How to Delete a Middle Page in Word Without Shifting Text

To delete a middle page in Word, go to that page, select its contents, and press Delete. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, press Ctrl+G, enter the page number, and press Enter to find it; then use Go To with \page to select the page’s contents. Check the surrounding text and formatting afterward, because Word repaginates the document when content is removed. Save a copy first if the document is important or contains complex section formatting.

What You’ll Need

A Word document you can edit, open in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The same general method works in recent Word versions, though ribbon labels can vary slightly.
The page number you want to remove, if you know it. Page numbers can change as the document reflows, so confirm the target page visually before deleting.
A saved copy of the document if you want an easy way to restore the original. You can also use Undo immediately after an accidental deletion.

Step-by-Step

Save the document and locate the page. Save your work with Ctrl+S. To jump to a page in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, press Ctrl+G to open the Go To tab of the Find and Replace dialog. Make sure Page is selected in the list, type the page number, and press Enter. Close the dialog to return to the document at that page. The page number is a starting point, not a guarantee of what content will be selected: check the page on screen before proceeding. On a Mac, use Command+Option+G to open Go To, enter the page number, and confirm. You can also use the Go To command under Home > Find if you prefer the ribbon.
Select the page’s content with Go To. Press Ctrl+G again on Windows. In the Go To dialog, click in the Enter page number box, type \page, and press Enter. Close the dialog. Word selects the contents of the page that contains the insertion point. On a Mac, open Go To with Command+Option+G, enter \page, confirm, and close the dialog. If you are unsure which page is selected, pause and check the highlighted area before deleting. This method is intended to select page content, not to remove a page number from a header or footer.
Delete the selection. Press Delete on the keyboard. The selected text, images, tables, and other body content will be removed, and Word will pull later content upward to fill the space. If you prefer to keep the deleted material temporarily on the clipboard, use Ctrl+X on Windows or Command+X on a Mac instead. Do not press Backspace repeatedly while guessing at the selection; a single, deliberate deletion is easier to review and undo.
Check the pages before and after the deletion. Scroll through the document and make sure the paragraph at the end of the preceding page now connects properly to the paragraph that followed the removed page. Review headings, lists, images, and tables, too. The text that was on the next page may move up, and the page numbers after the deletion may change. If the wrong material disappeared, use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on a Mac immediately, then return to the target page and confirm the selection.
Turn on formatting marks if a blank page remains. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+8, or select Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶. On a Mac, press Command+8 or use the Show/Hide button on the Home tab. Paragraph marks, page breaks, and section breaks become visible. Look at the blank page and the end of the preceding page for a break or extra paragraph marks that may be pushing content onto a new page.
Remove only the extra break or empty paragraphs you have identified. If a manual Page Break is creating the unwanted page, click just before it and press Delete, or click just after it and press Backspace. If several empty paragraph marks are responsible, select those marks and delete them. Be especially careful with Section Break (Next Page), Section Break (Odd Page), and Section Break (Even Page): deleting one can change page orientation, margins, columns, headers, footers, or numbering in nearby sections. If section formatting matters, consider changing the break type or adjusting the section rather than simply removing it.
Review the finished document and save it. Turn off formatting marks when you are done by using the same shortcut or button. Recheck page breaks, headers and footers, page numbers, and the first and last paragraphs around the deletion. Save with Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on a Mac. For a file that will be printed or shared, use Print Preview to confirm that the pages now fall where you expect.

Common Mistakes

Deleting a page number instead of page content: Page numbers usually sit in a header or footer, not in the document’s main text. Selecting the visible number and pressing Delete may remove numbering from a section or open the header or footer for editing. Use Go To and \page while the insertion point is in the document body to select the page’s main content.

Assuming a page is a separate object: In a normal Word document, a page is the result of flowing text and other content across the layout. Removing a page’s text usually makes later material move up; it does not leave a permanent blank space or keep all later page numbers unchanged. If you need the document to retain a particular layout, you may need to adjust breaks or spacing after removing the content.

Removing a section break without checking its effect: Section breaks store layout changes. Deleting one can make the preceding section’s formatting apply to the text that follows, or otherwise alter headers, footers, columns, orientation, or page numbering. Show formatting marks and identify the exact break before editing it. Save a copy if you are not sure what the break controls.

Selecting more than the target page: A click-and-drag selection can accidentally include the last paragraph of the previous page or the first paragraph of the next one. This is more likely with tables, long paragraphs, and content that shifts while you scroll. Use the Go To selection, inspect the highlight, and undo at once if it includes material you need.

Tips

Use the page number as a navigation aid, then verify the page by its heading or nearby text. If you have edited the document since noting the number, the target may have moved.
For a long document, use Word’s Navigation Pane to search for a distinctive heading or phrase near the page. Search results help locate the content, but you still need to select and delete the correct page contents.
If the page contains a table, inspect the paragraphs immediately before and after it. Word may retain a required paragraph mark after a table, and that mark can sometimes flow onto a new page. Deleting the table alone may not remove that final mark.
Use Undo as soon as you notice an unwanted change. Undo is more reliable before you make several additional edits that you may also need to reverse.
When the document has carefully arranged sections, headers, or page numbering, make a duplicate before adjusting breaks. Compare the copy with the original after editing.

Troubleshooting

The whole page did not disappear. A page may contain content that was not included in the selection, or a break may still be forcing a new page. Turn on Show/Hide and look for paragraph marks, a manual page break, or a section break. Select and remove only the content or break responsible. If the page is still partly occupied by text that moved up from the next page, that is normal: Word fills the available space after deletion.

A blank page appears after deleting the content. With formatting marks visible, check for an extra paragraph mark or a manual break. Delete unnecessary empty paragraphs or the manual page break. If you find a section break, do not remove it automatically; first consider whether it controls layout or numbering. An Odd Page or Even Page section break can intentionally leave a blank page so the next section starts on the specified side.

The selection highlights the wrong page. Go To selects the page at the current insertion point, so first click in the body text of the page you intend to remove. Then use Ctrl+G and \page on Windows, or Command+Option+G and \page on a Mac. Confirm the highlighted area before pressing Delete. If the page number or layout has changed, navigate by a nearby phrase or heading instead of relying on an old page number.

Deleting a break changes the document’s layout. Press Undo immediately to restore the break. Turn on formatting marks and check whether it was a section break rather than an ordinary page break. If you need to prevent a new page without merging the sections, open the Layout tab’s Page Setup dialog and review the section’s layout options, or choose a different section-start setting where appropriate. Check headers and footers after any section change.

Word will not let you select a page as expected. Make sure the document is not protected or open in a view that prevents editing. If the selection method is awkward, place the cursor at the start of the page, then select through the content to the start of the next page using the mouse or keyboard. Work in small, visible selections and check the highlighted text before deleting; avoid including a section break unless you intend to change the section structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete one page in Word without deleting the pages after it?
Yes. Deleting the selected page’s content removes that content, not the later text. Word repaginates the remaining document, so later pages may move up and their displayed page numbers may change.

Does the \page command delete the page by itself?
No. It selects the content of the page containing the insertion point. You then press Delete or Cut. Check the selection before acting, especially in a document with tables, breaks, or complex layout.

How do I delete a blank middle page?
Turn on paragraph marks with Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on a Mac. Look for empty paragraphs, a manual page break, or a section break that is forcing the page. Remove only the cause you identify; a section break can affect formatting beyond the blank page.

Can I remove a page while keeping its text somewhere?
Yes. Select the page contents with Go To and \page, then use Cut rather than Delete. You can paste the text into another part of the document or another file. Check the selection first, since Cut removes everything highlighted from the original location.

Why did my page numbers or headers change?
The deletion may have altered section structure, or a section break may have been removed. Headers, footers, and numbering can be linked across sections or configured separately. Undo the change if needed, restore the break, and inspect the header and footer settings for the affected section.

Does this method work in Word for the web?
Word for the web supports basic text editing, but its menus and selection tools can differ from the Microsoft 365 desktop app. If Go To with \page is unavailable or does not select as expected, select the page’s body content manually and review the highlight carefully before deleting. For complicated section breaks or layout problems, open the file in the desktop version of Word.

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