The fastest way to start a new page
To insert a new page in Microsoft Word, press Ctrl+Enter on Windows or Command+Enter on Mac. Word will when ready move your cursor to a blank page below, and any text that was below your cursor moves down with it. This is the method you will use most of the time.
If you are using Word online in a browser, the keyboard shortcut is the same: Ctrl+Enter on Windows or Command+Enter on Mac. The page break appears when ready, and you can start typing on the new page right away.
The keyboard shortcut works whether you are in the middle of a sentence, at the end of a paragraph, or on a blank line. Word does not care where your cursor sits — it will create the page break at that exact spot.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl+Enter (Windows) or Command+Enter (Mac) to insert a page break anywhere in your document.
- A page break moves all text below your cursor to a new page, so position your cursor before you press the shortcut.
- You can also insert a page break through the Insert menu if you prefer not to use the keyboard shortcut.
- Page breaks are different from pressing Enter multiple times — they force a new page even if the current page is not full.
- You can see where page breaks are in your document by turning on formatting marks.
Using the Insert menu instead of the keyboard shortcut
If you prefer to use the menu, click the Insert tab at the top of the Word window. In the ribbon that appears, look for a button labeled Page Break — it is usually in the left portion of the ribbon, often grouped with other page-related options.
Click Page Break and Word will insert a new page at your cursor position, exactly as if you had used the keyboard shortcut. This method takes slightly longer but works the same way.
The menu route is useful if you forget the keyboard shortcut or if you are working on a device where the shortcut does not feel natural. Both methods produce an identical result.
Why page breaks matter more than just pressing Enter
When you press Enter repeatedly to move text to a new page, Word treats those blank lines as actual content. If you later edit the document and text shifts, those blank lines stay in place and create awkward gaps. A page break, by contrast, is an instruction to Word: "Start a new page here, no matter what."
If you add or remove text earlier in the document, the page break moves with the surrounding content. The new page always starts where you intended it to start. This is why page breaks are the correct tool for separating chapters, sections, or major divisions in a document.
Page breaks are also invisible to readers unless they print the document or look for them deliberately. Pressing Enter ten times leaves ten visible blank lines that confuse anyone reading the file.
Seeing where your page breaks are
To see all the page breaks in your document, turn on formatting marks. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+8 or click the ¶ button in the Home tab. On Mac, press Command+Shift+8 or click the same ¶ button.
When formatting marks are on, page breaks appear as a dotted line across the page with the words "Page Break" written on it. This makes it straightforward to spot where you inserted breaks and to delete them if you change your mind.
Formatting marks also show you where you pressed Enter, where you used Tab, and where you added spaces. Turning them on is one of the best ways to understand what is actually in your document versus what just looks that way on screen.
Removing a page break you no longer need
To delete a page break, position your cursor at the very beginning of the page that comes after the break. Press Backspace once. Word will remove the page break and pull the content from that page up to the previous page.
If you cannot see where the page break is, turn on formatting marks first (using Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+Shift+8 on Mac). The page break will appear as a dotted line, and you can click right before it and press Backspace to remove it.
Be careful not to press Delete instead of Backspace — Delete removes the character after your cursor, while Backspace removes the character before it. For page breaks, Backspace is the correct choice.
Page breaks versus section breaks
Word also has section breaks, which are different from page breaks. A page break straightforward moves to a new page. A section break moves to a new page and also lets you change formatting — like margins, headers, or page numbering — for that section only.
For most documents, a regular page break is what you need. Use a section break only if you want different formatting on different pages. For example, you might use a section break if you want the first page to have no header, but all other pages to have a header with your name.
To insert a section break, go to the Insert tab, find Page Break, click the small arrow next to it, and choose the type of section break you want. For now, stick with the regular page break unless you have a specific formatting reason to do otherwise.
What happens when you insert a page break in the middle of a table or list
If your cursor is inside a table when you press Ctrl+Enter, Word will insert a new row in the table instead of creating a page break. To force a page break inside a table, use the Insert menu: click Insert, then Page Break, and Word will break out of the table and start a new page.
Similarly, if you are in the middle of a numbered or bulleted list, pressing Ctrl+Enter may not work as expected. Using the Insert menu is more reliable in these situations. After you insert the page break, you can resume your list on the new page, and Word will continue numbering or bullets correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I insert a page break at the beginning of a document?
Yes. Click at the very beginning of your document (before the first character) and press Ctrl+Enter. Word will create a blank page at the start and move all your content to page two. This is useful if you want a title page or cover page separate from the rest of your document.
Does a page break affect how my document prints?
Yes. Page breaks tell the printer where to start a new sheet of paper. If you have a page break in the middle of a paragraph, the printer will end the current page and start a new one at that exact spot. This is why page breaks are useful for controlling where chapters or sections begin on a printed copy.
What if I insert a page break but the new page looks the same as the old one?
The new page is blank — you are just not seeing it because there is no content on it yet. Start typing and the text will appear on the new page. If you want to see the page break itself, turn on formatting marks with Ctrl+Shift+8 (Windows) or Command+Shift+8 (Mac).
Can I undo a page break if I change my mind?
Yes. Press Ctrl+Z when ready after inserting the page break, and Word will remove it. If you inserted the break a while ago, position your cursor at the start of the page after the break and press Backspace to delete it.
Does Word have a limit to how many page breaks I can use?
No. You can insert as many page breaks as you need. Each one works the same way and does not slow down your document. A 500-page document with 100 page breaks works just as smoothly as a 10-page document with one break.