to exit footer-editing mode when ready.

Once you exit, the footer will appear at the bottom of every page in your document. If you need to edit it again later, just double-click the footer area on any page to re-enter editing mode.

Using different footers in different sections

By default, every page in your document shares the same footer. But Word allows you to create different footers for different parts of a document if you use section breaks.

To set this up, place your cursor where you want a new section to begin. Go to the Layout tab (or Page Layout in older versions), click Breaks, and choose Next Page. This creates a section break. Now when you edit the footer in the new section, it will not affect the footer in the previous section.

Most documents do not need different footers, so do not use section breaks unless you have a specific reason — for example, if the first page should have no footer but the rest should, or if different chapters need different footers.

Common footer mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake is typing page numbers by hand instead of using the Insert > Page Number function. If you type "Page 1" on the first page, it will say "Page 1" on every page. Using the automatic page number field prevents this.

Another mistake is editing the footer on only one page and expecting it to change everywhere. Footers are document-wide by design — when you edit a footer, you are editing it for the entire document (or the entire section, if you have section breaks). There is no way to have different footers on different pages unless you use section breaks.

If your footer text is cut off at the bottom of the page, the footer margin is too small. Go to Layout, click Margins, and choose Custom Margins. Increase the Bottom margin value to give the footer more room.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a page number that says "Page 1 of 5" instead of just "1"?

While in footer-editing mode, go to Insert > Page Number and choose a format that includes the total page count. Word calls this "Page X of Y" format. Select the style you want from the dropdown, and Word will automatically fill in both the current page number and the total number of pages.

Can I have a different footer on the first page?

Yes. Go to the Insert tab, click Footer, and look for an option called "Edit Footer" or "Footer - First Page" depending on your Word version. You can also go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins and check the box for "Different first page" to create a separate footer just for page one.

Why is my footer appearing in the middle of the page instead of at the bottom?

This usually means the bottom margin is set too large. Go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins and check the Bottom value. If it is more than one inch, reduce it. The footer will always sit within the bottom margin, so a very large margin pushes it up visually.

What if I want to remove the footer from just one page?

Word does not allow you to remove a footer from a single page without using section breaks. If you need the first page to have no footer, use Layout > Margins > Custom Margins and check "Different first page," then leave the first page footer empty while adding content to the other footers.

Can I add an image or logo to the footer?

Yes. While in footer-editing mode, go to Insert > Pictures and choose your image. The image will appear in the footer on every page. You can resize it by dragging the corners, and you can position it left, center, or right just like text.