How to Make Just One Page Landscape in Microsoft Word

To make just one page landscape in Microsoft Word, isolate it in its own section: insert a Next Page section break before it and another after it, then set that section to landscape. The surrounding sections can stay portrait. Save a copy first if the document has complex formatting, because section breaks can affect pagination and headers or footers.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, or a recent desktop version of Word.
The document you want to change. If you are working in a shared or important file, save a separate copy before editing.
A clear idea of which page should be landscape. Page numbers can change when the layout changes, so identify the page by its content as well as its current number.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and show formatting marks. Open the file in the Word desktop app. On the Home tab, select the paragraph-mark button (¶) in the Paragraph group. This makes paragraph marks and section breaks visible, which helps you place and check the breaks. You can turn the marks off later; they do not print.
Find the start of the page you want to turn. Click immediately before the first text or object on that page. If the page begins with a heading, click before the heading. If it begins with a table or picture, click in the paragraph immediately before that object where possible. The aim is to make the new section begin at the start of the target page, not partway through the previous page.
Insert a section break before the page. On the ribbon, choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page in the Section Breaks area. Word starts a new section on the next page. The page you are targeting should now be the first page of that section. A section break is different from a page break: it lets the section have its own page orientation.
Place a second section break after the target page. Click after the final text or object on the page you want in landscape, before the first content that should remain portrait. Choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page again. The following content now starts a separate section. If the landscape page is the last page in the document, you do not need this second break; there is no later section to protect.
Check where the breaks landed. With formatting marks showing, look for the labels Section Break (Next Page) before and after the target page. Confirm that the page content you want rotated sits between those breaks. If a break appears in the middle of a paragraph or table, undo it with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac, then place it at a better boundary and insert it again.
Set the target section to landscape. Click anywhere on the page between the two section breaks. Choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape. Because the cursor is in the isolated section, Word should apply the landscape orientation to that section rather than the whole document. Check the page before and after it; they should remain portrait.
Review the page layout and adjust content if needed. A landscape page is wider and shorter than a portrait page. Tables, images, columns, and text may shift or resize. Adjust widths or alignment as needed, and check that the content still fits on the intended page. If it spills to another page, revise the content or spacing rather than adding extra breaks blindly.
Hide formatting marks and save. Select the ¶ button on the Home tab to hide the marks. Save the document, then scroll through the pages around the change to verify that only the intended page is landscape and the surrounding content remains in the right order.

Mac note: The section-break workflow is the same in Word for Mac: use Layout > Breaks > Next Page, then Layout > Orientation > Landscape. Ribbon labels and layout can differ slightly by Word version. The Mac undo shortcut is Command+Z; on Windows it is Ctrl+Z.

Common Mistakes

Choosing a page break instead of a section break. A page break moves content to a new page but does not create a separate area with its own orientation. Use Layout > Breaks > Next Page under Section Breaks.
Changing orientation before isolating the page. If there are no section breaks around the target, Word may change the orientation of the current section, which can include several pages. Add the boundaries first, then click inside the section you want to rotate.
Putting a break in the wrong place. A break inserted too early or too late can rotate part of another page, split a paragraph, or move a heading. Show formatting marks and inspect the break labels before changing orientation.
Adding a second break at the end of the document unnecessarily. If the landscape page is the final page, a closing section break is not needed. Adding one can create an unwanted blank page, especially if the document already ends with a page break or extra empty paragraphs.
Assuming page numbers will stay the same. A change in orientation can move text and objects, which may alter pagination. Confirm the page by its content after applying the change, not only by the page number it had before.
Overlooking headers and footers. Sections can have separate header and footer settings. A new section may continue the previous section’s header or footer unless you change its settings. Review these areas if the landscape page needs a different header, footer, or page-number position.

Tips

Make a backup before editing a long document. Section breaks are useful, but moving or deleting one can change the layout of the sections around it. A copy makes it easier to recover the original formatting.
Use paragraph marks while editing. The ¶ button on the Home tab is especially helpful for distinguishing a section break from a page break and spotting extra blank paragraphs. Hide the marks when you are finished if you prefer a cleaner view.
Keep section breaks at logical boundaries. If possible, insert them between paragraphs rather than inside a paragraph or table. For a page that begins with a table, place the break in the paragraph immediately before the table, if the document has one.
Check the whole document after changing orientation. Review at least the page before, the landscape page, and the page after. Also check the final page and page numbering, since reflow can affect content farther down the document.
Know that headers may be linked. In a header or footer, Word may show Link to Previous for a new section. If you need a different header or footer on the landscape page, turn off that link before editing the section’s header or footer. Decide whether page numbering should continue from the previous section.

Troubleshooting

The whole document turned landscape. Undo the change immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac. Show formatting marks and check that the target page is between two Next Page section breaks (or is the final page with a break before it). Click inside that section and apply Layout > Orientation > Landscape again. If the whole document still changes, the section boundaries may be missing, misplaced, or deleted.

An extra blank page appeared. Turn on formatting marks and look for extra paragraph marks, a duplicate page break, or an unnecessary section break at the end of the document. Delete only the extra mark or break you can identify; removing a section break can also change the orientation and formatting of adjacent sections. If the blank page is caused by a required final paragraph after a table, reduce that paragraph’s font size or spacing rather than deleting the paragraph mark.

The wrong page is landscape, or the target page moved. Orientation changes can reflow text, so the page number may change. Check the section breaks and the content between them. If a break is inside a paragraph, undo and insert it between paragraphs. Then apply landscape to the section containing the intended content. If the content itself has grown onto multiple pages, Word will make the whole section landscape, not just one physical sheet; shorten or resize the content if only one sheet should be rotated.

The table or picture no longer fits. In landscape, the page is wider, but margins and object sizing still affect the usable area. Select the table and adjust its column widths or use the table’s layout controls to fit it to the available width. For a picture, resize it using a corner handle to preserve its proportions. Check print preview as well as the editing view, since printed margins can affect the result.

The header, footer, or page number looks different. Double-click the header or footer on the landscape page. Check whether Link to Previous is enabled and whether the section has the expected page-number setting. If you need a separate layout, turn off Link to Previous before making changes. For page numbers, use the header and footer controls to continue numbering from the previous section or set the desired start value.

The ribbon command is unavailable or labels look different. Confirm that you are using the desktop version of Word and that the cursor is in the document body rather than inside a dialog or header. Ribbon layout can vary by release and window size; look for the Layout tab’s Breaks and Orientation controls. In Word for the web, section-layout options may be limited compared with the desktop app, so open the file in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac to make and verify section-level changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make only one page landscape without changing the rest?
Yes. Place that page in its own section using Next Page section breaks before and after it, then set that section to landscape. Keep the surrounding content in separate portrait sections.

Why do I need section breaks instead of page breaks?
A page break only starts content on a new page. A section break creates a separate part of the document whose page setup, including orientation, can differ from the sections around it.

Can I make the last page landscape?
Yes. Insert a Next Page section break before the last page, click in the new section, and choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape. Since there is no following portrait section, you usually do not need a second break after it.

Will this work in Word for Mac?
Yes. In Word for Mac, use Layout > Breaks > Next Page to create the section boundaries, then choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape while the cursor is in the target section. Use Command+Z to undo.

Can I make a page landscape in Word for the web?
Some page-layout controls may be available, but section editing can be limited or vary in the browser. For the most reliable way to isolate one page, open the document in the desktop Word app and use section breaks.

Will the landscape page have a different header or footer?
It can, but section headers and footers may be linked to the previous section. Open the header or footer on the landscape page and turn off Link to Previous before changing it if you need a distinct layout. Review page numbering afterward.

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