Formatting in Microsoft Word can sometimes lead to unexpected blank pages. Whether you’ve accidentally added one or just need to remove a blank page that’s hanging around, here are five effective methods to get rid of it.
Blank pages often appear in Word documents due to unintentional page breaks or formatting quirks. For instance, pressing Ctrl + Enter (Windows) or Command + Return (Mac) can create a new page, leading to extra blank pages that you might not want. Although Word doesn’t provide a one-click solution to delete a page, several methods can help you manage and remove these unwanted pages.
In this tutorial, five different methods exist to delete an unwanted page in a Word document. The first two methods are the most straightforward, while another three additional techniques will ensure you can handle any situation.
Getting Started: Locating Page Breaks in Word
To effectively manage and remove unwanted pages in Microsoft Word, it’s essential to understand the types of page breaks involved and how to locate them.
Types of Page Breaks in Word:
Hard Page Breaks: These are manually inserted by pressing Ctrl + Enter (Windows) or Command + Return (Mac). They will create a new page for your document.
Soft Page Breaks: Word automatically inserts these when the text reaches the end of a page. These are not visible as symbols and can only be managed by adjusting the text or margins.
How to Find Hard Page Breaks:
Enable the Show/Hide Feature:
Go to the Home tab on the Ribbon.
In the Paragraph group, click the Show/Hide button (¶). This will display formatting marks, including hard page breaks.
Alternatively, you can press Command + 8 on a Mac to toggle the visibility of these marks.
View in Word for the Web:
In Word for the web, you may need to display the classic ribbon to find the Show/Hide option.
Note that while you can see formatting marks like paragraph symbols, the hard page break symbols may not be as visible as they are in the desktop version.
Understanding the Symbols:
Hard Page Break Symbol: A line labeled “Page Break” appears in your document.
Section Breaks: Also visible with the Show/Hide feature, these may need to be addressed if they are causing additional pages.
By enabling the Show/Hide feature, you’ll be able to see and manage hard page breaks more effectively. This will make it easier to remove unwanted blank pages and ensure your document is formatted correctly.
How to Choose and Remove Any Page in Word
Deleting a page in Microsoft Word can be straightforward if you can see and access the page breaks. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to select and delete a page:
Enable Show/Hide Feature:
This step is the same as mentioned above.
Locate the Page Breaks:
With Show/Hide enabled, look for the page break symbols in your document. These will appear as lines labeled “Page Break.”
Your document may have multiple page breaks, depending on how it was formatted.
Select the Page Break:
Click once in the left margin next to the page break to highlight it.
If multiple page breaks exist, click twice to ensure the correct one is selected.
You might also need to position your cursor directly before or after the page break and use the arrow keys to select it.
Delete the Page Break:
Press the Delete key on your keyboard to remove the selected page break.
The page break will be deleted, and the content from the subsequent page will move up, effectively removing the unwanted blank page.
Enabling Show/Hide is particularly useful for cleaning up page breaks. It helps you see where the page breaks are located and avoid accidental removal of other formatting elements. Using this method, you can quickly and safely remove hard page returns without disrupting your document’s overall style and formatting.
How to Utilize the Navigation Pane to Remove Pages in Word
Deleting a page in Microsoft Word can also be accomplished using the Navigation Pane, which provides a visual overview of the pages in your document. This method is effective for removing blank or unwanted pages. Here’s how to do it:
Open the Navigation Pane:
Go to the View tab on the Ribbon.
In the Show group, check the box for Navigation Pane. This will open a sidebar on the left side of your Word window.
Select the Pages View:
In the Navigation Pane, click on the Pages tab. This will display a thumbnail preview of each page in your document.
Note: In Word for the web, the Pages option may not be available. This method is best used in the desktop version of Word.
Locate and Select the Page:
Scroll through the thumbnails in the Navigation Pane to find the blank or unwanted page.
Click on the thumbnail of the page you want to delete. A thick blue border will appear around the page to indicate that it’s selected.
Delete the Page:
With the page selected, press the Delete key on your keyboard.
If the page contains additional paragraph marks before the page break, you must delete each mark individually by clicking and pressing Delete.
If the page you want to delete has multiple paragraph marks, you may need to delete each mark individually. If the page is entirely blank but still appears due to formatting issues, removing the paragraph marks should eliminate the unwanted page. Using the Navigation Pane is a visual and straightforward way to manage pages in your Word document, especially for those who prefer a more graphical approach to editing.
How to Delete a Page in the Middle of a Word Document
If you need to delete a page in the middle of your Word document, you can use the following method to remove it efficiently. This approach involves placing the cursor at the start of the page you want to delete and using the Backspace key to eliminate it. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Navigate to the Page Following the One You Want to Delete:
Scroll through your document to locate the page immediately after the one you want to delete. For example, if you want to delete page 2, navigate to the top of page 3.
Position the Cursor:
Click at the beginning of the page you want to keep. If you are on page 3 and want to remove page 2, place the cursor at the top of page 3.
Press Backspace:
Press the Backspace key on your keyboard to delete the content that starts on the current page. You may need to press Backspace multiple times, mainly if the page contains multiple lines or if there are hard page breaks at the end of the previous page.
Remove Additional Page Breaks:
If the page you are trying to delete has a hard page break at its end (creating a new page), you might also need to remove this break. Place the cursor at the end of the preceding page and press Delete to remove the hard page break.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts:
To quickly navigate between pages, you can use keyboard shortcuts. Press “Ctrl + Page Up” to move the cursor to the top of the previous page. This can be helpful when positioning the cursor at the beginning of the page you want to delete.
This method may seem a bit manual, but it effectively removes pages by addressing the page breaks and content directly. You might need to repeat this process for each page if you have multiple pages to delete. Alternatively, consider using the Navigation Pane or Show/Hide feature to make identifying and removing pages easier.
How to Delete an Extra Page at the End of a Word Document
If you find an unwanted blank page at the end of your Word document, it’s usually the result of a hard page break or multiple paragraph marks. Here’s how you can remove it:
Check for Hard Page Breaks:
A hard page break often causes an extra page at the end. To delete it, simply click at the beginning of the blank page (at the top of the additional page) and press “Backspace”.
Remove Multiple Paragraph Marks:
If the blank page persists due to extra paragraph marks (¶), you must delete each mark individually. Enable the Show/Hide feature by clicking on the ¶ icon in the Home tab or pressing “Ctrl + Shift + 8″(Windows) or “Command + 8 (Mac)” to display paragraph marks and other formatting symbols.
Place your cursor just before the first paragraph mark on the blank page and press “Backspace” repeatedly until all the paragraph marks are removed and the extra page is deleted.
Ensure No Additional Elements:
Sometimes, elements like extra spaces or tables can also cause an extra page. Ensure no hidden objects or additional spaces are at the end of your document. You might need to delete these manually by positioning your cursor and pressing “Backspace”.
Verify Document End:
After deleting the unwanted page, ensure the document ends where you want it to. Scroll to the bottom to confirm that the extra page has been removed and that your document is now correctly formatted.
In some cases, especially with longer documents, it might be helpful to use the Navigation Pane or adjust margins and formatting settings to ensure that the extra page is removed.
What to Do When There’s No Hard Page Break to Delete in Word
When faced with an unwanted blank page that lacks a hard page break, it’s often the result of paragraph marks. These marks appear when you press the Enter key to create new lines or paragraphs. They are displayed as ¶ symbols in Word and can cause a blank page if multiple marks are stacked together.
In this case, you can tackle the issue by removing these paragraph marks. Here’s how:
If you encounter a blank page filled with paragraph marks, start by enabling the Show/Hide feature to make these marks visible. This allows you to see the ¶ symbols that are causing the extra page.
To delete the blank page:
Click and drag to select all the visible paragraph marks on the blank page.
Press Delete to remove them.
By clearing these extra paragraph marks, you’ll eliminate the blank page and restore your document to its intended layout.
Remember, the Show/Hide feature is crucial in this scenario as it reveals the hidden formatting symbols contributing to the extra page, making it easier to address the issue.