How to Add a Header in Microsoft Word

To add a header in Microsoft Word, open the document, select Insert > Header, choose a built-in layout, and replace its placeholder text with your own. The header normally repeats at the top of each page in the current section. You can also make the first page or odd and even pages different, or leave the header blank on selected pages.

What You’ll Need

A Microsoft Word document you can edit. These steps are for Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows; most desktop versions of Word use similar controls.
The text or details you want to show, such as a document title, your name, a date, or a page number. You can add these later if you are still drafting.

Step-by-Step

Open your document and choose where the header should start. Open the file in Word and save a copy if you want to preserve the original unchanged. A header applies to the section containing your cursor. In a document with no section breaks, that is usually the entire document. If you want a header only from a particular page onward, first check whether that page begins a new section; the section settings determine where the header applies.
Open the header gallery. On the Windows ribbon, select Insert > Header. Choose one of the displayed designs, such as a simple blank layout, or select Edit Header to open the header area without choosing a preset. Some layouts include alignment, a line, or placeholder fields; the exact choices can vary with Word version and window size. If the ribbon is collapsed, expand it or use the Insert tab to find the Header control.
Enter your header text. Click in the header’s text area and type the wording you want. If the design has placeholder prompts, select a prompt and replace it rather than typing beside it. Keep the text concise: a report might use its short title, while a letter might use a company or department name. To change the appearance, select the text and use the Home tab’s font, size, color, and alignment controls. Avoid adding repeated spaces to position text; use the alignment and tab controls instead.
Position or arrange the content. A preset may already align the text left, center, or right. To adjust it, place the cursor in the header paragraph and use Home > Align Left, Center, or Align Right. For a left-aligned title and right-aligned date on the same line, use the preset that provides separate positions or set a right-aligned tab stop on the ruler. Pressing the Tab key may move to a preset tab position, but repeated spaces are unreliable because font changes can shift the text.
Add an automatic page number if needed. Click where the number should appear, then choose Insert > Page Number and select a position and style. Word inserts a field that updates as pages are added or removed. If the header already includes a page-number placeholder, replace or retain it as appropriate. A typed number is not automatic, so it will not update when the document length changes.
Choose whether the first page or facing pages need different headers. While the header is open, look for the Different First Page and Different Odd & Even Pages options on the contextual Header & Footer tab. Turn on Different First Page to use a separate first-page header; the first-page header can be left empty for a cover page. Turn on Different Odd & Even Pages if the left and right pages of a printed book or report need different content. These are separate header types, so you may need to enter text in each one.
Finish editing and check the result. Select Close Header and Footer on the ribbon, or double-click in the document body outside the header. Scroll through several pages to confirm the header repeats, is not clipped, and does not overlap the body text. If you used first-page or odd-and-even settings, check each relevant page type. Save the document when the layout looks right.

On Word for Mac, the ribbon names and general workflow are similar: use Insert > Header & Footer or the Header control on the Insert tab, choose a layout, and edit the header. When the header is active, Word displays contextual header and footer controls; their arrangement can differ slightly from Windows. In Word for the web, use the Insert tab’s Header & Footer controls if available. Some advanced layout and section options may be easier to manage in the desktop app.

Common Mistakes

Typing in the document body instead of the header. Text typed at the top of the page body is ordinary content and will not automatically repeat. Double-click near the top margin or choose Insert > Header > Edit Header to make sure the header area is active before typing.
Expecting a header to affect every section. Word stores headers by section. A section break can cause a later part of the document to have a different header, especially if Link to Previous is off. Check the section and its header settings rather than repeatedly inserting the same text.
Forgetting that the first page has its own header. If Different First Page is enabled, the first page’s header is separate from the regular header. A header that appears on page two but not page one may be behaving exactly as configured.
Using spaces to force alignment. A string of spaces may look aligned on one computer but shift when the font, page size, or printer changes. Use paragraph alignment, tabs, or a suitable built-in header layout for more dependable placement.
Removing the wrong header content. The Remove Header command can remove the header from the current section, and changing a linked header may also affect another section. Before removing it, check whether sections are linked and whether you intend to clear the header throughout the section.

Tips

Keep the header readable and brief. A short title or organization name is usually easier to scan than a full sentence. Leave enough space between the header and the main text so the page does not feel crowded.
Use fields for information that may change. Page numbers inserted through the Page Number command update automatically. Word also supports fields for items such as dates and document properties; use an Insert tab field command where available rather than typing a value that you expect Word to maintain.
Check the page layout before fine-tuning spacing. Header position is affected by page margins and header distance settings. If the header looks too close to the page edge or body text, adjust the layout settings rather than inserting blank lines to push it around.
Use a section break for a genuine layout change. If a cover page, appendix, or chapter needs a different header, a section break is usually more appropriate than a page break. After creating the section, review the Link to Previous setting before editing its header.
Preview print layout. A header may look fine while editing but sit too close to the printable edge on paper. Use Print view or a print preview to check the page boundaries, especially for documents that will be printed or converted to PDF.

Troubleshooting

The header does not appear on later pages: Confirm you are viewing pages in Print Layout and that the pages belong to the section where you inserted the header. Look for section breaks and inspect the header on the next section. If it is separate, turn on Link to Previous in that section’s header if you want it to match the preceding section. Avoid toggling this without checking first, because it changes whether the section shares the previous header.
The header is missing from the first page: Open the first page’s header and check whether Different First Page is selected. If it is, add content to the first-page header or turn the setting off if you want the same header throughout. Remember that the first-page header is not necessarily the same as the header on page two.
The wrong text changes on odd or even pages: If Different Odd & Even Pages is on, edit the header for the page type you are looking at. Odd and even headers are separate. Turn the option off if you do not need separate versions, then review the pages again.
The header is too high, too low, or overlaps the text: Open the header and adjust its formatting or paragraph spacing first. If the entire header area needs to move, use the Layout tab’s page setup controls to adjust the top margin or header position where available. Check that the change does not reduce the body area too much or push text onto extra pages.
You cannot select or edit the header: Double-click in the top margin, or use Insert > Header > Edit Header. If the document is read-only or protected, you may need permission or an editable copy. In Word for the web, open the file in the desktop app if the required header or section controls are not available in the browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a header to only the first page?

Open the header, select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab, and type into the first-page header. Leave it blank if you want no header on the cover page; the regular header can still appear on subsequent pages.

How do I add a header to just one page in the middle?

Put that page in its own section by inserting section breaks before and after it, then edit the section’s header. Turn off Link to Previous if you need it to differ from the preceding section, and check the following section as well. Section breaks can change headers across more than one page if they are placed incorrectly.

Can I put a page number in the header?

Yes. Click in the header where you want the number and choose Insert > Page Number, then select a top-of-page style. Word adds an updating page-number field, which is more reliable than typing a number manually.

How do I remove a header?

Choose Insert > Header > Remove Header in Word for Windows. If the document has several sections or different first-page and odd/even headers, inspect each relevant section and header type, since removing one may not clear every separate header.

Why does my header look faded while I edit the document?

Word often displays headers and footers in a lighter shade while the body is being edited to show that they are outside the main text area. This is generally a screen display effect, not a change to the printed header. Check Print Preview to see how it will appear on the page.

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

More in How-to basics

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

Spotted an error in this guide? Let us know.