This tutorial shows how to add page numbers in Microsoft Word.
[Typewriter sounds]
Hello, my name is Erin.
I’m a technical writer and editor who shares step-by step software tutorials and writing tips for the real world on this channel
and on my blog at erinwrightwriting.com.
Today’s tutorial explains the basics of working with page numbers in Microsoft Word.
We will cover four tasks.
How to add page numbers.
How to format page numbers.
How to remove the page number from the first page.
And, how to start the second page with page number 1.
I’ll be using Word for Microsoft 365.
These steps will also work in Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.
However, your interface may look slightly different in those older versions of the software.
Before we begin, please note that page numbers added to the top of the page or the bottom of the page
will be inserted into the header or footer.
The page numbers will replace any existing text placed in the same location within the header or footer.
Therefore, you should add page numbers before adding other elements to your header or footer.
To begin adding page numbers, select the Insert tab in the ribbon.
Then, select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group.
When the drop-down menu appears, select a location to insert the page numbers.
You can choose Top of Page, which is in the header, Bottom of Page, which is in the footer, Page Margins, or the Current Position.
The Current Position option is the current location of your cursor in the header, footer, or body of the text.
If the current position is in the body of the text, the page number will only appear on the current page.
It won’t appear in the same location on other pages.
Once you’ve made your choice, you can select additional location and style options from the submenu.
The options that appear in this submenu will depend on the location you chose.
If you are looking for decorative options, be sure to explore the bottom of the menu.
Once you’ve made your selection, your page numbers should appear immediately.
Now we’ll look at how to change the number format and start on a specific page.
To begin, select the Insert tab in the ribbon.
Then, select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group.
Followed by Format Page Numbers in the drop-down menu.
Now, select the options you want from the Page Number Format dialog box.
Number format lets you choose numerals, letters, and Roman numerals.
The "Include chapter number" option only works if you have already established a chapter numbering scheme.
We'll cover that advanced topic in a separate tutorial.
When "Continue from previous section" is selected, your sections will be number continuously.
If you don't want the page numbers to continue from the previous section, select Start at, instead.
The Start at option will default to page 1.
However, if you enter another number, such as 5,
the page number 5 will appear on the first page of the document or first page of the section.
After you’ve made your choices, select the OK button.
Your page number formatting should be applied immediately.
You may want to remove the page number from the first page because it's a title page or a cover page.
For this demonstration, I have reduced the zoom so we can see the first page and the second page at the same time.
To begin, select the Insert tab in the ribbon.
Then, select Header if your page numbers are in the header or Footer if your page numbers are in the footer.
Next, select Edit Header or Edit Footer from the drop-down menu.
Now, select Different First Page in the Options group in the Header & Footer tab.
Note that the Header & Footer tab only appears while you are working in headers or footers.
The page number on the first page should disappear.
If the page number does not disappear, select it and press the Delete key to remove it manually.
After removing the page number from the first page, as shown in the previous section,
you may also want the second page to start with page number 1.
To begin, select the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group.
Then, select Format Page Numbers from the drop-down menu.
Now, enter zero into the "Start at" menu in the Page Number Format dialog box.
And then, select the OK button.
The page number on the second page should be changed to number 1.
Finally, select the Close Header and Footer button.
As always, remember to save your file to save your changes.
I have created many other videos about Microsoft Word, including “How to Adjust Page Margins in Microsoft Word”
and “How to Use the Editor in Microsoft Word.”
Please see the playlist titled “How to Use Microsoft Word,” which is linked below, for the complete list.
The companion blog post for this video listing all the steps we just performed
appears on erinwrightwriting.com, which is also linked below.
Feel free to leave me a comment if there’s a specific topic related to Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, or Google Docs
that you would like me to talk about in the future.
And please subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss future tutorials and give this video a thumbs-up if you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for watching!
[Typewriter sounds]