How to Delete a Blank Extra Page in Word

To delete a blank extra page in Word, show formatting marks, find the paragraph mark, page break, or section break creating it, and remove or adjust that item. Start by saving a copy if the document has complex section formatting; the extra page is usually caused by a hidden break or an empty paragraph, not a page that needs to be erased directly.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac, preferably the desktop app.
Access to the document in which the page appears. If it is important, save a separate copy before changing section breaks or page layout.

Step-by-Step

Check where the blank page appears. Scroll to the unwanted page and note whether it is at the end of the document or between two pages with content. This clue helps narrow down the cause: an extra paragraph or a table often creates a blank final page, while a manual page break or section break can create one anywhere. If the page looks blank but contains a header, footer, or page number, that does not necessarily mean it has no underlying content.
Turn on formatting marks. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+8. On a Mac, press Command+8. You can also use Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶ in the ribbon. Word will display paragraph marks (¶), page-break labels, section-break labels, and other normally hidden characters. These marks do not print. If you cannot find the control in Word for the web, open the file in the desktop app so you can inspect the breaks clearly.
Look for an empty paragraph on the page. A row of paragraph marks on the blank page means the page may contain empty paragraphs. Click just before a mark and press Delete, or click just after it and press Backspace. Remove only the extra marks, stopping when the blank page disappears or the next page’s content moves up. A paragraph mark at the end of a document is required by Word, so if it is the only remaining mark, do not expect to delete it; use the table or layout fix below if it is forcing a page.
Remove a manual page break if one is shown. A manual break appears as a line labeled Page Break when formatting marks are on. Click immediately before that line and press Delete, or immediately after it and press Backspace. The content that followed the break should move up. Check the surrounding paragraphs afterward, because removing the break can change where text flows and may make a page that was intentionally started at the top move into the preceding page.
Inspect section breaks carefully. A line labeled Section Break (Next Page), Section Break (Odd Page), or Section Break (Even Page) can make Word start a new page. If that is the cause, deleting the break may remove the blank page, but it can also change headers, footers, page numbering, columns, margins, or orientation in nearby sections. If you do not need separate section formatting, select the break and delete it, then check the affected pages. If you need the formatting, retain the section and change its start behavior instead: place the cursor in the section that starts after the break, open the Page Setup dialog from the Layout tab, choose the Layout tab in that dialog, and set Section start to Continuous when appropriate. Review the result before saving.
Fix a blank page after a table. Word always keeps a paragraph after a table at the end of a document. If the table fills the page, that required paragraph can spill onto a new page. Turn on formatting marks, select the paragraph mark immediately after the table, and change its font size to 1 point using the font-size box on Home. If needed, open the Paragraph dialog and reduce spacing before and after to 0. Do not delete the table or its final paragraph; the goal is to make the required mark small enough to fit on the previous page.
Check paragraph pagination settings. If no visible break explains the page, click in the paragraph immediately before the unwanted page. On the Home tab, open the Paragraph dialog and select Line and Page Breaks. Check whether Page break before is selected; clear it if the paragraph should flow normally. Also check Keep with next and Keep lines together. Those options can push a paragraph or a group of paragraphs onto a new page, especially when several adjacent paragraphs have them enabled. Change only the setting causing the unwanted jump.
Confirm the document and save. Turn formatting marks off with the same shortcut, then review the document in Print Layout and, if available, print preview. Make sure no heading, table, or intended section start has been pulled into the wrong place. Save the file only after checking the pages around the change; use Undo if the fix alters the layout unexpectedly.

Common Mistakes

Deleting the wrong break. A section break can control more than page placement. Removing one without checking may make a later section inherit the previous section’s header, footer, numbering, orientation, or columns. If those details change, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac immediately, then use the section-start setting or investigate the section formatting before trying again.

Pressing Backspace repeatedly without showing marks. Repeated deletion can remove real text or collapse intentional spacing while leaving the cause hidden. Turn on formatting marks first, identify the exact item, and delete only that item. If the page remains, stop and look for another cause rather than continuing to erase characters blindly.

Trying to delete Word’s final paragraph mark. Word requires a final paragraph mark, and it cannot be removed from the end of a document. When a table pushes it to a new page, reduce the mark’s font size or paragraph spacing instead. Deleting content from the table is not necessary.

Using blank paragraphs to control layout. Several empty paragraphs may seem like a quick way to move content, but they can create new blank pages when text changes or the document opens on another computer. Use paragraph spacing, page-break settings, or section settings to manage layout intentionally.

Tips

Work from the cause, not from the page number. Word reflows pages whenever text, margins, or formatting changes, so a blank page is an outcome rather than a separate object. Formatting marks reveal what Word is interpreting and usually make the fix much quicker.

If you are unsure which item caused the page, remove or change one candidate at a time. After each change, check whether the page disappeared and whether nearby content still looks right. Undo is useful for comparing changes, but save a copy first when the document uses multiple sections or has carefully arranged headers and footers.

For a final blank page after a table, reducing the trailing paragraph mark to 1 point is usually safer than changing the page margins. For an unwanted page in the middle, check for a manual page break first, then inspect section breaks and paragraph pagination settings. This order helps avoid disturbing the rest of the document.

Remember that the Show/Hide control changes only what Word displays on screen. It does not add symbols to the printed document or change the file’s content. You can leave marks on while editing and turn them off whenever they become distracting.

Troubleshooting

The page is still there after deleting a break. Turn formatting marks back on and inspect the whole page and the paragraph immediately before it. There may be more than one empty paragraph, another break, or a paragraph setting forcing content onto a new page. Also check whether the break was a section break that started a following section on an odd or even page; Word may preserve the section’s page-numbering pattern by inserting a blank page.

The next page’s formatting changed. Undo the deletion right away. The removed section break was probably separating different formatting. Keep the break and change the section’s start type to Continuous if that suits the document, or retain the original page start if it is needed for layout. Then inspect headers, footers, page numbers, orientation, columns, and margins, because these can vary by section.

The blank page appears only in Print Layout or print preview. Check for a table at the end, a paragraph set to Page break before, or a Next Page, Odd Page, or Even Page section start. Also check paper size and margins if the document was created on another device or printer; a small change in printable layout can move a paragraph onto a new page. Avoid changing margins unless the document’s intended layout allows it.

You cannot see any marks or break labels. Make sure Show/Hide is enabled through Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶, and zoom in enough to inspect the page boundary. If you are using Word in a browser and the relevant control is missing or the layout is difficult to inspect, choose the option to open the document in the desktop Word app. The desktop app gives you more complete controls for section and page formatting.

The page vanishes but text now runs together or starts in the wrong place. Undo, then check whether the removed item was an intentional page or section break. If you only want to remove the blank page while keeping a new section, adjust the section start or the preceding paragraph’s pagination setting rather than deleting unrelated content. Review the full pages on both sides of the change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a page directly in Word?
Word does not treat a blank page as a separate object to erase. Remove the paragraph, manual page break, or section break creating it, or adjust the relevant paragraph or section settings.

Why is there a blank page at the end of my document?
Common causes include extra paragraph marks, a manual page break, or a section set to start on a new, odd, or even page. If the document ends with a table, its required final paragraph mark may also be spilling onto a page by itself.

How do I remove a blank page between two pages of text?
Show formatting marks and check for a manual page break or section break between the text. Remove a manual break if it is unnecessary. For a section break, consider the formatting it controls before deleting it.

Will turning on paragraph marks affect printing?
No. Paragraph marks and break labels are nonprinting formatting symbols. They help you locate layout causes on screen and can be hidden again with Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac.

What should I do if deleting a section break changes my headers?
Use Undo immediately, then keep the break and change the section-start setting if a continuous section is suitable. Check the headers, footers, and page numbering after any section change.

Does the same method work in Word for Mac?
Yes. The causes and fixes are the same. Use Command+8 to show formatting marks on Mac instead of Ctrl+Shift+8, and use the Layout and Page Setup controls to review section settings.

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