This tutorial shows how to insert section breaks 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.
Last week, we inserted page breaks in Microsoft Word.
Today, we’re going to insert section breaks.
We’ll also look at how to update section breaks
and how to delete section breaks.
Before we start, let’s answer an important question:
What is the difference between a page break and a section break in Microsoft Word?
A page break moves all the content after the break to the next page in your document.
A section break creates a section that can be formatted independently from the rest of your document.
Please note that you can insert page breaks within section breaks.
The four primary section breaks are Next Page, Continuous, Even Page, and Odd Page.
We’ll discuss each of these breaks in just a moment.
I’ll be using Word for Microsoft 365.
These steps will also work in Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word for Mac.
Although it’s not required, I recommend selecting the Show/Hide button in the Home tab
to show the formatting marks in your document before inserting your section break
so that you can see the break once it’s inserted.
Then, place your cursor where you would like to insert the section break.
Next, select the Layout tab in the ribbon.
Followed by Breaks in the Page Setup group.
From here, you can choose a section break from the drop-down menu.
Next Page inserts a section break and moves the content after the break to the next page.
Continuous inserts a section break but does not move the content after the break to the next page.
Even Page inserts a section break and moves the content after the break to the next even page.
And, Odd Page inserts a section break and moves the content after the break to the next odd page.
It’s important to mention that the Even Page and Odd Page breaks are for documents that
will be bound like a book or presented onscreen like a book with two pages on screen at a time.
These breaks normally don’t work well in documents that will be read vertically top-to-bottom,
such as a traditional Word document or a webpage.
After you’ve made your choice, your section break will be inserted in your document.
Repeat those steps to insert additional breaks, as necessary.
I’m going to add a second continuous break so that this paragraph is it’s own section,
separated from the surrounding text.
Now we’re going to change an existing section break to a different type of section break.
The steps are different for PC and Mac, so we will quickly walk through the steps for each.
If you’re using a PC, place your cursor anywhere in the section you want to change.
And then select the Layout tab.
Next, select the dialog box launcher in the Page Setup group.
Followed by the Layout tab in the Page Setup dialog box.
From there, choose a new type of break in the Section start menu.
Finally, select the OK button.
For Mac, also place your cursor anywhere in the section you want to change.
Then, select the Format menu.
Followed by Document from the drop-down menu.
Next, select the Layout tab in the Document dialog box, if you’re not already there.
And then choose a new type of break in the Section start menu.
When you’re finished, select the OK button.
Whether you’re on a PC or Mac, your new section break should replace the old section break.
If your section has a beginning and ending break, you have to delete both breaks.
Also note that when you delete a section break or breaks,
you will also be removing special formatting applied to that section,
such as custom margins.
To begin, select the Show/Hide button in the Home tab to reveal the formatting marks, if you haven’t already done so.
Next, place your cursor at the start of the section break.
And then press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Your section break should be deleted immediately.
Repeat those steps to delete any additional section breaks, as necessary.
You can now reselect the Show/Hide button if you would like to hide the formatting marks.
As always, remember to save your file to save your changes.
I have created many other videos about Microsoft Word including “How to Create Newspaper-Style Columns in Microsoft Word”
and “How to Create a Cover Page in Microsoft Word.”
Please see the complete list in the playlist titled “How to Use Microsoft Word,”
which is linked in the description box below.
The companion blog post for this video showing 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
about Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat 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]