Microsoft Word allows you to customize page numbering in several ways. Instead of deleting page numbers from the entire document, you can hide them on the first page or specific pages by using Header & Footer tools, Section Breaks, and Different First Page settings.
The method you use depends on your goal. If you simply want a clean title page, enabling Different First Page is the quickest option. If you want to hide page numbers on one or more pages in the middle of a document, you’ll need to divide the document into sections so each section can have its own page numbering settings.
Whether you use Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, or Word 2016, the steps that I have mentioned below are similar.
How to Hide Page Numbers in Word?
Follow these steps to hide page numbers in Microsoft Word:
- Open your Word document.
- Go to Insert > Page Number to check existing page numbers.
- Double-click the header or footer where the page number appears.
- Open the Header & Footer tab.
- Enable the Different First Page to hide the page number from the first page.
- For selected pages, insert Section Breaks before and after the page.
- Turn off Link to Previous for the new section.
- Delete the page number from that section only.
- Close the Header & Footer editor and review your document.
The following steps explain the entire process in a beginner-friendly way.
Step 1: Open Your Microsoft Word Document
Start by opening the document where you want to hide page numbers. Go to File > Open, then select your document if it is not already open.
Take a moment to scroll through the document and identify which page numbers you want to hide. Knowing whether you need to hide the number only on the first page or on specific pages later in the document will help you choose the correct method.
If your document does not already contain page numbers, you can insert them later after configuring the header and footer settings.
Go to the page where the page number is displayed. Then double-click the header at the top of the page or the footer at the bottom, depending on where the page number appears.
This action opens the Header & Footer editing mode. You’ll also see the Header & Footer tab appear on the Ribbon, giving you access to tools for managing page numbers, headers, footers, and document sections.
Avoid deleting the number immediately if you only want to hide it from one page. Doing so may remove page numbers throughout the document if sections have not been separated.
Step 3: Hide the Page Number on the First Page
If your goal is to remove the page number from only the first page, Word makes the process very simple.
Go to Header & Footer > Options > Different First Page, then select the option.
As soon as you enable Different First Page, Word automatically hides the page number from the first page while keeping numbering on the remaining pages. This option is commonly used for title pages, cover pages, resumes, and professional reports.
You do not need to insert section breaks for this method because Word handles the first page separately.
Step 4: Hide Page Numbers on Specific Pages Using Section Breaks
If you want to hide page numbers on pages other than the first page, you’ll need to create separate sections.
Go to the page immediately before the page where you want to hide the number. Then go to Layout > Breaks > Next Page under the Section Breaks category.
Next, repeat the same process after the page where you want the numbering to change. This creates an independent section that can have its own header and footer settings.
Section breaks are important because they prevent changes from affecting the entire document.
Step 5: Turn Off Link to Previous
After creating the new section, double-click inside the header or footer on the page where you want to hide the number.
Go to Header & Footer > Link to Previous, then click it to turn the option off.
This step disconnects the current section from the previous one. Without disabling Link to Previous, any changes you make could automatically apply to earlier sections.
You should see that the connection between the sections has been removed, allowing you to customize the page number independently.
Step 6: Remove the Page Number from That Section
Now that the section is independent, you can safely hide the page number.
Go to the page where you want the page number hidden. Then select the page number in the header or footer and press Delete.
Only the page numbers in that section will disappear. The numbering in other sections remains unchanged because you previously turned off Link to Previous.
If multiple pages belong to the same section, the page numbers will be hidden on all of those pages.
Step 7: Continue or Restart Page Numbering if Needed
Sometimes removing page numbers from one section may require adjusting the numbering sequence afterward.
Go to the first numbered page after the hidden section. Then select Page Number > Format Page Numbers.
From there, choose whether you want to continue from the previous section or start at a specific number.
This feature is especially useful for books, dissertations, manuals, and business reports where numbering must remain accurate even after hiding numbers on selected pages.
Step 8: Save and Review Your Document
After making your changes, go to File > Save or press Ctrl + S to save your document.
Scroll through every page to confirm that the page numbers appear exactly where you want them. Check that hidden pages no longer display numbers while the remaining pages continue their numbering correctly.
Finally, close the Header & Footer editor by selecting Close Header and Footer or by double-clicking anywhere within the main document.
FAQs
Can I hide the page number only on the first page in Word?
Yes. Open the Header & Footer editor and enable Different First Page. This hides the page number from the first page while keeping numbering on the remaining pages.
Can I hide page numbers on only one page in the middle of a document?
Yes. You must insert Section Breaks before and after that page, disable Link to Previous, and then delete the page number from that section.
Will deleting a page number remove all page numbers?
It can. If the document sections are still linked, deleting one page number may remove page numbers throughout the document. Always disable Link to Previous before making changes to individual sections.
Can I restart page numbering after hiding a page number?
Yes. Use Page Number > Format Page Numbers to continue the numbering sequence or restart it from any number you choose.
Does this method work in different versions of Microsoft Word?
Yes. These steps work in Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016. The layout may vary slightly, but the features are essentially the same.