How to Remove a Section Break in Microsoft Word Correctly

To remove a section break in Microsoft Word, show formatting marks with Home > ¶, click immediately before the line labeled Section Break, and press Delete. You can also click at the start of the text after the break and press Backspace; first check the layout, because removing a section break can change page formatting.

What a section break does

A section break divides a document into parts that can have different page-layout or formatting settings. For example, a report might use portrait pages for most of its text, landscape pages for a wide table, and a different header on the first page of a chapter. Those settings apply to sections, not just to individual paragraphs.

Word often hides section breaks until you turn on formatting marks. With marks visible, a break appears as a line labeled with its type, such as Section Break (Next Page). The break is not ordinary text, but it can be selected and deleted like a document mark. Deleting it joins the sections on either side. It does not simply remove an empty line.

This is why the result can surprise you: the joined section has only one set of section-level settings. Its margins, orientation, columns, headers and footers, and page-number settings may no longer match what you saw before deletion. If the document’s layout matters, save a copy or be ready to undo the change.

Show and remove the break in Word for Windows

Open the document in the Word desktop app and click the Home tab.
In the Paragraph group, click the ¶ button, called Show/Hide. This displays paragraph marks and section breaks. The Windows shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+8; press it again to hide the marks.
Find the line labeled Section Break and check that it is the break you intend to remove. Its label may include Next Page, Continuous, Even Page, or Odd Page.
Click just before the break marker and press Delete. Alternatively, place the insertion point at the beginning of the text after the break and press Backspace.
Review the pages on both sides of the former break. Check orientation, margins, headers and footers, columns, and page numbering. If the result is wrong, press Ctrl+Z immediately to undo.

Clicking in the text after the break and pressing Backspace is often convenient, but make sure the cursor is at the start of the intended section. If it is inside a word or paragraph, Backspace will remove ordinary text instead. Showing formatting marks first makes it easier to see where the section begins and reduces the chance of deleting the wrong material.

Remove a section break on a Mac

In Word for Mac, use the Home tab and click the ¶ Show/Hide button to display the break labels. The keyboard shortcut for showing or hiding formatting marks is Command+8. Locate the unwanted section break, click immediately after it, and press Delete, or select the break marker and delete it. On Mac keyboards, the key labeled Delete usually deletes backward; if you want to delete forward from before the break, use Fn+Delete on keyboards where that combination provides forward delete. Selecting the marker first avoids relying on which direction the key deletes.

After removing it, check the layout just as you would on Windows. Ribbon labels and placement can vary slightly between Word versions and window sizes, but the Show/Hide control is on the Home tab. If you cannot find a control, use Word’s Search box to look for Show/Hide or open the document in the desktop app rather than guessing at a command.

Know which kind of break you are deleting

The label on the break tells you how Word was starting the next section. The type matters because it helps explain why a page moved or why a section began on a particular page:

Next Page: Starts the following section on a new page. Removing it may pull the next text onto the previous page.
Continuous: Starts a new section on the same page. It is often used to change columns or other layout settings partway down a page.
Even Page: Starts the next section on an even-numbered page. Word may leave a blank page when needed to meet that rule.
Odd Page: Starts the next section on an odd-numbered page. A blank page can also be intentional with this type.

These are not the same as page breaks. A page break starts a new page but does not, by itself, create a new section with separate margins, headers, or orientation. If an apparently blank page is caused by an Odd Page or Even Page break, the blank page may be part of the section-start behavior rather than an accidental empty paragraph.

What can change when you delete one

When you delete a section break, Word combines the content into one section. The formatting associated with the section after the break generally becomes the formatting for the combined section. As a result, the pages that were in the earlier section can take on the later section’s layout. This can make several pages change at once, even though you deleted only one visible marker.

For example, imagine a document with three portrait pages followed by a landscape page containing a wide table. The landscape page begins after a Next Page section break. Deleting that break joins the sections, so the portrait pages may become landscape too. If the goal is only to remove an unwanted blank page, deleting the break could create a larger layout problem.

Headers and footers deserve a separate check. Sections can have different first-page headers, different odd and even headers, or headers and footers that are linked to a previous section. Removing a break changes the section boundaries that support those options. Page numbering can also appear to restart, disappear, or use a different format after sections merge. Inspect the affected pages rather than assuming the body text tells the whole story.

How to preserve the layout or fix common problems

If deleting the break changes formatting, first undo with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac. Then decide whether the break is truly unnecessary or whether you only need to change how the page starts. A useful approach is to compare the settings on both sides before editing:

Click in each section and inspect Layout > Margins, Layout > Orientation, and Layout > Columns. Note any differences that the document needs to retain.
Double-click a header or footer to check whether the sections have distinct content or page-number settings. Look for the Link to Previous option and any first-page or odd/even differences.
Check whether the break is creating an intentional new page or a blank page to satisfy an Odd Page or Even Page start.
If you still need separate formatting, keep the section break and adjust the relevant section settings instead of removing the boundary.

A common problem is deleting the wrong break in a long document. Use Draft view or zoom out to inspect the area, and keep Show/Hide turned on while working. Another is seeing a page stay blank after deletion. The page may contain a manual page break, empty paragraphs, or a table that pushes content onto another page; a section break is only one possible cause. Formatting marks help identify those other items.

If the document’s headers or page numbers change, undo and inspect the section options before trying again. If you have already made other edits since the deletion, use the Undo button or reopen a saved copy rather than repeatedly pressing Undo without checking what each action reverses.

When to replace it with another break

Sometimes a section break is unnecessary, but a page break is still needed. For example, if the next chapter should begin on a fresh page but does not need different margins, orientation, columns, or headers, remove the section break and insert a page break where the chapter should start. In Word for Windows, use Insert > Page Break or press Ctrl+Enter. On Mac, use Insert > Page Break; the shortcut is Command+Enter.

Do not replace a section break with a page break if the following pages depend on section-specific settings. A landscape page within a portrait document, a different header, or a new page-number format may require the section boundary. In that case, keep the break and correct the setting that is causing the unwanted page or formatting.

Word for the web and document checks

For reliable editing of section breaks, use the Word desktop app for Windows or Mac. The web version may not expose the same editing controls as the desktop app, and complex section layouts are easier to inspect in the full application. If the break or its effects are difficult to manage in a browser, choose the option to open the file in the desktop app, make the change there, and save the document.

Before sharing the edited file, scroll through the pages around the change and then check the rest of the document. Look for an unexpected blank page, a changed page orientation, a header that has disappeared, or page numbers that restart. If the document uses a table of contents or page references, update fields if page locations have changed; in Word, Ctrl+A followed by F9 updates selected fields on Windows in many documents, though it may also select content you do not want to alter in some contexts. Save the document after confirming the result.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I see section breaks in Word?
Go to Home > ¶ to turn on Show/Hide formatting marks. On Windows, Ctrl+Shift+8 toggles the marks; on Mac, use Command+8. A visible section break is labeled with its type.

Why did my whole document change after I deleted a section break?
Deleting the break merges the sections, which removes the boundary between their layout settings. The combined section can take on formatting from the section after the deleted break, affecting orientation, margins, headers, columns, or numbering.

Can I delete a section break without changing formatting?
Not always. If the two sections have different settings, removing their boundary means they cannot continue to have separate section-level formatting. Undo the deletion if the layout changes, then keep the break and adjust the specific setting or use a page break only if a new page is all you need.

What is the difference between a section break and a page break?
A page break moves following text to a new page. A section break can also start a new page, but it creates a separate section that can have its own layout and header or footer settings.

How do I remove a blank page caused by a section break?
Turn on formatting marks and identify the break type. If it is an Odd Page or Even Page break, Word may be inserting a blank page to start the next section on the required side. Deleting or changing that break can remove the blank page, but check whether the next section relies on separate formatting first.

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