Cover Page in Word: How to Insert, Edit, and Remove It

In Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select Insert > Cover Page, then choose a design; Word adds it to the beginning of the document. Click the cover page’s placeholder text to enter your own title, author, date, or other details. On Mac, use Insert > Cover Page and choose a design from the gallery.

Insert a cover page in Word step by step

A built-in cover page is a ready-made first page with arranged text areas and, in some designs, decorative shapes or images. You do not need to move the insertion point to the start of the document first: Word places a cover page at the beginning even if your cursor is farther down in the file.

Open the document in the Word desktop app and select the Insert tab.
In the Pages group, select Cover Page.
Browse the gallery and select a design. The new page is added before the document’s existing content.
Click a bracketed placeholder, such as a title or author field, and type your own text. Replace any other placeholders that apply.
Review the page and save the document. Use File > Save As if you need a separate version that preserves the original.

The design names and gallery arrangement can vary between Word editions and installations. If a template includes fields that do not suit your document, you can leave them out only if the layout allows it, or choose a simpler design. The cover page is part of the document, not a separate file or a printed sheet that Word automatically creates outside the document.

Choose a design that suits the document

A cover page should identify the document and set an appropriate tone without competing with the content. A plain report for a class or workplace may need only a title, author, organization, and date. A proposal or portfolio might benefit from a more visual layout, while a formal report may call for a restrained design with minimal decoration.

Check the purpose: Include the details a reader needs to identify the document, rather than filling every field just because it is available.
Consider the audience: A playful design can suit an informal project but may feel out of place in a formal submission.
Plan for printing: Very dark backgrounds, full-page images, or small text may be harder or more expensive to print clearly.
Keep branding consistent: If you use a logo or organization name, check that the design leaves enough clear space and that the logo is not stretched.
Check the finished page at normal size: A layout that looks balanced on screen can still have awkward line breaks or crowded text when printed.

Do not assume a particular cover design is required for a school, employer, or publisher. Follow the organization’s instructions first. If it specifies a title-page format, margins, or required information, those rules take priority over a decorative template.

Edit the title, author, date, and other fields

Most built-in cover designs contain editable placeholders. Click the placeholder text and type over it; for example, replace a sample title with Quarterly Service Review, then enter the author’s name and the date. Some designs also provide fields for a subtitle, company, department, or a short description. The available fields depend on the chosen layout.

Click inside the text area rather than selecting the entire page. If a field is hard to select, click near the middle of its visible text and try again. Once the text is selected, typing replaces it. You can format the text with familiar options on the Home tab, such as font, size, bold, alignment, and color. Be cautious with large changes: increasing a title’s size or adding several lines can cause it to overlap nearby elements or spill onto another page.

Some cover-page elements are content controls or positioned objects rather than ordinary paragraphs. If clicking a decorative element selects a frame or image, use the handles to resize it carefully, or right-click it for relevant formatting options. Avoid deleting an object just because it looks like a placeholder unless you are sure it is not part of the template’s design. Save and inspect the page after edits, especially if the document will be shared with someone using another version of Word.

Make a custom cover page

If none of the gallery designs fits, create a simple page from ordinary text and formatting. Place the cursor at the start of the document, add a page break if needed to keep the main content on the next page, and arrange the title and supporting details with paragraph spacing, alignment, and font choices. A small number of clear elements is usually easier to maintain than a page built from many separate floating objects.

For a more designed page, use Word’s picture and shape tools, but keep the content readable and aligned. One practical approach is to insert a logo or image, set its size, and position it near the title rather than layering many decorative elements. Use descriptive alternative text for meaningful images when accessibility matters, and do not rely on color alone to communicate essential information.

To ensure the report starts on a fresh page, insert a page break after the cover-page content rather than pressing Enter repeatedly. A page break keeps the next section in place if the title or other text later changes. If a design has separate sections or headers, a section break may be needed for special page-numbering behavior; that is different from a simple page break and can affect headers and footers.

Control page breaks and page numbering

Word’s built-in cover page appears before the document’s existing content, but page-number display depends on the document’s header and footer settings. A cover page might have no visible number while still counting as the first page. For a basic layout that hides the first page’s header or footer, double-click in the header or footer area and select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab. This setting affects the first page’s header and footer; by itself, it does not necessarily make the next page display the number 1.

If a report requires the page after the cover to be numbered 1, a section break gives more control. Place the cursor at the end of the cover page and choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page. In the next section’s header or footer, turn off Link to Previous, insert a page number using Insert > Page Number, then choose Page Number > Format Page Numbers and set the numbering to start at 1. Check the cover and following pages afterward: headers and footers can be linked separately, and an incorrect section setting can make numbering repeat or disappear.

For a short document that does not require the second page to be labeled “1,” simpler numbering may be adequate. Always follow the required format for the document. Page numbering options can differ slightly in placement between Windows and Mac versions, but Word for Mac also provides page-number and section controls through its ribbon and header/footer tools.

Word on the web and Word for Mac

In Word for Mac, use Insert > Cover Page and select a design. The ribbon may be arranged differently from the Windows version, so the gallery can appear in a different location, but the task is similar: insert a design and replace its placeholder text. If a command is not visible, check that the document is open in the desktop app and that the ribbon is not collapsed.

Word for the web may not provide the same built-in Cover Page gallery and full layout controls as the desktop app. If you cannot find the gallery in the browser, open the file in the desktop version of Word to insert or adjust a built-in design. You can also create a basic first page with text and images in the web app, but detailed positioning and section-level page numbering are generally easier to manage in desktop Word. If you expect others to edit the file online, reopen it in the browser afterward and check that the layout remains usable.

Fix common cover-page problems

The cover page is in the wrong place: The built-in command inserts the page at the beginning of the document. If you meant to add a title page in the middle, use a custom page and insert it at the required location instead.
The title runs into another element: Shorten the title, reduce the font size slightly, or choose a less crowded design. Then check the page again at print size.
The document text moves unexpectedly: Look for extra paragraph marks, page breaks, or section breaks near the start. Turn on formatting marks with Home > ¶ to make these nonprinting characters visible.
A page number appears on the cover: Check the header/footer settings and use Different First Page if the first page should have a distinct header or footer. For numbering that restarts on the following page, use a section break and set the number format for the new section.
The design changes on another computer: Fonts, Word editions, and editing applications can affect layout. Use common fonts, avoid unnecessary floating objects, and export a PDF when you need to share a fixed-layout copy.
You cannot find Cover Page: Confirm that you are using Word rather than another Office app, select the Insert tab, and look in the Pages group. If you are in Word for the web, open the document in the desktop app to access the full gallery.

Replace or remove a cover page

To switch designs, use Insert > Cover Page and choose another gallery design. Word’s cover-page feature is intended to replace the existing built-in cover page when you insert a different one. Review the result afterward because your edited title and other details may need to be entered again, and custom objects you added may not match the replacement layout.

To remove a built-in cover page in Word for Windows, select Insert > Cover Page > Remove Current Cover Page. The exact gallery command may be presented differently in other Word editions. If the page was made manually, select and delete its text, images, and shapes, then remove any extra page or section break that is keeping a blank page. Turn on formatting marks if you cannot see what is forcing the extra page.

Before removing a page from a long document, inspect the beginning of the next page and its header/footer. Deleting a section break can merge section formatting, changing page numbering, margins, or headers. If you are unsure which breaks are needed, save a separate copy first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Word put a cover page at the beginning automatically?
Yes. When you insert a built-in cover page from the gallery, Word places it at the beginning of the document, even if your cursor was elsewhere.

How do I add a cover page without changing the rest of my document?
Use Insert > Cover Page and then inspect the first page of the body. If the document has unusual section breaks or page numbering, check those settings after insertion; save a separate copy if preserving the original layout is important.

Can I add a cover page in Word for the web?
The browser version may not include the full desktop Cover Page gallery. Open the document in Word for Windows or Mac to insert a built-in design, or create a simple custom first page with the tools available online.

How do I make page two show page number 1?
Insert a next-page section break after the cover, unlink the following section’s header or footer, and use Page Number > Format Page Numbers to start numbering at 1. Check the cover page and the rest of the document after changing the settings.

Can I remove a cover page without deleting the document?
Yes. Use Insert > Cover Page > Remove Current Cover Page for a built-in page in Word for Windows. For a custom page, delete its content and any unwanted break while preserving the rest of the document.

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