Headers, Footers & Sections — Microsoft Word Training

Section 1

What Is a Header — and What It Is Not

A header is a repeating region — not just the top of the page

The word "header" in Word has a specific meaning: it is a reserved area that repeats on every page automatically. By default this area sits at the top of the page, and the footer sits at the bottom. But the concept is about repetition, not position.

You can put almost anything in a header or footer — text, logos, page numbers, dates, document titles, or even a table. Whatever you place there appears on every page without you having to retype it.

Company logo Document title Page numbers Date Chapter name Confidential notice Author name

How a page looks with header and footer active

Annual Report 2025 HEADER

Double-click to enter: Double-click the top margin area to enter the header. Double-click the bottom margin to enter the footer. Click anywhere in the document body to exit. You can also use Insert → Header / Footer.

Section 2

Inserting & Editing Headers and Footers

Built-in Header/Footer styles

Insert → Header (or Footer) → choose a pre-designed layout. Word inserts the structure with placeholder text ready to edit.

Edit Header / Edit Footer

Insert → Header → Edit Header. Activates the header region and shows the Header & Footer tab with all related options.

Insert Page Number

Header & Footer tab → Page Number. Choose position (top, bottom, margin) and format. Word uses field codes that update automatically.

Insert Date & Time

Header & Footer tab → Insert → Date & Time. Check Update automatically to always show the current date when the document is opened or printed.

Header from Top / Footer from Bottom

Controls the distance between the page edge and the header/footer area. Adjust in the Header & Footer tab or Page Layout dialog to avoid overlap with body text.

Remove Header / Footer

Insert → Header → Remove Header (or Footer → Remove Footer). Deletes all content from the header/footer region on all pages in that section.

Section 3

Header & Footer Options

The Header & Footer tab has three checkboxes that give you fine control over which pages show which header or footer.

Option	What it does	Common use
Different First Page	The first page gets its own independent header/footer region	Cover pages, title pages — where you want no header on page 1
Different Odd & Even Pages	Odd pages and even pages each get their own header/footer	Books and reports — page number on the outside edge of each page
Show Document Text	Dims or hides the body text while editing the header/footer area	Helps focus when the body content is distracting

Navigate between header and footer: While in header/footer editing mode, use the Go to Header and Go to Footer buttons in the Header & Footer tab to switch between them without clicking.

Section 4

Section Breaks

By default, a Word document is one section — so one header applies to all pages. Section breaks divide the document into independent parts, each of which can have its own header, footer, page numbering, orientation, margins, and columns.

Section 1

Header: Company Name — Confidential

Section Break (Next Page)

Section 2 — independent header

Header: Chapter 1 — Introduction

Continuous

New section starts on the same page — no page break. Used for changing the number of columns mid-page, or applying different margins to a section of text.

Even Page / Odd Page

New section starts on the next even or odd numbered page. Used in book layouts where chapters must always start on a right-hand (odd) page.

Insert a Section Break: Layout tab → Breaks → choose the section break type from the bottom half of the menu. The top half contains page, column, and text wrapping breaks — those are not section breaks.

Section 5

Different Headers & Footers Per Section

After inserting a section break, the new section inherits the header from the previous one. To make it independent, you must break the link between them.

1

Insert a section break where needed

Layout → Breaks → Next Page (or Continuous). This creates a new independent section in the document.

2

Enter the header of the new section

Double-click the header area on any page in the new section. You will see a label showing "Same as Previous" — this means it is still linked.

3

Break the link

In the Header & Footer tab, click Link to Previous to toggle it off. The "Same as Previous" label disappears. Now you can edit this header without affecting any other section.

4

Edit the header for this section

Type the new content, insert a different page number format, remove the header entirely, or add a logo — it only affects this section.

5

Repeat for the footer

The header and footer are linked separately. Breaking the header link does not break the footer link. Go to Footer and repeat the same process if needed.

Restart page numbering: After breaking the link, go to Header & Footer → Page Number → Format Page Numbers → Start at: 1. Each section can have its own numbering sequence and format (1, 2, 3 or i, ii, iii or A, B, C).

Section 6

Page Numbering

Page numbers in Word are field codes — they update automatically as content shifts. They can be placed in the header, footer, or page margin.

Setting	How to access
Insert page number	Insert → Page Number → choose position and style
Format: 1, 2, 3 or i, ii, iii or A, B…	Insert → Page Number → Format Page Numbers → Number format
Show total pages (Page X of Y)	Insert a page number field, type " of ", then Insert → Quick Parts → Field → NumPages
Restart numbering at 1	Format Page Numbers → Start at: 1 (per section)
Remove page numbers	Insert → Page Number → Remove Page Numbers

No page number on the cover: Enable Different First Page in the Header & Footer tab → leave the first-page header/footer empty. Page numbering continues from page 2 but the cover shows nothing.