Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word 365

To add page numbers in Word 365 on Windows, open the document, select Insert > Page Number, choose a location such as Top of Page or Bottom of Page, and select a style. Word inserts a page-number field that updates as your document changes. Before you begin, decide whether the first page should be numbered and whether numbering should start at 1 or another number.

What You’ll Need

A document open in the desktop version of Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365. You can also add page numbers in Word for the web, though some layout and section controls may be more limited.
Permission to edit the document. If it is protected or read-only, you may need to save an editable copy first.
A rough idea of where you want the numbers, such as the top or bottom margin, and whether a cover page should display one.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and check its layout. Open the file in Word and save a copy if you want to preserve the original. Page numbers appear in a header or footer area, so it helps to know whether the document uses portrait or landscape pages and whether it already has headers or footers. If the file has multiple sections, page-number settings may differ between them.
Open the page-number gallery. On the Windows ribbon, select Insert > Page Number. The menu offers positions including Top of Page, Bottom of Page, Page Margins, and Current Position. Choose a location. Top and bottom placement are common for reports and letters; page margins places the number at the side, while Current Position inserts it where the cursor is located in an active header or footer.
Choose a design. Select a style from the gallery, such as a simple number aligned left, centered, or right. Some styles include extra formatting, such as a line or the word Page. Word then opens the header or footer area and adds a page-number field. The field is dynamic: it displays the appropriate number on each page and adjusts when pages are added or removed.
Review the result on more than one page. Scroll through the document or use the page controls to check the first, middle, and last pages. Confirm that the number is readable, in the intended position, and not colliding with other header or footer text. A style that looks fine on a short page may be crowded if your document already has a long header.
Close the header or footer. Select Close Header and Footer on the ribbon, or double-click in the main body of the document. The page numbers remain in place. To edit them later, double-click the number or the header/footer area.
Change the number format if needed. Double-click a page number to open the Header & Footer tab. Select Page Number > Format Page Numbers. In the dialog, choose a number format, such as 1, 2, 3 or i, ii, iii. To set a starting value, choose Start at and enter the number you want. Select OK to apply it. This changes numbering for the relevant section, so check the rest of the document if it contains section breaks.
Leave the first page unnumbered, if appropriate. Double-click in the first page’s header or footer. On the Header & Footer tab, select Different First Page. The first-page number will no longer display, while the other pages can still show numbers. If you want the second physical page to display 1 rather than 2, select Page Number > Format Page Numbers and set Start at to 0. With the first page different, the first page is counted as 0 and the next page displays 1. Check the result, because the first-page header and footer are now separate from those on later pages.
Choose whether numbering continues across sections. If the document has section breaks and a section starts at an unexpected number, double-click its header or footer. On the Header & Footer tab, select Page Number > Format Page Numbers. Choose Continue from previous section to carry on the sequence, or select Start at and enter a number to restart it. The option applies to the section you are editing; check each section that needs different numbering.
Save and check the printed layout. Save the document, then use File > Print to preview the pages. Page numbers can look different in print layout from what you expect in an editing view, especially near the page edge or in documents with mixed page sizes. Confirm that every page that should be numbered has a visible number before printing or sharing the file.

Common Mistakes

Typing numbers by hand. If you type “1” into a footer, Word treats it as ordinary text; it will not automatically become 2 on the next page. Use Insert > Page Number to insert a field instead.
Adding a number in the document body. A number inserted in the main text is attached to that location, not the page’s header or footer. It may move when text is edited. Insert numbers from the page-number gallery or while editing a header or footer.
Assuming an unnumbered cover page is removed from the count. Different First Page hides the number on page one; by itself, it does not make the next page display 1. Set the section’s starting number to 0 if that is the numbering you need.
Changing a linked section by accident. Headers and footers in adjacent sections can be linked. Editing or deleting a number in a linked area may affect more than one section. Check Link to Previous on the Header & Footer tab before making section-specific changes.
Adding a second set of numbers. Clicking the gallery again can insert another page-number field rather than change the existing one. If you see duplicate numbers, remove the extra field or use the formatting controls on the number already in place.
Using page breaks to control numbering. A page break moves text to a new page but does not create a separate numbering section. For different numbering formats or a restart, use a section break and configure the page-number format for that section.

Tips

Keep the style simple. A small, clearly readable number aligned consistently is usually easier to scan than a decorative style. Match the font and size to the rest of the document.
Use the header or footer for extra labels. You can add text such as a short document title beside a number. Double-click the header or footer, place the cursor where the label belongs, and type it. Avoid pressing the spacebar repeatedly to align items; use the alignment or tab controls available in the header/footer tools instead.
Use section breaks for front matter. If a report needs Roman numerals for its contents and Arabic numerals for the main text, place the cursor where the main text begins and choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page under Section Breaks. In the new section, turn off Link to Previous if the numbering should be independent, then choose a format and starting number using Page Number > Format Page Numbers.
Check odd and even pages. A document may use different headers and footers for left- and right-hand pages. If that setting is enabled, inspect both an odd-numbered and an even-numbered page to ensure both contain the intended number.
Use print preview as a final check. Preview the whole document, not just the first page. Look for missing, duplicated, or poorly aligned numbers, especially after changing section breaks or page orientation.

Troubleshooting

No number appears after choosing a style: Double-click the header or footer area to see whether the number was inserted there. Check that Different First Page is not hiding it on the page you are viewing. Also make sure you are in Print Layout view and that the document is not displaying a separate first-page header.
Every page shows the same number: The number may have been typed as text rather than inserted as a field. Delete the repeated text and add a number using Insert > Page Number. If it is a field but still appears static, select it and update it with F9 on Windows; on some laptops you may need Fn+F9. Check the print preview as well.
The numbering restarts or skips unexpectedly: Double-click the number in the affected section and open Page Number > Format Page Numbers. Select Continue from previous section if the sequence should carry on. If the section is supposed to restart, confirm that Start at has the intended value. Look for section breaks in Home > Show/Hide ¶ to understand where the numbering changes.
Removing a number also removes it elsewhere: The affected headers or footers may be linked. Undo the change if possible, open the section where the number should remain separate, and turn off Link to Previous before deleting or editing its number. Remember that first-page and odd/even headers can have separate links too.
The number is clipped or overlaps other text: Double-click the header or footer and move the number inward, or choose a different gallery style. Check the page margins under Layout > Margins and make sure the header or footer is not too close to the paper edge for your printer.
The ribbon commands look different: Word for Mac and Word for the web may arrange page-number options differently from Word for Windows. Look under Insert for Page Number or Page Numbers. On Mac, the insertion control may open a dialog for position and alignment; use its formatting options to change the numbering style. In Word for the web, advanced section-specific controls may require opening the file in the desktop app.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add page numbers to every page in Word 365?

Select Insert > Page Number, choose a position, and select a style. Word inserts a field in the header or footer and numbers the pages automatically. Review sections and first-page settings if a page is missing a number.

How do I start page numbering on page 2?

Double-click the first page’s header or footer, select Different First Page, then set the numbering under Page Number > Format Page Numbers. Use Start at 0 if the second physical page should display 1; otherwise it will normally display 2.

Can I use Roman numerals for page numbers?

Yes. Open Page Number > Format Page Numbers while editing the relevant header or footer, choose a Roman numeral format such as i, ii, iii, and select OK. Use a section break if only part of the document should use Roman numerals.

How do I remove page numbers?

Choose Insert > Page Number > Remove Page Numbers. If numbers remain in a particular section, inspect its header and footer, including first-page or odd/even versions. In a linked document, removing a number can affect other sections, so check the result before saving.

Can I put the page number at the bottom right?

Yes. Select Insert > Page Number > Bottom of Page, then choose a right-aligned style from the gallery. If your footer already contains text, edit the footer and position the number carefully so the two items do not overlap.

Do page numbers update when I add or delete pages?

Yes, when they are inserted as Word page-number fields. The displayed numbers adjust as pagination changes. Manually typed digits do not update, so use the page-number command rather than entering a number in the body or footer as plain text.

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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