Delete a Blank Page in Word: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide

To delete a blank page in Word, show formatting marks with Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac, then remove the extra paragraph marks or page break creating it. If the page follows a table or section break, use the relevant fix below rather than deleting nearby content blindly. These steps are for Microsoft Word in Microsoft 365; save a copy first if the document’s layout is important.

What You’ll Need

The Word document with the blank page.
Access to Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac. The desktop app is best for section-break problems; Word for the web has fewer layout controls.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and locate the blank page. Scroll to it and check whether it is between pages with content or at the very end of the document. The cause is often just before the blank page, so note what appears at the bottom of the previous page.
Turn on formatting marks. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, press Command+8. You can also select the paragraph symbol, ¶, on the Home tab in the Paragraph group. The marks are editing aids and do not print. They make otherwise invisible paragraph returns, page breaks, and section breaks visible.
Look for paragraph marks on the blank page. A row of ¶ symbols usually means there are empty paragraphs. Drag across the marks on the blank page, or click before the first one, hold Shift, and click after the last one, then press Backspace or Delete. On Windows, Backspace removes content to the left and Delete removes content to the right; on Mac, use Delete to remove the selected marks. Check that text on the surrounding pages remains intact.
Remove a manual page break if one is shown. Word labels it Page Break, with a dotted line. Click immediately before the break and press Delete, or immediately after it and press Backspace. The content that follows will move up, which is expected. If you see a section break instead, do not treat it as an ordinary page break; go to step 5.
Check for a section break. A label such as Section Break (Next Page), Section Break (Odd Page), or Section Break (Even Page) can push the next section onto a new page. Deleting it may remove the blank page, but it can also change headers, footers, page numbering, margins, or other section formatting. If that formatting matters, first save a separate copy. Then consider changing the section’s start setting rather than removing the break: place the cursor in the section after the break, open the Layout tab’s Page Setup dialog, choose the Layout tab in that dialog, and change Section start to Continuous. Confirm the result and check the affected pages. If the section needs to begin on a new page, retain the break and investigate its page-start setting instead.
Check for an Odd Page or Even Page section break. These breaks deliberately start a section on a right-hand or left-hand page. Word may insert a blank page so the section begins on the required side, especially in a document formatted for printing as a book. If the blank is intentional, leave it. If not, change the section start to New page or Continuous as appropriate, while checking that section-specific formatting is preserved.
Fix a blank page after a table. Word requires a paragraph after a table, and that final paragraph mark can spill onto a new page if the table reaches the bottom margin. Click the ¶ immediately after the table and select it. Set its font size to 1 point and its paragraph spacing before and after to 0. If necessary, select the mark and use the Home tab’s Font Size box to enter 1. Do not delete the required final paragraph mark; shrinking it usually keeps it on the preceding page.
Check paragraph pagination settings. If the blank page remains, select the first paragraph on the page after it, then open the Paragraph dialog from the Home tab’s Paragraph group. On the Line and Page Breaks tab, check whether Page break before is selected. Also look for Keep with next or Keep lines together, which can push a paragraph or group of paragraphs onto another page. Clear only the setting that is causing the unwanted page, and review the layout because text may reflow.
Check the result and hide the marks. Scroll through the pages around the change to make sure no text, table, or required section formatting disappeared. Press Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac again to hide the marks. Save the document when the page layout is correct.

Common Mistakes

Deleting a section break without checking its effect. A section break stores layout differences between parts of a document. Removing it can make the earlier section’s headers, footers, orientation, columns, or page numbering apply differently. If the blank page is caused by a section break, changing the section start setting is often safer than deleting the break.

Assuming every blank page is made of empty paragraphs. A manual page break, a section break, paragraph pagination settings, or a table at the end of the document can all create a blank page. Turn on formatting marks before choosing what to remove.

Deleting too much. Selecting a paragraph mark can also affect paragraph formatting, and deleting a break can move content across pages. Make a copy first when the document is complex, select only the visible mark or break, and inspect the surrounding pages immediately after the change.

Trying to remove the final paragraph after a table. Word keeps a paragraph after a table at the end of a document. Instead of repeatedly pressing Backspace, reduce that paragraph’s font size and spacing so it fits on the page with the table.

Tips

Use the ¶ button or shortcut as a diagnostic tool, then turn it off when you are done. Formatting marks do not appear in printed output.
After removing a break, check both the page before and the page after it. Word reflows text, so a fix can change more than one page.
If the document uses different headers, footers, page numbering, or page orientation in different sections, duplicate it before changing section breaks.
For a document that will be printed or exported to PDF, check the final page in Print Preview or the PDF. A page that looks blank in editing view may be an intentional odd-page or even-page section start.
On Mac, use Command+8 to show or hide formatting marks. The ribbon labels are similar, though the arrangement of controls can differ slightly from Windows.

Troubleshooting

The page is still there after deleting a paragraph mark. Turn formatting marks back on and inspect the page again. There may be more than one empty paragraph, a page break, or a section break. Also check the paragraph after the blank page for Page break before and related pagination settings.

The blank page returns when you edit earlier text. The document may be reflowing as paragraphs grow or shrink. Check Keep with next, Keep lines together, and Page break before in the Paragraph dialog. If a table sits at the bottom of the previous page, its required paragraph may be pushed over; reduce that mark’s font size and spacing rather than deleting it.

Removing a break changed headers or page numbers. Undo immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac if you have not made other changes since. Restore the break if needed, then adjust the section start setting or review the section’s header and footer links. If several sections have different layouts, work from a copy and make one change at a time.

The blank page appears only in print preview or the PDF. Look for Odd Page or Even Page section breaks, which may intentionally add a blank page to put a section on the correct side. Check print settings and page size as well; different paper sizes or margins can change pagination. Do not remove a page that is required by the document’s print layout.

You cannot find formatting marks in Word for the web. Look on the Home tab for the ¶ Show/Hide control. If the break type or section settings are difficult to inspect, open the file in the Word desktop app, where the relevant layout controls are available.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I delete a blank page at the end of a Word document?

Show formatting marks and remove empty paragraph marks or a manual page break at the end. If the document ends with a table, keep the required final paragraph mark but reduce its font size and spacing so it fits on the preceding page.

Why can’t I delete a blank page in Word?

It may be caused by a section break, an Odd Page or Even Page setting, paragraph pagination rules, or the paragraph after a table. Show formatting marks to identify the cause before changing anything.

Will deleting a section break change my document?

It can. Section breaks can control headers, footers, page numbers, margins, orientation, and columns. Save a copy first, and consider changing the section start setting instead of deleting the break.

How do I remove a page break without deleting text?

Turn on formatting marks, find the line labeled Page Break, and delete only that break. The following text should move up; check the surrounding pages to confirm that no text was selected accidentally.

Can I delete a blank page in Word for the web?

Often, yes: show formatting marks from the Home tab if the control is available, then remove extra paragraphs or a visible page break. For section-break or table-layout problems, open the document in desktop Word for more complete controls.

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.