How to Delete a Page in Microsoft Word Without Losing Text

To delete a page in Microsoft Word, select the page’s contents and press Delete, or remove the page break or extra paragraph marks that are creating a blank page. Save a copy first if the document is important; the right fix depends on whether the page contains text, is blank, or is being forced by a layout break.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, or Word for Mac if you use a Mac. The menus are similar, but some keyboard shortcuts differ.
The document you want to edit. If it is valuable or shared, save a separate copy before deleting content or changing section breaks.

Step-by-Step

Save a copy and identify the page. Open the document and save a backup with File > Save As if you may need to restore the original layout. Scroll to the page you want to remove. Check whether it has text or objects, is completely blank, or appears blank but contains paragraph marks or a break. That distinction matters: deleting visible text will not remove a page caused by a page break or section break.
Turn on formatting marks if the cause is not obvious. On Windows, choose Home > ¶, or press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, choose Home > ¶, or press Command+8. These marks are editing symbols and do not print. Paragraph marks appear as ¶, manual page breaks are labelled, and section breaks are shown with a description such as Section Break (Next Page). You can switch the marks off again with the same button or shortcut.
Delete a page that contains text or other content. Click anywhere on the page. On Windows, press Ctrl+G to open Go To; on Mac, press Option+Command+G. In the Go To tab, enter \page in the page-number field, then press Enter or click Go To. Close the dialog. Word selects the current page’s contents. Press Delete, then inspect the pages around it to make sure the text, tables, images, or other material you intended to keep remains in place. If you would rather choose exactly what goes, drag across the specific text or objects on the page and press Delete instead of selecting the whole page.
Delete a blank page caused by extra paragraph marks. With formatting marks visible, go to the blank page and select the extra ¶ marks on it. Press Delete or Backspace. If the blank page is at the end of the document, remove empty paragraphs one at a time and check whether the page disappears. A paragraph mark may carry formatting or anchor an object, so avoid deleting marks elsewhere unless you understand what they control. If Word will not remove the final paragraph mark, see the table fix in Troubleshooting.
Remove a manual page break. Find the line marked Page Break while formatting marks are on. Click just before the break and press Delete, or click just after it and press Backspace. The text that followed the break will move up and may join the preceding page. If you want that text to start on a fresh page, keep the break and delete or edit the content you meant to remove instead.
Handle a section break carefully. If the blank page is caused by a Section Break (Next Page), deleting it can remove the page, but it can also change formatting in the sections that follow. Section breaks may control page orientation, margins, headers, footers, columns, or page numbering. Before removing one, note the affected settings or keep a backup. If you need the later section’s formatting, change the break to a continuous section break where appropriate: place the cursor in the later section and use Layout > Page Setup dialog launcher, then the Layout tab, and choose Continuous under Section start. The exact controls can vary slightly by Word build, so check the displayed section settings before confirming.
Check the result and save. Scroll through the pages before and after the deletion. Confirm that headings, page numbers, headers and footers, and section formatting still look right. If the wrong material disappeared, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac immediately. When the document looks correct, save it.

Common Mistakes

Deleting only what you can see. A page that looks empty may contain paragraph marks, a break, or an anchored object. Turn on formatting marks and inspect the page before repeatedly pressing Backspace.

Selecting the wrong page’s contents. The Go To method selects the contents of the page where the insertion point is located. Check the page number and selection before pressing Delete, especially in a long document. If selection is unclear, use the mouse to select only the content you intend to remove.

Removing a section break without checking its effects. A section break can preserve different headers, page numbering, margins, columns, or orientation. Deleting it may make the next section inherit formatting from the previous one. Undo immediately if the layout changes unexpectedly, then consider changing the break type or adjusting the section settings instead.

Using Backspace repeatedly at the top of a page. Backspace can pull text from the previous page, remove a break, or join paragraphs. It is not a reliable way to remove a whole page. Identify the cause first, then delete the specific content or break.

Tips

Use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac as soon as you notice an unwanted change. Undo is more dependable than trying to reconstruct deleted text or formatting.
For a large document, use the page number shown in Word’s status bar as a reference, then use Go To to move to the page. If the status bar is hidden, right-click it and enable the page-number display.
If you are removing content but want to preserve its place in the layout, consider whether deleting the page is actually the goal. You can instead replace selected content with a short note, or adjust a page break, depending on the document’s purpose.
After removing a page, review page numbering and any table of contents. Word may update fields automatically in some contexts, but you can right-click a table of contents and choose Update Field to refresh it.
Keep formatting marks on while diagnosing an unwanted blank page, then turn them off before sharing if you prefer a cleaner editing view. They do not appear in printed pages or exported PDFs.

Troubleshooting

The blank page remains after I delete its paragraph marks. Check for a manual page break or a section break nearby. If the page follows a table at the end of the document, Word requires a final paragraph after the table and may push that paragraph onto a new page. Select the final paragraph mark, reduce its font size to 1 point, and set its paragraph spacing before and after to 0. If necessary, reduce the bottom margin slightly using Layout > Margins. Do not try to remove the required final paragraph mark; make it small enough to fit instead.

The page returns when I type or edit nearby text. The document may have a paragraph setting that forces a new page. Click in the paragraph at the start of the following page, open the Paragraph dialog from the Home tab, and check Line and Page Breaks. Turn off settings such as Page break before only if they are not intentional. Also check for a heading style that keeps paragraphs together or with the next paragraph.

Deleting a break changes later pages. Press Undo. Then inspect the break type and the section settings on both sides. If the later section needs its own layout, retain a section break and adjust its start type or settings rather than removing it. Changes to headers and footers may also require checking whether Link to Previous is enabled.

The Go To method does not select what I expect. Make sure the insertion point was on the page to remove before opening Go To, enter \page in the page-number field, and close the dialog after the selection is made. If your Word version or platform behaves differently, select the page’s content manually. Be especially careful where a page begins or ends with a table, because the selection can include structural paragraph marks.

I cannot see the formatting marks. Click the pilcrow button on the Home tab. If marks still seem hidden, check File > Options > Display on Windows for formatting marks set to always show; on Mac, review Word’s Preferences or Settings for display options. The exact labels can differ between releases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a page without deleting its text?
Not if the page’s text must remain in the document: removing a page means its content must be deleted or moved. If the page is blank because of a break or extra paragraph marks, remove that layout element instead and keep the text.

How do I delete a page in Word on a Mac?
Click on the page, press Option+Command+G, enter \page, and press Enter. Close Go To, confirm the selection, and press Delete. You can also select the page’s content manually. For formatting marks, use Home > ¶ or Command+8.

Why is there a blank page at the end of my Word document?
Common causes are extra paragraph marks, a page break, a section break, or the required paragraph mark after a final table. Turn on formatting marks to identify the cause. If a table is forcing the final mark onto another page, reduce that mark’s font size rather than trying to delete it.

Can I delete a page from the Navigation Pane?
The Navigation Pane helps you find pages and headings, but it does not provide a simple page-delete command. Use it to locate the page, then select and delete its contents or remove the break creating a blank page.

Will deleting a page change page numbers or the table of contents?
Usually, page numbers adjust to the new document length, but section-specific numbering can behave differently. Review the affected sections and update the table of contents if needed by right-clicking it and choosing Update Field.

Can I get a deleted page back?
Immediately use Undo: Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac. If you have already saved or closed the document, check version history or your backup, if available. This is why saving a separate copy first is useful for important files.

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

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