How to Remove a Section Break in Word: Keep Formatting

To remove a section break in Word, show formatting marks, select the break labeled Section Break, and press Delete or Backspace. Save a copy first if the document has different page layouts or headers: removing a break joins two sections, and section formatting can change across the merged area.

What You’ll Need

A copy of the Word document, especially if it has carefully arranged pages, headers, footers, or columns.
Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac. The steps also apply to many recent desktop versions of Word.
A few minutes to review the pages around the break after deleting it.

You do not need an add-in or special tool. If you are working in Word for the web and cannot display or select the section break, open the document in the desktop app instead.

Step-by-Step

Save a working copy. Open the document and choose File > Save As to make a copy, or save the file normally if you already have version history or another backup. Removing a section break can affect layout settings beyond the line you delete. A separate copy gives you a straightforward way to restore the original if the pages shift unexpectedly.
Go to the area around the break. Scroll to the point where the next section begins. If you are unsure where it is, use Word’s Find feature to search for nearby text or a heading, then inspect the end of the preceding section and the start of the next one. A section break may be at the end of a page, but it does not always create an obvious blank page.
Show formatting marks. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select Home > ¶ in the Paragraph group. The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+8; use the number 8 key, not the numeric keypad if that shortcut does not work on your keyboard. On Mac, select Home > ¶ or press Command+8. These marks are not printed; they reveal paragraph marks and break labels so you can distinguish a section break from other layout controls.
Identify the correct break. Look for a line labeled with a type such as Section Break (Next Page), Section Break (Continuous), Section Break (Even Page), or Section Break (Odd Page). Confirm that it is the break you intend to remove. A plain Page Break is a different control, and deleting it will not merge sections or remove section-level formatting.
Select the section break. Place the pointer just before the break label and drag across the label to select it, or click at the start of the break and use the keyboard to select the marker. The marker can be fiddly to target, so zoom in or widen the Word window if needed. Make sure the selection covers the section break, not text you want to keep. If you cannot see a highlight, click nearby and try again rather than deleting blindly.
Delete the selected marker. Press Delete or Backspace on Windows. On Mac, the key labeled Delete usually removes the character to the left; if you position the cursor immediately after the marker, that key removes the break. You can also select the marker and press the Mac Delete key. If the wrong text disappears, use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac right away, then reselect the marker.
Check the merged section and save. Review the pages before and after the removed break. Look at page orientation, margins, columns, page numbering, headers, and footers, as well as whether the text now flows as intended. If those settings changed, undo the deletion and read the formatting guidance below before trying again. When the result looks right, save the document.

When finished, you can hide the formatting marks by selecting Home > ¶ again or using the same shortcut. Hiding them changes only what Word displays; it does not add the break back or alter the document.

Common Mistakes

Deleting a page break instead. A page break starts a new page, while a section break separates areas that may have different layout settings. With formatting marks visible, check the label before removing anything.
Assuming the break itself is the only formatting that matters. Section breaks mark the boundary between sections and make it possible for those sections to have different page setup, headers, footers, or numbering. Removing one joins the sections. Word generally applies the following section’s settings to the merged section, so content before the break may take on the layout that had been used after it.
Deleting a break to fix a blank page without checking the cause. A blank page can come from an odd-page or even-page section break, a manual page break, or extra paragraph marks. Inspect the visible markers first. Removing the wrong one can change the layout or leave the blank page in place.
Using repeated Backspace presses. If the cursor is not exactly beside the break, repeated presses can erase text or paragraph marks. Undo immediately if that happens, turn on formatting marks, and select the labeled break itself.
Forgetting headers, footers, or page numbers. A section may have a different first-page header, its own numbering, or a separate footer. Check these after merging, even if the body text appears unchanged.

Tips

Use Undo as a quick safety net. If deleting the break changes several pages, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac before making other edits. Undo restores the break and its prior layout state.
Check the section before removing its boundary. Click in the text on either side and inspect page setup options such as orientation and margins. If the sections intentionally differ, consider keeping the break and changing only the setting that is causing trouble.
Look at headers and footers directly. Double-click the header or footer area on both sides of the break. Word may show labels such as Same as Previous, and the Link to Previous setting can affect whether those areas share content. Confirm that the merged document displays the intended text and numbering.
Turn marks off only after you finish editing. Paragraph marks and break labels can make a document look crowded, but they help you locate invisible layout controls. They are useful during diagnosis and do not appear in print just because they are visible on screen.
Use the desktop app for precise editing. The Word web interface may not provide the same visibility or control for section breaks on every device or document. If the marker is difficult to select or the layout options are missing, choose Open in Desktop App and continue there.

Troubleshooting

The break label is not visible. Turn on formatting marks with Home > ¶. If the ribbon is collapsed, expand it or use the shortcut for your platform: Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac. Check that you are in the document body, not just editing a header or footer. If you are using Word for the web and cannot show the marker, open the file in the desktop application.

Pressing Delete removes text, not the break. Undo immediately. Turn on formatting marks, zoom in, and select the line labeled Section Break before pressing a key. Another option is to place the cursor immediately before the marker and press the forward Delete key, or place it immediately after and press Backspace. On Mac, the forward-delete action is commonly Fn+Delete; the key behavior can vary by keyboard.

The page orientation, margins, or columns change. This is a likely consequence of merging sections with different settings, not necessarily a document error. Undo the deletion if you need to preserve the layout. If you still want one section, decide which layout should apply to the whole merged area, then adjust the relevant page setup options after removing the break. Review every affected page because a setting can apply to more than the page where the marker appeared.

The header or footer changes, or page numbers restart. Undo first if the change is unwanted. Compare the headers, footers, and numbering in both sections, then decide what the combined section should contain. Once the break is removed, inspect the header and footer on representative pages and adjust the content or page-number settings as needed. If the sections were deliberately using separate headers or numbering, retaining the break may be the better solution.

A blank page remains. Show formatting marks and look for another cause nearby, such as an extra paragraph mark, a manual page break, or a second section break. Also check whether the remaining section break is set to start on an odd or even page, which can make Word leave a blank page to preserve the page sequence. Remove or change only the control that is responsible, then review the page flow again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will removing a section break delete my text?
It should not delete the text on either side if you select only the break. It joins the sections, though, so the layout may change. If text disappears, undo immediately and repeat with formatting marks on.

Why did my document’s formatting change after I removed the break?
The break separated sections that could have different page setup or header and footer settings. Removing it merges them, and Word generally uses the following section’s formatting for the combined section. Restore the break with Undo if you need to retain the separate layouts.

Can I remove a section break without changing the formatting?
Not always. If the sections have different settings, merging them removes the boundary that allowed those differences. You can undo, keep the break, or remove it and then set the combined section’s layout to the option you want. Check headers and page numbering separately.

What is the difference between a section break and a page break?
A page break moves following text to a new page. A section break starts a new section and can also allow different orientation, margins, columns, headers, footers, or numbering. Showing formatting marks makes their labels easier to tell apart.

How do I remove a section break in Word for Mac?
Use Home > ¶ or press Command+8 to show formatting marks, select the Section Break marker, and delete it. Review the merged section afterward. If you need to delete forward from the cursor, many Mac keyboards use Fn+Delete.

Can I remove a section break in Word for the web?
It depends on whether the web version lets you display and select the marker in your document. If it does, select the break and delete it, then check the layout. If you cannot see or target it, open the document in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac for more reliable control.

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