Microsoft Word: Add a Header to the First Page Only

To add a header to only the first page in Microsoft Word, open the header, select the Header & Footer tab, and turn on Different First Page. Enter your text or image in the first-page header, then make sure the regular header used on later pages is empty.

What the Different First Page setting does

Word gives the first page of a section its own header and footer when you enable Different First Page. The first-page header is separate from the regular header used on the section’s later pages. This is the setting you need when a report has a logo or document title at the top of its opening page but no header on the pages that follow.

The option applies to both headers and footers, but you can fill in either one independently. For example, you can put a title in the first-page header and still use page numbers in the regular footer. The setting does not automatically remove header text from later pages: it creates a separate first-page area. If a regular header already contains text, that text will generally remain on pages after the first, so you may need to clear it.

A useful way to think about the result is that a section has two header areas: one for its first page and one for the rest. If your document has multiple sections, each section can have its own first-page header setting. That detail matters for reports with a cover page, an introduction, and chapters that restart their layout.

Steps in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows

Open the document and go to its first page. Double-click near the top margin to open the header, or choose Insert > Header > Edit Header.
On the contextual Header & Footer tab, select Different First Page. In some ribbon layouts, the tab appears after you click inside the header.
Click in the header area on page one and add the content you want, such as a title, date, logo, or short label.
Go to page two and open its header. If you want later pages to have no header, remove any content from this regular header area. Take care not to delete the content in the first-page header.
Select Close Header and Footer, or double-click in the document body. Review page one and page two, and scroll through the rest of the document to confirm the result.

If the document has just one page, the setting still works, but there are no later pages on which to check the regular header. Adding a temporary second page can help you confirm the layout; delete it afterward if it is not needed.

Using Word on a Mac or in a browser

In Word for Mac, open the header by double-clicking at the top of the page or using Insert > Header & Footer. When the header is active, look for the Header & Footer tab and select Different First Page. Ribbon labels and placement can vary slightly by Word version, but the option is the same. Then add content to the first-page header and check the regular header on page two.

Word for the web has header-editing tools, but available controls can vary as Microsoft updates the browser app. If you cannot find Different First Page in the header tools, open the file in the Word desktop app and set the option there. After saving, you can return to the browser to make routine edits. The Mac and Windows versions use the same basic concept; the main difference is where the contextual controls appear.

How to handle an existing header

If you already typed a header on every page, enable Different First Page and inspect both page one and page two. Word separates the first-page header from the regular header, so an existing header may remain on the later pages while the new first-page area is blank. Add the desired content to page one, then clear the regular header if later pages should be plain.

To clear only the later-page header, open the header on page two and delete its text, image, or other contents. Do not use Remove Header without checking the result, because removing a built-in header can affect the header design more broadly than simply clearing the regular header’s contents. If page one also becomes blank, click inside its header and add the content there; it is a distinct area once the option is enabled.

Headers may contain more than ordinary text. A logo, a horizontal line, a date field, or a page-number field can also be part of the regular header. Check for these objects when later pages appear to retain something after you delete the visible words. If an image is difficult to select, click it and use Word’s picture controls, or place the cursor around the object and remove it carefully.

Documents with multiple sections

Different First Page applies to the first page of a section, not necessarily only to page one of the entire file. In a document divided into sections, the first page of each section can have a separate header. This is helpful when each chapter begins with a distinctive design, but it can surprise you if you intended the setting to affect just the document’s opening page.

To see where a section begins, turn on formatting marks with Home > Show/Hide ¶. Section breaks appear in the document and can explain why a header changes partway through. If a later chapter should not have a special first-page header, open its header and review the Different First Page setting for that section.

Headers in sections may also be connected using Link to Previous. When that link is active, changes can carry over from the preceding section’s corresponding header. If you need a chapter header to differ, turn off Link to Previous in that section before editing it, then check both the first-page and regular header areas. Be cautious: section headers and footers are managed separately, and unlinking one does not necessarily unlink the other.

Formatting and page numbers

A first-page-only header is often used for a cover or title page, but the page’s other layout settings still matter. Header position is controlled by the page layout, including the distance of the header from the top edge. If the text looks too close to the page edge, adjust the header position or page margins rather than adding repeated blank lines. Blank lines can shift when fonts, paper size, or content change.

Page numbering is a separate choice. You can leave the first page without a visible page number while numbering later pages, or display a number on the first page as well. Because the first-page footer is also distinct when Different First Page is selected, add or remove a page number in the correct footer area. For a document whose second page should display the number 1, use the page-number formatting options to set the numbering start; hiding the first page’s number alone does not renumber the later pages.

For a simple design, keep the header brief and check how it looks in Print Layout. A long title may wrap differently on page one than it does in the body, while a large logo can make the top area feel crowded. If a header contains a table or image, inspect it at the document’s intended paper size and in print preview before sharing or printing.

Common problems and fixes

The header still appears on page two. The regular header may still contain content. Open page two’s header and clear that area, leaving the first-page header intact.
The first page has no header after enabling the option. Click the first page’s header area and enter the content there. The pre-existing header may belong to the regular header area instead.
A later chapter has an unexpected header. Check for a section break and remember that the option applies to the first page of each section. Also inspect Link to Previous.
The header looks different while editing. Word may show header labels or shaded boundaries that do not print. Check Print Layout or print preview to judge the page itself.
The header is missing in a printed copy. Confirm the content is in the page’s header rather than a floating object placed in the body, and check print settings and the printer’s printable area.

When troubleshooting, make one change at a time and inspect both the opening page and a later page. If the document uses many sections, save a copy before making broad header changes; this makes it easier to compare or restore the original layout.

When a different approach makes sense

If you want a cover page with a completely different layout, you can use a separate first-page header and format the rest of the document normally. A built-in cover page is another option: choose Insert > Cover Page and select a design, then review the headers and fields it adds. Cover-page designs can include placeholders, so replace or remove sample text before distributing the file.

If you need different headers for distinct parts of a document, use section breaks rather than inserting blank pages or repeatedly pressing Enter. Section breaks give you more control over headers, footers, page orientation, and numbering. They are more powerful but also easier to misconfigure, so a one-section document should usually use Different First Page rather than extra sections.

Another common misunderstanding is that hiding the first-page header will automatically hide every later header, or vice versa. The checkbox separates the first-page area; it does not decide what content belongs in either area. The final appearance depends on what you put in the first-page header and the regular header.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I put a header on page one but not page two in Word?
Open the header, select Header & Footer > Different First Page, add the header on page one, and clear the regular header on page two. Check both pages afterward.

Does Different First Page remove the header from the first page?
No. It creates a separate header area for the first page. If that area is empty, page one looks as if it has no header until you add content to it.

Can I have a page number on later pages but not the first page?
Yes. The first-page footer is separate too. Add page numbering to the regular footer and leave the first-page footer empty, or set numbering options if later pages should start at a number other than 2.

Does this setting affect every section in the document?
It applies to the section whose header you are editing. In a multi-section document, check the setting in each relevant section and review whether its headers are linked to the previous section.

Can I do this in Word for the web?
Header tools in the browser version may differ from the desktop ribbon. If you cannot find the first-page option, open the document in Word for Windows or Mac, set Different First Page, save the file, and then continue editing online.

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

More in How-to basics

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

Spotted an error in this guide? Let us know.