Word: Make One Page Landscape Without Changing Others

To make just one page landscape in Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the content on that page, then choose Layout > Page Setup (the small dialog-box launcher) > Margins > Landscape, set Apply to to Selected text, and select OK. Word places the selected content in its own section, so the other sections can remain portrait.

Why Word Uses Sections for Page Orientation

Orientation is a section-level setting in Word, not a setting attached to an individual sheet of paper or a single paragraph. A document can contain several sections, each with its own orientation, margins, headers, footers, and page-number settings. If the document has no section boundary around the page you want to turn, changing orientation may affect more pages than intended.

This is why a page break and a section break are not interchangeable. A page break moves following text to a new page but keeps it in the same section. A section break creates a new formatting area, which is what lets one page be landscape while the surrounding pages remain portrait.

In many documents, selecting the text on a page and applying the orientation to Selected text is the quickest approach. Word inserts the necessary section breaks around the selection. If you need precise control, or the page contains complex tables or existing section breaks, insert the breaks yourself and format the section between them.

Turn One Page Landscape by Selecting Its Content

Use this method in the Word desktop app for Windows when the page contains ordinary text, a table, an image, or a combination of content. It is usually the most direct way to isolate that content without manually managing section boundaries.

Select the content that should appear on the landscape page. Include all paragraphs and objects intended for that page, but avoid selecting content from the pages before or after it.
Open the Layout tab on the ribbon.
In the Page Setup group, select the small diagonal-arrow dialog-box launcher. The full Page Setup dialog opens.
Open the Margins tab and choose Landscape under Orientation.
In Apply to, choose Selected text. This choice matters: applying the change to the whole document would turn every section landscape.
Select OK, then review the pages around the changed section.

Word may move text onto a different number of pages after changing the paper orientation. That does not necessarily mean the setting failed: landscape pages are wider and shorter, which can change line wrapping and pagination. If the page you intended to turn has split into two pages, adjust the content or margins rather than assuming Word can preserve the original page boundary automatically.

Use Section Breaks for More Control

Manual section breaks are useful when you want a landscape page in a document with existing sections, when selecting text produces an unexpected result, or when you want to see exactly where the formatting changes. First place the cursor immediately before the content that should begin on the landscape page. Choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page in the Section Breaks area. Then place the cursor after the content that should stay on that page and insert another Next Page section break.

Click somewhere inside the section between those breaks. Choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape. Because the cursor is inside that section, the orientation change applies to that section. The sections before and after it should remain unchanged. If there is no content after the landscape page, a second boundary may not be needed; if there is following content, the second break separates it so it can retain its own orientation.

To see the breaks, turn on formatting marks with Home > Show/Hide ¶. Word displays labels such as “Section Break (Next Page)” in the document. These marks do not print. They are useful for checking whether the landscape section has a boundary at both ends and for diagnosing an orientation change that continues farther than expected.

Be careful when deleting a section break. The formatting of the section after the break can be combined with the preceding section, potentially changing orientation, margins, headers, or page numbering. If you remove a break and the layout changes, undo immediately or restore the break before making other edits.

Check the Result and Fit the Page

After applying landscape orientation, inspect the page in Print Layout and, if the document is intended for printing, use File > Print to preview it. Confirm that only the intended page or section is landscape, that tables and images remain within the printable area, and that headers and footers still appear as expected.

A landscape page is wider but shorter than a portrait page using the same paper size. This makes it useful for a wide table, a chart, a diagram, or a page with several columns. It does not guarantee that an oversized object will fit. For a wide table, you may also need to adjust column widths, font size, cell margins, or page margins. For a picture, resize it proportionally so it does not become distorted.

Review margins: Open the Page Setup dialog and choose margins suitable for the content and any printer requirements. Very narrow margins may not be printable on some printers.
Check headers and footers: A section can have its own header and footer settings. If a header differs unexpectedly, inspect the Header & Footer tab and the section’s “Link to Previous” setting.
Check page numbering: Section boundaries can affect numbering options. If numbering restarts or disappears, open the footer or header and review Page Number > Format Page Numbers for the relevant section.
Review the page before and after: Orientation changes can shift paragraphs or create an extra blank page, especially around manual page breaks and section breaks.

Word on Mac and Word for the Web

In Word for Microsoft 365 on Mac, the same section-based principle applies. For a controlled result, insert section breaks before and after the content using the Layout tab’s Breaks menu, then place the cursor in the isolated section and choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape. Ribbon labels and dialog placement can differ slightly by Word version and window size. If the Mac version offers an Apply to choice in Page Setup, verify that it targets the selected text or current section rather than the whole document.

Word for the web has fewer page-layout controls than the desktop app, and section-specific formatting options may be unavailable or limited. If you cannot insert or manage the required section breaks in the browser, choose Open in Desktop App and make the change in Word for Windows or Mac. Once formatted, the file can be saved to OneDrive and reopened in the browser; check the layout after reopening, particularly if the document contains complex tables or page breaks.

The Windows shortcut for showing formatting marks is Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, use Command+8. These shortcuts toggle the display of paragraph marks and breaks; they do not insert a section break or change the page orientation.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

The whole document becomes landscape. The orientation was likely applied to the whole document or to a section spanning the entire document. Undo the change, isolate the target content with section breaks, or repeat the selected-text method and confirm Apply to: Selected text before accepting the dialog.

Several pages change orientation. Check whether the pages belong to the same section. Show formatting marks and look for section breaks. If the landscape setting should apply to only one page, create a section boundary before it and another after it, then apply landscape to the section between them. Remember that a single section can flow across multiple pages if its content does not fit on one.

A blank page appears. A “Next Page” section break always starts the next section on a new page. If you have also inserted a page break at the same location, the two breaks can create an unwanted blank page. Show formatting marks, remove only the redundant break, and check that the section formatting remains correct. A document ending with a section break can also behave differently depending on the preceding content, so inspect the final paragraph and break markers.

The landscape page is not the page you expected. Word lays out content dynamically. Font changes, edits, table resizing, and printer settings can move material between pages. A page number is therefore not a permanent container for a particular selection. Isolate the content with section breaks and inspect the resulting pagination rather than relying on the page number alone.

The header or footer changes too. Headers and footers are also organized by section. In the header or footer area, check whether Link to Previous is enabled. If you want the same header across sections, keep the link as appropriate; if the landscape page needs a different header, turn off the link for that header or footer and edit it separately. Header and footer links may need to be handled independently.

When a Different Layout Is Better

Landscape orientation works well when a single item needs more horizontal space, but it is not always the best fix. If a table is only slightly too wide, reducing unnecessary column widths or using a smaller table font may preserve a consistent portrait layout. For a chart, consider resizing it or simplifying labels before changing the page orientation. If a document will be printed and bound, check whether a landscape page affects the intended binding edge or margins.

For a report with multiple wide tables, it may be clearer to put each table in its own landscape section rather than trying to squeeze it into portrait pages. Conversely, if the content is meant for on-screen reading, a wide table may be easier to review in a landscape section than when split across portrait pages. Choose based on readability and the final use of the document, not just on keeping every page the same shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make only one page landscape in Word?
Yes. Isolate the page’s content in its own section, then apply landscape orientation to that section. On Windows, selecting the content and choosing Apply to: Selected text in Page Setup is often the quickest method.

Does a page break make one page landscape?
No. A page break starts a new page but does not create a separate formatting section. Use section breaks or apply the orientation to selected text so that the target content can have its own orientation.

Why did Word change every page to landscape?
The setting was probably applied to the whole document, or the pages are all part of one section. Undo the change, create section boundaries around the content, and apply landscape to the selected text or the isolated section.

Can I make one page landscape in Word Online?
Some section-layout controls are limited in Word for the web. If you cannot create and format the required section in the browser, open the document in the Word desktop app, set the section to landscape there, and then review the saved file online.

Will the landscape page keep the same page number?
Usually, the document’s numbering can continue across the section, but section settings can also restart numbering. If it changes, open Page Number > Format Page Numbers in the affected section and choose whether numbering should continue from the previous section.

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

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

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