How to Remove a Section Break in Word 365 Without Fuss

To remove a section break in Word 365, show formatting marks, locate the line labeled Section Break, and delete that marker. This joins the sections on either side; because section formatting can change, save a copy first and check the layout afterward.

The steps below are for Word 365 on Windows. The Mac keyboard shortcuts differ in a few places, which are noted where relevant. If you are working in Word for the web and cannot see or edit the break reliably, open the document in the desktop app.

What You’ll Need

A document open in the Word 365 desktop app.
Permission to edit the document. If it is important or shared, save a separate copy before changing section structure.
A moment to check the pages around the break after removing it, especially if they use different layouts or headers.

Step-by-Step

Save a working copy. In Word, choose File > Save As and save a copy with a new name, or use File > Save a Copy if that option appears in your Microsoft 365 version. This gives you a way to restore the original if deleting the break changes page layout, columns, headers, or numbering. For an unimportant draft, saving normally may be enough, but a copy is safer when formatting matters.
Show formatting marks. On Windows, select Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶, or press Ctrl+Shift+8. On a Mac, select Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶, or press Command+8. These marks are nonprinting characters: they appear on screen but do not print. Turning them on makes section breaks much easier to distinguish from ordinary paragraph marks and page breaks.
Find the break you want to remove. Scroll to the relevant part of the document. A section break appears as a labeled divider, such as Section Break (Next Page), Section Break (Continuous), Section Break (Even Page), or Section Break (Odd Page). Read the label before deleting: a section break may be responsible for a change in page orientation, margins, columns, or headers. If there are several breaks, identify the one next to the formatting or blank page you are trying to fix.
Place the insertion point at the break. Click immediately before the Section Break label on its line. If it is difficult to position the cursor, use the arrow keys after clicking in nearby text until the insertion point is just before the break. You can also select the break marker itself carefully with the mouse. Avoid selecting paragraphs or text that you want to keep.
Delete the marker. On Windows, press Delete when the insertion point is immediately before the break. You can instead place the cursor immediately after the break and press Backspace. On a Mac, the key labeled Delete usually removes the character to the left; to delete forward from before the marker, use Fn+Delete on keyboards with that key behavior, or select the marker and press Delete. If the wrong text disappears, immediately use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac to undo, then reposition the cursor.
Check what changed. Look at the pages on both sides of the former break. Removing it joins the two areas into one section, so the document may adopt section settings from the section after the break. Check page orientation, margins, columns, header and footer content, and page numbering. Also make sure the text has not moved into an unwanted location or created a blank page.
Keep or restore the intended layout. If the merged section should have one consistent layout, click in it and use the relevant controls under Layout, such as Layout > Orientation, Layout > Margins, or Layout > Columns. If you need different layouts in the two areas, undo the deletion: a section break is what allows those areas to have separate section settings. Do not try to replace it with a page break if the distinction in layout is still needed.
Hide formatting marks and save. Press Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac, or select Show/Hide ¶ again on the Home tab. The marks are only a viewing aid; hiding them does not add or remove anything. Save the document, then review the pages where the break was removed in Print Layout view.

Common Mistakes

Deleting a page break instead. A page break and a section break are different. A page break starts the next text on a new page but does not create a separate section with its own layout settings. Confirm that the label says Section Break before deleting it.

Removing every break at once. A document can contain several breaks for valid reasons, including landscape pages inside a portrait document or different headers in separate chapters. Remove only the one you have identified. If using Find and Replace to locate breaks, do not use Replace All unless you are certain every section break can be removed.

Expecting the page to look exactly the same afterward. Deleting the break merges sections, and section-level settings can change. A page may switch orientation, margins, columns, or numbering even though no text was deleted. Check the surrounding pages rather than assuming the result is only a smaller gap.

Using Backspace from the wrong position. Backspace deletes the character or marker before the insertion point. If the cursor is at the end of a paragraph, it may join text or remove a paragraph mark instead. Undo promptly if the document changes in an unexpected way, then turn on formatting marks and try again.

Tips

Use Undo as a quick safety net. Ctrl+Z on Windows and Command+Z on Mac reverse the most recent edit. Undo immediately if an entire paragraph, page, or layout change disappears. Saving a separate copy is still wise for a complex document.
Check the break type before acting. Next Page starts a new section on a new page; Continuous starts it on the same page; Even Page and Odd Page start it on the next page with the specified page parity. Removing an Even Page or Odd Page break can eliminate a blank page, but it can also affect chapter layout.
Use Find to navigate a long file. In Word for Windows, press Ctrl+H to open Find and Replace. If the expanded dialog offers Special, choose Special > Section Break in the Find what field to locate breaks one at a time. Use Find Next to inspect each occurrence. Word on Mac may arrange the Find and Replace controls differently; use the search controls in the desktop app and inspect the marker before deleting it.
Review headers and footers separately. Double-click the header or footer area on pages near the change. Check the page number and whether the header or footer is intended to differ from the previous section. If a distinct header or numbering scheme is needed, undo the deletion and retain the section break.
Keep formatting marks on while diagnosing. The visible markers help show whether a blank page comes from a section break, a page break, or extra empty paragraphs. Turn them off when finished if you prefer a cleaner editing view.

Troubleshooting

The break label is not visible. Turn on Show/Hide ¶ from Home > Paragraph, then look at the end of the text before the layout changes. If you still cannot see it, confirm you are in Print Layout view and that the document is not open in a restricted or read-only state. In Word for the web, choose Open in Desktop App if the required editing controls are unavailable.

Pressing Delete removes text instead. Press Ctrl+Z or Command+Z immediately. Turn on formatting marks, zoom in if necessary, and click just before the labeled break rather than at the end of the paragraph above it. Keyboard navigation can be more precise: click in nearby text, then use the arrow keys to move the insertion point to the break. Check the cursor position before trying Delete again.

The page orientation or margins changed. This is a common consequence of merging sections, not necessarily a software error. Undo the deletion if the areas need different settings. If they should share one layout, click in the affected section and set the desired options again under Layout. For example, select the affected text or click in the section, then use Layout > Orientation to choose Portrait or Landscape. Confirm the change applies to the intended section rather than the whole document.

A blank page remains. Show formatting marks and inspect the page for another section break, a page break, or extra paragraph marks. An Odd Page or Even Page break may also have been causing Word to leave a page blank to preserve page parity. Remove only unwanted markers. If the next section needs to begin on a new page, keeping a Next Page section break may be the correct solution.

Headers, footers, or page numbers look different. First undo if the changes are unwanted. If the sections should be merged, inspect the header and footer in the affected area and adjust the page numbering or content using the Header & Footer tab. If the two areas require distinct headers, footers, or numbering, restore the section break and edit the separate sections instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will removing a section break delete my text?
No. Removing the break joins the sections; it does not normally delete the text on either side. However, pressing Delete from the wrong cursor position can remove text or a paragraph mark, so use Show/Hide and undo immediately if the result is wrong.

Why did my page change from landscape to portrait?
Orientation is a section-level setting. When you remove a break, the areas become one section and may use the settings of the section that follows the break. Undo if you need the separate orientations, or set the merged section to the desired orientation under Layout.

Can I remove a section break without changing formatting?
Not always. A section break defines where separate section settings begin and end. If the two sections have different settings, merging them necessarily removes that separation. You can reapply a single consistent layout after deleting the break, but you cannot keep two independent section layouts without a section boundary.

How do I remove a section break that creates a blank page?
Turn on Show/Hide ¶, identify the break at the blank page, and delete it only if the separate section is no longer needed. If it is an Odd Page or Even Page break, Word may be inserting a blank page to start the next section on the required side. Check the chapter layout after removing it.

Can I delete section breaks in Word for the web?
Editing support and controls can differ from the desktop app. If you cannot clearly see the break marker or remove it without affecting nearby text, open the file in the Word 365 desktop app and follow the steps above. This also makes it easier to review section-level layout settings.

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

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