Delete a Page in Word After a Page Break: Step-by-Step

To delete a blank page after a page break in Word, show formatting marks, find the page break or extra paragraph marks at the end of the page before it, and delete only the mark causing the unwanted page. If the page contains text you want to remove, select and delete that content too. Start by saving a copy if the document has complex section formatting, because removing a section break can change the layout of nearby pages.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, or Word for Mac. Menu names may vary slightly in older editions.
The document you want to edit. If it is important or has elaborate formatting, save a copy first using File > Save As.
Access to formatting marks. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+8; on Mac, press Command+8. You can also click the paragraph mark button (¶) on the Home tab.

Step-by-Step

Check what kind of page break you have. Open the document and find the blank page, or the page you want to remove. Click at the end of the text on the page immediately before it, then turn on formatting marks: Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac. The marks are nonprinting; they help reveal what is controlling the layout. Look for a line labeled Page Break, Section Break (Next Page), Section Break (Odd Page), or one or more paragraph marks (¶).
Understand whether the page is actually empty. A manual page break normally moves the text after it to the next page; it does not create a blank page if there is content following the break. If a page is blank, there may be two breaks, a break followed by empty paragraphs, or a section setting that forces the next section onto a new or odd-numbered page. If the page contains text, decide whether you intend to remove that text or only move it to the previous page before deleting anything.
Remove a manual page break. If you see the words Page Break, click just before that label and press Delete on Windows. On a Mac, press Forward Delete; on most Mac keyboards this is Fn+Delete. Alternatively, click just after the break and press Backspace (called Delete on many Mac keyboards). The text that followed the break should flow upward, often onto the page before it. If it does not fit there, Word will keep it on a later page because of the remaining content or paragraph settings.
Delete extra empty paragraphs if they are causing the page. When the page break is gone, check for paragraph marks (¶) left between the end of the text and the next content. Click at the start of an unwanted empty paragraph and press Backspace, or click at its end and press Delete. Remove one mark at a time and watch the layout. Avoid deleting every paragraph mark indiscriminately: the mark at the end of a paragraph stores formatting, and removing it can change the appearance of the paragraph before it.
Handle a section break with care. If the visible label says Section Break, first check whether the document uses different headers, footers, page numbering, margins, orientation, or columns in the following section. Deleting a section break joins the sections, and the merged section generally takes on the formatting of the section after the break. If you are sure the break is unnecessary, click immediately before the break and press Delete on Windows, or Forward Delete on Mac. If you need the separate formatting, do not delete the break; use the troubleshooting steps below to adjust the section’s start setting instead.
Check the result in the document. Scroll through the pages around the change. Confirm that the text is in the right order, the page you meant to remove is gone, and headers, footers, numbering, orientation, and margins still look right. If the edit moved content in an undesirable way, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac immediately, then try a more targeted change.
Hide formatting marks and save. Press Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac again, or click ¶ on the Home tab, to hide the marks. Save the file with Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. If you used Save As to make a backup, keep that original until you have checked the final document.

Common Mistakes

Deleting the wrong break. A page break and a section break may both appear near the end of a page, but they do different jobs. A page break starts the next page; a section break can also define separate layout and header or footer settings. Read the label before removing it, particularly in a document with different page orientations or page-number formats.

Assuming the page break alone created a blank page. One manual page break generally starts the next content on a new page. A completely blank page often means there is another break, an empty paragraph, or a section configured to begin on an odd or even page. Removing only the first visible break may not solve the underlying cause.

Deleting too much content. Dragging the mouse across a page can select text from the page before or after it, especially when the page boundary changes as you edit. Turn on formatting marks and remove the specific break or empty paragraphs first. If you need to delete all the page’s content, verify the selection before pressing Delete.

Removing a section break without checking formatting. A section break may be responsible for landscape pages, different margins, or a unique first-page header. Deleting it can make those settings change beyond the blank page. Undo immediately if the surrounding layout changes unexpectedly.

Confusing hidden marks with printed content. The paragraph symbol, dots between words, and break labels are editing aids, not text that normally prints. You can leave them visible while editing, but toggle them off when you want a cleaner screen.

Tips

Use the Home tab’s ¶ button if you do not remember the keyboard shortcut. The same control both shows and hides formatting marks.
Make the change in Print Layout view so that you can see the page boundaries. Choose View > Print Layout if the document is in another view.
If you only want the following paragraph to start on the previous page, remove the manual page break rather than selecting and deleting the paragraph itself.
After deleting a break, check the next few pages—not just the formerly blank one. Page numbers, headers, and section formatting can be affected by a section-break edit.
On Mac, the keyboard key labeled Delete usually deletes backward. To delete forward at the cursor, use Fn+Delete on many keyboards. If your keyboard has a separate forward-delete key, use that instead.

Troubleshooting

The page is still there after deleting a page break. Turn formatting marks back on and inspect the end of the previous page and the start of the next one. There may be another manual break or several empty paragraphs. Remove the extra marks one at a time, checking after each deletion. If the page is caused by a section break, proceed cautiously rather than treating it as an ordinary page break.

The next page is blank even though there is no visible break. Check for empty paragraph marks and look at the paragraph settings for the first paragraph after the blank page. Select that paragraph, open the Paragraph dialog from the Home tab’s Paragraph group, and check the Line and Page Breaks tab. Options such as Page break before, Keep with next, and Keep lines together can force content onto another page. Clear a setting only if it is not needed for the layout.

A blank page appears between sections or only on odd pages. A section may be set to start on an odd or even page, which can leave an apparently blank page so the next section begins on the required side. If you need to preserve the section’s formatting, change the section start type instead of deleting its break. Place the cursor in the affected section and open Layout > Page Setup using the dialog launcher in the Page Setup group. On the Layout tab of the Page Setup dialog, change Section start from Odd page or Even page to New page, or Continuous if appropriate, then confirm the result. In Word for Mac, the Page Setup dialog is available from Format > Document; its layout controls may be arranged differently by version.

The page disappears, but headers, margins, or numbering change. Press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac to restore the break. It was likely separating sections with different settings. Keep the break and adjust the next section’s start type, or review the section’s header and page setup options before making another edit. If the document is shared or has a template, ask its owner before changing structural formatting.

Delete or Backspace removes the wrong item. Undo immediately. Turn on formatting marks, click directly beside the label you intend to remove, and try the opposite deletion direction. If the cursor is hard to place, use the arrow keys to move it next to the break, then delete it. Save a copy before further changes if undo no longer restores the original layout.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove a page break in Word without deleting text?
Show formatting marks, locate the Page Break label, and delete the break itself. The text after it should remain and move into the space available above. If it does not fit, Word will place some or all of it on the following page.

Why does deleting the page break not remove the blank page?
The blank page may be caused by a second break, empty paragraphs, a section set to start on an odd or even page, or paragraph pagination settings. Turn on ¶ and inspect the surrounding content to identify the cause.

Can I delete a page in Word using the keyboard?
Yes. To remove a break, place the cursor just before it and press Delete on Windows or Forward Delete on Mac. To remove an entire page of content, select that content carefully first; deleting only a break is safer when you want to preserve the text.

Will deleting a section break change my document?
It can. Removing a section break merges adjacent sections and may change headers, footers, page numbering, margins, columns, or orientation. Undo if those settings change, and adjust the section start type instead when you need to keep the sections separate.

Do formatting marks show up when I print?
No, paragraph marks and page-break labels are normally nonprinting editing symbols. Turn them off with the ¶ button or the shortcut before printing if you prefer, then use Print Preview to confirm the pages look right.

Does this work in Word for the web?
Word for the web can edit many breaks and paragraph marks, but its ribbon and keyboard behavior may differ from the desktop app. If you cannot see or remove the break there, choose Open in Desktop App and follow the Windows or Mac steps above.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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