How to Add Two Different Page Numbers in Word

To use two page-numbering styles in one Word document—for example, Roman numerals for a contents section and regular numbers for the main text—divide the document into sections, unlink the second section’s header or footer, then set each section’s number format separately. Save a copy first if the document already has carefully formatted headers or footers; section breaks can affect layout.

This method works in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The labels and locations of some controls can differ slightly in Word for Mac, so Mac notes are included where they matter. The same section-based approach also works if you want the main text to restart at page 1, rather than continue numbering from the front matter.

What You’ll Need

A Word document with the content for each numbering scheme arranged in order, such as a title page and contents before the main text.
Permission to edit the document’s headers and footers. If the document is protected, you may need its owner to remove or adjust the editing restriction.
A clear plan for where the numbering changes. Usually, the change belongs at the start of a new section, not merely on a new page.

Step-by-Step

Decide where the numbering should change. For example, you might use lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) for the preface and contents, then Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) for Chapter 1. Place the cursor at the end of the last page that should use the first style. If the new numbering should begin on a fresh page, the next step’s Next Page section break will create that page. Remove any extra blank paragraphs that could otherwise create unwanted pages.
Insert a section break. In Word for Windows, select Layout > Breaks > Next Page in the Page Setup group. This starts a new section on the following page. On Word for Mac, use Layout > Breaks > Next Page; depending on the window size or ribbon layout, the Breaks control may be shown in a slightly different place. Choose a section break, not a page break. A page break moves text to another page but does not give you an independent page-numbering format.
Check that the new section begins in the right place. Turn on formatting marks if you need to see the break: select Home > ¶ (Show/Hide). You should see a “Section Break (Next Page)” marker between the sections. If the marker is in the middle of a paragraph, it can carry paragraph formatting into the next section. Move it to the end of the intended text, and check the first page of the new section before continuing.
Open the header or footer in the second section. Go to the first page that should use the second numbering style and double-click in the header area at the top or footer area at the bottom. The contextual Header & Footer tab appears. If the page number will be in the footer, work in the footer; if it will be in the header, work in the header. Headers and footers have separate linking settings, so you must unlink the one that contains the number.
Turn off Link to Previous for the relevant area. On the Header & Footer tab, select Link to Previous to turn it off. The button should no longer appear selected. If the page number is in a footer, unlink the footer; if it is in a header, unlink the header. If you plan to number both header and footer, check and unlink each area separately. “Same as Previous” should disappear from the second section’s header or footer. This step prevents changes to the second section from also changing the first section.
Set the first section’s numbering format. Go to a page in the first section and open its header or footer. If there is no number yet, select Insert > Page Number, choose a location such as Bottom of Page, and choose a design. Then select Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers. In the dialog, choose a format such as i, ii, iii, … under Number format. Choose Continue from previous section if this section follows another numbered section; otherwise, set the starting number you want. Select OK. If there is a title page with no visible number, see the tips below before assuming the numbering is wrong.
Set the second section’s format and starting number. Return to the first page of the second section and open its header or footer. Insert a page number there if needed using Insert > Page Number and the same position or design you want. Then choose Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers. Select 1, 2, 3, … for standard numbering. Under Page numbering, choose Start at and enter 1 if the main text should begin at page 1. Choose Continue from previous section if numbering should carry on instead. Select OK. The number is a page-number field, so Word updates it as pages are added or removed.
Review the document from beginning to end. Close Header and Footer, then inspect the last page of the first section, the first page of the second section, and a later page in each section. Confirm the style, location, and sequence. If the document has odd and even headers, different first-page headers, or multiple chapters, check those pages as well. Save the document after the numbering is correct.

Common Mistakes

Using a page break instead of a section break: A page break only starts a new page. It does not create a separate numbering setup, so both parts may keep the same format. Use Layout > Breaks > Next Page when the numbering style or sequence needs to change.

Leaving Link to Previous on: The two sections then share header or footer content. Editing the number or its format in the second section can affect the first. Unlink the specific header or footer before changing it, and remember that header and footer links are separate.

Changing the number format but not the starting value: Choosing Arabic numerals does not automatically make the first page of the section page 1. In Format Page Numbers, select Start at: 1 if that is the intended result.

Deleting a number without checking what it is linked to: If a section is still linked, removing the page number may remove it from another section too. Unlink first, then make changes and inspect both sides of the section break.

Adding extra blank paragraphs to force a new page: Those paragraphs can shift content later and make numbering seem to skip. Use a section break for the numbering change and check for accidental blank pages.

Tips

If you want a title page without a visible page number, open its header or footer and select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab. This hides the first page’s header or footer content while allowing later pages in that section to show numbers. The first page may still count in the sequence. For instance, the next page can display ii even though the title page’s i is not printed. If you want the next visible page to display i, adjust the section’s starting number in Format Page Numbers.

Use descriptive section breaks only where the numbering scheme changes. A document may need more than two sections if it has several independent parts, but every additional section can have its own header, footer, and page-number settings. Keep a simple outline of the intended numbering—for example, “contents: i–iv; chapters: 1 onward”—before editing a long document.

When formatting a thesis, report, or book, decide whether blank pages count and whether page numbers should appear on them. Those choices may depend on the required style guide. Also remember that printed page labels and Word’s page count are not the same thing: a document with a title page numbered invisibly can have more physical pages than the visible numbers suggest.

On Mac, Word’s ribbon and dialog may look different from Windows, but the key ideas are the same: insert a Next Page section break, turn off the relevant Link to Previous setting, and use the page-number format controls for each section. If you cannot find a command, use Word’s search box to look for “Format Page Numbers” or “Link to Previous.”

Troubleshooting

Both sections change when you edit one: Open the affected header or footer in the second section and check whether Link to Previous is still on. Turn it off for that area. If the document uses both a header and footer, check both. Then set the second section’s number format again.

The second section continues at the wrong number: Open its page-number format dialog and choose Start at, entering the intended value. Make sure you are editing the second section, not the first; the section name is shown while editing the header or footer. If the number still looks wrong, verify that the section break is where you expect it to be.

The page number appears in the wrong section or disappears: Check for an accidental page break, a missing section break, or an active link to the previous section. Turn on Home > ¶ to locate breaks. If you removed a number, reinsert it in the correct section through Insert > Page Number, then unlink sections before making further edits.

The first page has no number, but later numbers seem one too high: This is often expected when Different First Page hides the number but still counts that page. Decide whether the hidden page should count. If it should not, change the section’s starting value in Format Page Numbers; do not add a manually typed number, because it will not update with the document.

A blank page appears after the break: Show formatting marks and inspect nearby page and section breaks. A Next Page section break already moves the next section to a new page, so a separate page break or extra blank paragraphs may be causing an additional page. Remove only the unnecessary break or paragraphs, then recheck that the section break remains in place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Roman numerals for the introduction and regular numbers for the chapters?
Yes. Put a Next Page section break between the parts, unlink the chapter section’s header or footer, and set each section’s number format separately.

Can the main text start at page 1 even if it is later in the file?
Yes. In the main text section, open Format Page Numbers, select Start at, and enter 1. The earlier pages can use a different format or be unnumbered.

Do I need a section break for every change in numbering?
You need a new section wherever the numbering format, starting value, or header and footer arrangement must differ. You do not need a new section for each page that continues the same sequence.

Can I show a page number in both the header and footer?
Yes. Insert a page-number field in each location. If the two locations are in different sections, manage their Link to Previous settings separately so one section’s changes do not affect the other.

Will page numbers update when I add or delete pages?
Yes, when you insert page numbers using Word’s page-number command. Word updates the fields automatically as pagination changes. A number typed directly into the header or footer is ordinary text and will not update.

Can I do this in Word for the web?
Word for the web supports basic page numbers, but some section and header/footer controls may be limited or arranged differently. If you cannot access the section-break or page-number format settings you need, open the file in the Word desktop app.

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

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