One Page Landscape in Word: Steps for Windows and Mac

To make just one page landscape in Word, isolate it in its own section: insert a Next Page section break before and after the page, click within that section, then choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape. The section breaks keep the surrounding pages in their existing orientation.

Why section breaks matter

Word applies page orientation to a section, not simply to an individual page. A section can contain one page or several, and its layout settings—including orientation, margins, and sometimes header and footer behavior—can differ from those of the sections around it. That is why changing orientation while the document has no section boundaries usually changes every page.

A page break and a section break are not interchangeable. A page break moves the following text to a new page but keeps it in the same section. A Next Page section break both starts a new section and moves the next content to a new page. For a single landscape page within a portrait document, the new section gives Word a place to apply landscape orientation without affecting the rest.

This method works well for a wide table, a chart, a large image, or a diagram. Keep in mind that the break marks boundaries in the document’s flow, not permanent physical page numbers. If text is added or removed earlier, Word may repaginate the document and the landscape section may no longer occupy the page number you originally intended.

Make one page landscape in Word for Windows

In Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, use the Layout tab to add the section boundaries and change the orientation. First, save your document; then follow these steps:

Click at the very beginning of the content that should be on the landscape page. If the page already contains text or a table, place the insertion point before its first character or object.
Choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page in the Section Breaks area. This starts a new section on the next page. If the content is already at the top of a page, the break may create an additional page, so check the layout after inserting it.
Click at the end of the content that belongs on the landscape page, after the last paragraph, table, or other object.
Choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page again. This creates a separate section for the content that follows.
Click anywhere between the two section breaks, on the page you want to turn sideways. Choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape.

Word changes the orientation of the section containing the insertion point. The section before it and the section after it retain their own settings. If the page after the landscape page should remain portrait, click in that following section and select Layout > Orientation > Portrait if it has inherited or acquired landscape orientation.

Return the following pages to portrait

The second section break is essential when the landscape page sits between portrait pages. It separates the landscape section from the material after it, so Word can give the two sections different orientations. Without that boundary, applying landscape may affect every later page because those pages still belong to the same section.

For a document that begins with portrait pages and ends with a landscape page, you may only need a section break before the landscape content. If the document continues after the landscape page, add a second break after it. In either case, click inside each section and confirm the intended setting using Layout > Orientation. A section’s orientation applies to all pages in that section, not just the page where the cursor happens to be.

When inserting the second break, put the cursor after all the content that must stay landscape. For example, if a wide table has a caption below it that should also appear on the landscape page, place the break after the caption, not immediately after the table. Otherwise the caption may move into the next section and appear on a portrait page.

Show and check section breaks

Section breaks are formatting marks and normally do not print. To see where they are, select Home > Show/Hide ¶. Word displays nonprinting marks, including paragraph symbols and labels such as “Section Break (Next Page).” This view is especially useful if a page becomes blank or the wrong pages rotate.

Click in the landscape section and open Layout > Orientation to check that Landscape is selected. Then click in the sections before and after it to verify their settings. Scroll through the document in Print Layout view, or open File > Print to inspect the page previews. Print preview can reveal a shifted table, a blank page, or a page that is wider than expected before you print or save a PDF.

Use the Page Setup dialog as an alternative

On Windows, Word also offers an option to apply a layout setting to selected text. Select the content that should be landscape, open the Page Setup dialog using the small dialog launcher in the Layout tab’s Page Setup group, and choose Landscape on the Margins tab. In the Apply to menu, choose Selected text, then confirm. Word inserts section breaks around the selection to isolate it.

This can be quicker when the desired content is easy to select, but it is not always the best choice for an exact page. If the selection spans more than one page, the resulting landscape section can span more than one page too. Selecting a table may also be awkward, and Word’s automatic breaks can affect nearby spacing. Use the explicit Next Page break method when you want to control the section boundaries yourself, and inspect the result afterward.

Word on Mac and Word for the web

In Word for Microsoft 365 on Mac, the same section-based approach applies. Place the insertion point before and after the intended content and use the Layout tab’s Breaks menu to insert a Next Page section break. Click in the isolated section, then choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape. Ribbon arrangement can vary with the Word window size, so the menu may be condensed, but the command names are similar.

Keyboard shortcuts can insert ordinary page breaks, but they do not substitute for section breaks. On Windows, Ctrl+Enter inserts a page break; on Mac, Command+Return does the same. Use the Layout tab’s Breaks menu for a Next Page section break. Word for the web may let you work with general document layout, but for creating or reliably adjusting section-specific orientation, open the file in the desktop Word app. Section formatting can be difficult to manage from a browser, especially in a document created with desktop features.

Fix common problems

Every page turned landscape: The document may not have section breaks around the target content, or the cursor was in a section that includes the other pages. Show formatting marks, check the boundaries, and add or reposition the breaks.
The wrong page turned landscape: The insertion point may have been in the section before or after the intended page. Click directly in the target section before changing Orientation.
A blank page appeared: A Next Page section break always begins the next section on a new page. If the content was already pushed to a new page by a page break, an extra break can leave a blank page. Turn on Show/Hide, remove redundant breaks carefully, and check the page flow.
Content moved or the page count changed: Section breaks can affect pagination, and changing page width can reflow text and tables. Review the content around both boundaries and adjust paragraph spacing or table sizing if needed.
The landscape page is followed by more landscape pages: The following content may share the landscape section. Add a Next Page section break after the last item that should be landscape, then set the next section to Portrait.

Be cautious when deleting a section break: Word can combine the sections on either side, and the resulting section may take on formatting from one of them. If the document has complex headers, footers, margins, or columns, save a copy before removing or moving breaks.

Fit tables, images, and headers on the page

Landscape orientation provides more horizontal space, but it does not automatically make oversized content fit. A table that is wider than the printable area may still run off the page. Click in the table and use Table Layout > AutoFit if available, or adjust column widths, font size, and cell margins. You can also review the page margins under Layout > Margins; make sure any change is made in the intended section.

For images and charts, select the object and resize it using its corner handles to preserve its proportions. Check that text wrapping has not pushed the object onto a different page. If the landscape page has a header or footer that looks different, remember that sections can have independent header and footer settings. The Link to Previous setting controls whether a section’s header or footer is connected to the one before it; changing this setting can affect repeated text or page numbering, so verify the pages around the landscape section.

When a landscape page is useful

A single landscape page is a practical choice when the document is mostly portrait but contains one item that needs extra width. Common examples include a comparison table with many columns, a project schedule, a wide spreadsheet pasted into a report, or a diagram whose labels would be too small in portrait orientation. Keeping only the necessary page landscape can make the rest of a report easier to read and print.

If the content still does not fit, consider whether it can be simplified before widening the page. Remove redundant table columns, shorten headings, split one large table into related smaller tables, or place a detailed chart in an appendix. Landscape is a layout adjustment, not a guarantee that every wide object will fit legibly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make only one page landscape without changing the whole document?
Yes. Put the target page in its own section with a Next Page section break before and after it, then apply Landscape to that section.

Why does Word change all my pages to landscape?
Most often, the pages are in the same section. Add section breaks around the content you want to rotate, then click inside that section before choosing Landscape.

Do I use a page break or a section break?
Use a section break to give one part of a document a different orientation. A page break only moves text to another page and does not separate layout settings.

Can I make one page landscape in Word online?
For dependable section-specific formatting, use the desktop Word app. Open the document in Word for Windows or Mac to insert and manage the section breaks.

Will the landscape page keep its page number?
Usually, page numbering continues through sections, but header and footer settings can differ. Check the page number in Print Layout and review the section’s header or footer if it disappears or restarts.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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