How to Add a Page Header in Microsoft Word Documents

To add a page header in Word, open your document, select Insert > Header, choose a design, and replace its placeholder text with your own. Word places the header at the top of the page and, by default, repeats it on other pages in the same section. You can also use header settings to make the first page or odd and even pages different.

What You’ll Need

A document open in Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The steps are similar in recent desktop versions of Word.
The text or details you want to show, such as a document title, author, date, or page number. You can also start with a blank header and decide later.
If your document has multiple sections, a moment to check whether the header should match the previous section or be independent.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and go to the page. Open the Word file and click in the document body. It does not matter which page you start on if the document has one section and you want the same header throughout. If the file has section breaks, begin in the section whose header you want to change. Save a copy first if you are making changes to a complex document.
Open the header gallery. On the Windows ribbon, select Insert > Header. Word displays a gallery of built-in header designs, including plain and formatted options. Move through the choices to find one that suits the document. Select Blank for a simple header, or choose a design with a title, line, or other layout. The gallery names and arrangement may differ slightly between Word versions.
Enter your header content. After selecting a design, Word opens the header area and may show one or more placeholder fields. Click a placeholder and type over its sample text. If you chose a blank design, click in the header area and type. Keep the information concise; a short title or organization name is easier to read and less likely to crowd the page. You can press Tab to move between some built-in layout fields, but clicking the field you want is usually clearest.
Format the text and layout. Select the header text to change its font, size, color, or emphasis using the Home tab. Use the alignment buttons on Home to place it at the left, center, or right. A built-in design may use a table or separate content areas to position items, so click in the relevant area rather than adding repeated spaces. If the header appears too close to the page edge, use the contextual Header & Footer tab and adjust the header position setting, or change the document margins through Layout > Margins.
Add a page number if needed. A page number is a field that Word can update automatically; do not type the number by hand if you want numbering to continue correctly. In the header editing mode, select Insert > Page Number, then choose an available position or design. If you want the number beside existing header text, choose a position that fits the layout, or use a built-in header design that includes a number. Check that the number does not collide with the title or other content.
Choose whether the first page should have a different header. While the header is active, open the Header & Footer contextual tab and select Different First Page if the opening page should have no header or a distinct one. Word provides a separate first-page header area. Click in that area and add or remove content as needed. This setting applies to the current section, so in a document with several sections, check the setting in each section where you want the same behavior.
Set up different odd and even pages only if your layout needs it. For a book-style or double-sided document, select Different Odd & Even Pages on the Header & Footer tab. Word then gives odd-numbered and even-numbered pages separate header areas. Add the content to each one separately, such as placing the book title on odd pages and the chapter name on even pages. If this option is off, the same header is used on both kinds of page unless another setting, such as Different First Page, changes it.
Check section links, then close the header. Word links a new section’s header to the previous section by default. If you need a different header in this section, click in it and select Link to Previous on the Header & Footer tab to turn the link off; then edit the header. If the header should continue from the previous section, leave the link on. When you are finished, select Header & Footer > Close Header and Footer, or double-click in the document body. Review several pages and save the file.

On a Mac: The ribbon labels are generally similar in Word for Microsoft 365. Use Insert > Header to open the header choices; in some Mac layouts the command is grouped under Insert > Header & Footer. Double-clicking the top margin also opens the header area. Header options such as Different First Page and Link to Previous are on the contextual Header & Footer tab. The exact gallery layout can vary by version.

Common Mistakes

Typing a page number as ordinary text. A typed number stays the same on every page. Insert a page-number field instead so Word can display the correct number throughout the document.
Editing the wrong section. A document with section breaks can have separate headers. Check the page and section where the change is needed, and look for the section indicator while editing the header.
Assuming Different First Page removes all headers. It creates a separate header area for the first page of the current section. It does not automatically remove headers from later pages, and the first-page area can still contain text.
Using spaces to push text to the right. Repeated spaces can shift when the font, margins, or content changes. Use alignment, tab stops, or the positions provided by the chosen header design instead.
Deleting a section break to fix a header. Section breaks control layout as well as headers. Removing one can change margins, orientation, columns, or numbering. Try changing Link to Previous or the header content before removing a break.

Tips

Use the same font and restrained styling as the main document. A header should help identify the document, not compete with its content.
Keep important text inside the page margins and leave enough white space between the header and the body. A long header may wrap onto a second line and push the document text down.
Use Word’s fields for information that may change. Along with page numbers, the Insert tab may offer date and document information fields. Some fields update when the document opens or when you update them; check the displayed value before sharing or printing.
For a report, consider putting the document title in the header and a page number at the opposite side. For a letter, a minimal header—or no repeating header—may be more suitable.
Preview more than the first page. Check a middle page, the last page, and any page after a section break. For different odd and even headers, inspect one page of each type.

Troubleshooting

The header appears on every page, but I only wanted it on the first page. Edit the header and select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab. Then make sure the first-page header contains the material you want and that the regular header for later pages is blank or has the right content. If the document has sections, repeat the check in the relevant sections.

Changing one header changes another section. That usually means the sections are linked. Go to the header in the section you want to change and turn off Link to Previous. Then edit its content. Turning off the link separates that section’s header; it does not automatically erase the existing text. If the control is unavailable or the result is unexpected, check that there is a section break between the areas rather than only a page break.

The page number is wrong, missing, or repeats. Make sure you inserted a page-number field rather than typed a digit. Check whether numbering is set to continue from the previous section or restart in the current one: use Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers to review the available numbering settings. Also inspect Different First Page and Different Odd & Even Pages, since those options use separate header areas that may need their own page-number field.

The header is hidden or prints too close to the edge. Confirm that you are not viewing a mode that obscures page boundaries; Print Layout is useful for checking the page. Open the header and adjust its position on the Header & Footer tab, then check the page margins under Layout > Margins. Printer hardware can have an unprintable area, so a header that looks fine on screen may still be clipped on paper. Move it farther inside the page and check print preview.

I cannot find the Header command. Widen the Word window or look for the Insert tab’s header and footer group; a narrow ribbon can hide commands behind a menu. On Mac, check the Insert tab or the Insert menu. You can also double-click near the top edge of a page in Print Layout to enter the header area directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a header to every page in Word?
Insert a header using Insert > Header and type the content. Word repeats it on pages in the same section by default. Check for section breaks or special first-page and odd/even settings if some pages differ.

Can I add a header to only one page?
Yes. Put that page in its own section by adding section breaks before and after it, then turn off Link to Previous for its header and remove or customize headers in the other sections as needed. Be careful: section breaks can also affect page layout.

How do I remove a header from the first page?
Open the header and select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab. Leave the first-page header empty. The later pages keep their regular header.

Can the first page have a different header from the rest?
Yes. Select Different First Page, then enter separate content in the first-page header and the regular header. The setting applies to the current section.

How do I make the header different in each section?
Click in the header of the section you want to change and turn off Link to Previous. Edit the header after unlinking it. Repeat for each section that needs its own content.

Will my header appear when I save as a PDF?
Normally, yes. Headers are part of the page layout and are included when you export or save the document as a PDF. Before sharing, use Print Preview or export a test PDF to verify that the text and page numbers are positioned correctly.

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

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