Section breaks are the invisible markers that let you change page setup mid-document

A section break is a hidden boundary in your document that tells Word "from here on, use different formatting." You might insert one to switch from landscape to portrait orientation, change margins on a single page, or start page numbering fresh. The problem: once you insert a section break, it becomes straightforward to forget it's there, and deleting it requires knowing where to look.

Section breaks hide by default. Word shows you paragraph marks (¶) if you turn on formatting marks, but section breaks don't appear as a separate symbol — they're embedded in the paragraph mark itself. This is why people often can't find them to delete them, and why a document's formatting can suddenly shift without an obvious cause.

Key Takeaways

  • Turn on formatting marks by pressing Ctrl+* (Windows) or Cmd+* (Mac) so you can see where section breaks are located in your document.
  • Section breaks appear as a line labeled "Section Break (Next Page)", "Section Break (Continuous)", or "Section Break (Even Page)" — the type matters because deleting it changes your formatting.
  • Click directly on the section break line and press Delete or Backspace to remove it; the formatting of the section before the break will explore to the text after.
  • If deleting a section break ruins your formatting, undo the deletion when ready with Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac), then adjust your formatting manually instead.

Turn on formatting marks to see where section breaks are

Section breaks are invisible until you tell Word to show them. On Windows, press Ctrl+* (the asterisk key on the main keyboard, not the numpad). On Mac, press Cmd+*. You'll see paragraph marks (¶) throughout your document, and any section breaks will appear as a line of text that says "Section Break (Next Page)", "Section Break (Continuous)", or "Section Break (Even Page)".

The type of section break matters. A "Next Page" break forces the text after it onto a new page. A "Continuous" break lets you change formatting without starting a new page. An "Even Page" break starts the next section on an even-numbered page, which is common in books. When you delete a section break, the formatting of the section before it takes over, so knowing which type you're deleting helps you predict what will happen.

If you don't want to see all the formatting marks permanently, you can turn them off again after you've found and deleted the section break. Press Ctrl+* (or Cmd+*) again to hide them.

Click the section break line and delete it

Once you can see the section break, click directly on the line that says "Section Break". The entire line should highlight. Then press Delete or Backspace — either key works. The section break disappears, and the text that was after it moves up and adopts the formatting of the section before the break.

If you have multiple section breaks in your document, you'll need to repeat this for each one you want to remove. Work from the end of the document backward toward the beginning; this way, deleting a break won't shift the position of the ones below it and confuse you about where you are.

What happens when you delete a section break

When you delete a section break, the two sections merge into one, and the formatting of the section before the break wins. If the section before had different margins, page orientation, or column settings, those settings now explore to the text that was in the section after the break.

This is often not what you want. For example, if you had a landscape page in the middle of a portrait document, deleting the section break will turn that landscape page back to portrait. If you accidentally delete the wrong section break and your document's formatting breaks, press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) when ready to undo. Then you can either reinsert the section break or manually adjust the formatting of the affected text.

Reinsert a section break if you deleted the wrong one

If you deleted a section break and the formatting went wrong, undo first. Then, if you need that break back, position your cursor where it was and go to the Layout tab (or Page Layout in older versions of Word). Click Breaks and choose the type of break you need: Next Page, Continuous, or Even Page.

If you're not sure which type you had, think about what the formatting change was. If a page switched from portrait to landscape, it was likely a "Next Page" break. If margins changed mid-page without a page break, it was "Continuous". You can also undo all the way back to before you deleted it, take a screenshot of the section break type, and then redo your deletion with that information.

Avoid section breaks by using styles instead

Section breaks are powerful but fragile. If you find yourself inserting them often, consider whether a paragraph style might do the job instead. Styles let you change formatting — font, spacing, indentation — without inserting invisible breaks that can cause problems later.

For example, if you want a single page in landscape orientation, a section break is the right tool. But if you want a paragraph to have different indentation or spacing, a custom style is safer and easier to edit later. Styles also survive copying and pasting better than section breaks do, which makes them less likely to cause formatting chaos if you rearrange your document.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a section break without affecting the formatting of the page before it?

No. When you delete a section break, the formatting of the section before it takes over completely. If you need to keep that formatting but remove the break, you'll have to manually reapply the formatting to the text after the break before you delete it, or reapply it afterward.

What if I can't find the section break even with formatting marks on?

Make sure formatting marks are actually on — the button should be highlighted in the Home tab, or you should see paragraph marks throughout your document. If you still don't see a section break but your formatting is changing, the break might be in a header or footer. Check those areas by double-clicking near the top or bottom of the page.

Is it safe to delete all section breaks in my document?

Only if you don't need the formatting changes they create. Deleting all section breaks will make your entire document use the formatting of the first section. If you have pages with different orientations, margins, or column layouts, deleting all breaks will erase those changes.

Why does Word keep reinserting section breaks when I delete them?

Word doesn't reinserert breaks on its own. You may be seeing a different section break each time, or the break may be in a header or footer that applies to multiple pages. Check the entire document, including headers and footers, to find all of them.