Microsoft Word: Make One Page Landscape in a Document

To make just one page landscape in Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, place a Next Page section break before and after that page, click inside the page’s section, then choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape. Section breaks isolate the change; without them, Word usually changes the orientation of the whole section, which may be the whole document.

Why section breaks matter

Word applies page orientation to sections, not to individual pages as independent objects. A section can contain one page or many, and its layout settings can differ from those in other sections. That is why changing orientation while a document has only one section normally turns every page landscape.

A page break and a section break do different jobs. A page break moves following text to a new page but keeps it in the same section. A section break can both begin a new section and, depending on its type, move that section to a new page. To isolate one landscape page, you need the section containing that page to be separate from the portrait sections around it.

This distinction is useful for more than orientation. Sections can also have different margins, columns, page numbering, headers, and footers. A section break may therefore affect more than the direction of the paper, so check the surrounding pages after making the change.

Step-by-step: isolate one landscape page

First identify the page you want to rotate and the content that belongs on it. Save a copy of the document if the layout is complex, then use this sequence in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows:

Click at the very beginning of the content on the page to be landscape. Choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page under Section Breaks. This starts a new section on the next page. If the target content is already at the top of a page, the break can still change pagination, so inspect the result.
Click at the end of the content that should remain on the landscape page, after its final paragraph mark if practical. Choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page again. This starts another section after the target section.
Click somewhere in the section between those two breaks. Choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape. Word applies the orientation to the section containing the insertion point.
Check the pages before and after the target. If the following section also becomes landscape, click in that section and choose Layout > Orientation > Portrait.

The key is the insertion point at the time you choose Orientation. If it is in the wrong section, Word will change that section instead. The section breaks should bracket the page’s content, not merely appear somewhere nearby in the document.

Using Selected Text instead

For a short, clearly defined block of content, Word can create the necessary sections when you apply page setup to selected text. Select the text you want on the landscape page, open the Page Setup dialog using the small dialog launcher in the lower-right corner of the Layout > Page Setup group, and open the Margins tab. Choose Landscape, set Apply to to Selected text, and confirm with OK.

Word generally inserts section breaks around the selected text to apply the setting only there. This can be quicker than adding breaks by hand, but it is less predictable when the selection spans page boundaries, includes only part of a paragraph, or has complex tables and images. Inspect the result and turn on formatting marks if you need to see where Word placed the breaks. If Selected text is unavailable or the outcome is not what you intended, use the explicit section-break method instead.

Make sure the landscape section is only one page

Two section breaks isolate a section; they do not guarantee that the section occupies exactly one physical page. A wide table, large image, long paragraph, or generous margins can make the landscape section run onto a second page. Conversely, changing the orientation gives the content more horizontal room and may pull text from a neighboring page into the landscape section or alter page numbering and pagination.

To keep the landscape section to one page, check its content after changing orientation. A table may fit more easily in landscape, but its row heights or font size can still make it spill. If the page is nearly full, modestly adjust table column widths, paragraph spacing, or margins rather than repeatedly inserting page breaks. Any adjustment should preserve readability and the document’s required print dimensions.

For a page that must contain a particular item, such as a wide chart, put that item and any related caption or explanatory paragraph inside the landscape section. If text before or after the item moves into the section, revise the boundaries or insert a page break where appropriate. Keep in mind that a page break controls where text starts; it does not create a separate orientation setting.

Show and remove section breaks

Section breaks are formatting marks, so they are normally hidden on the page. In Windows Word, choose Home > Show/Hide (¶) to display paragraph marks and breaks. You should see labels such as “Section Break (Next Page)” between sections. The marks do not print, but they make it much easier to understand why a page changed layout.

If a break is in the wrong place, place the cursor just before it and delete it, or select the break mark and delete it. Be careful: deleting a section break joins the sections and can cause the combined section to inherit layout settings from one of them. The result may change orientation, margins, headers, footers, or numbering. Undo immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows if the document changes unexpectedly, then reposition the break more carefully.

To return the isolated page to portrait, click inside its section and choose Layout > Orientation > Portrait. You can leave the section breaks in place if you still need the section boundary for other formatting. Remove them only when you want to merge the sections and have checked what formatting will carry over.

Headers, footers, and page numbers

Each section can have its own header and footer settings. By default, a new section’s header or footer may be linked to the preceding section. If you edit a header on the landscape page and the same change appears on portrait pages, open the header or footer and check whether Link to Previous is enabled on the Header & Footer tab. Turn it off only if the landscape section needs independent content.

Page numbering can also continue across section breaks, but it may be configured to restart. If the page number on the landscape page is wrong, open the footer or header, choose Page Number > Format Page Numbers, and check whether numbering is set to Continue from previous section or Start at. The exact visible controls can vary with the selected header or footer and Word build, so verify the numbering on both sides of the break.

A landscape page may have a header or footer that appears rotated or positioned differently from what you expect, particularly if the document uses custom layouts. Check the page in Print Layout and in print preview, and consider whether the header belongs to the same section as the page. Section boundaries control these elements as well as page orientation.

Word for Mac and Word for the web

In Word for Mac, the same underlying approach applies: make a section for the target page, change the orientation while the cursor is in that section, and check the sections that follow. Ribbon labels and dialog placement can differ slightly by Mac version. Look for Layout > Breaks to insert a section break and Layout > Orientation to change the section’s orientation; if those controls are not visible, check the Mac menu bar’s Format or Page Setup options for the installed version.

Word for the web may not expose the same full section-layout controls as the desktop app, and available features can change. If you cannot insert or manage the needed section breaks in the browser, choose Open in Desktop App and make the change in Word for Windows or Mac. The web version can still be useful for viewing or making ordinary text edits, but confirm the final layout in the desktop app or a PDF.

On Windows, Ctrl+Enter inserts a page break, not a section break. On Mac, Command+Enter inserts a page break in supported Word configurations. These shortcuts do not replace Layout > Breaks > Next Page when you need a separate orientation. There is no need to rely on a keyboard shortcut for the section break; use the ribbon command so you can choose the correct break type.

Common problems and how to fix them

The entire document turned landscape: The document may still be one section, or the cursor was in a section that covers all pages. Add section breaks around the target page, then change orientation with the cursor inside the isolated section.
The next page is landscape too: The second section break may be missing or placed after more content than intended. Turn on Show/Hide, find the break, and put the boundary immediately after the target page’s content. Set the following section back to Portrait if needed.
A blank page appeared: A Next Page section break forces a new section to begin on a new page. If the break was inserted at a boundary that already creates a new page, pagination may produce an extra blank page. Show formatting marks and inspect nearby page breaks, paragraph marks, and section breaks before deleting anything.
The page looks different after the change: Orientation changes available width and height, so text and objects can reflow. Review tables, images, margins, and paragraph spacing; do not assume the content will stay in the same positions.
Headers or numbering changed: Check Link to Previous and the page-number format for the relevant section. These are section-level settings and may not behave as independent page settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make only one page landscape without changing the rest?
Yes. Isolate the page in its own section with Next Page section breaks before and after it, then choose Landscape while the cursor is in that section. Set the following section to Portrait if necessary.

Can I use a page break instead of a section break?
No. A page break moves text to a new page but does not create a new section, so it cannot by itself give that page a different orientation. Use a section break for the orientation change.

Why did Word create a blank page?
A Next Page section break begins the next section on a new page, and nearby page breaks or existing pagination can leave an apparently blank page. Turn on Home > Show/Hide (¶) and inspect the breaks around it before removing one.

Can I make two nonadjacent pages landscape?
Yes. Each landscape page or run of landscape pages needs its own section boundaries. For two separate pages, create a landscape section around each one and leave the intervening section in Portrait.

Will the landscape page print correctly?
Usually, if the printer supports the selected paper size and the page setup is correct. Check File > Print preview and, if sharing the file, export or save a PDF and inspect the landscape page and its neighbors before sending it.

Does this work in Word for the web?
The full section-layout workflow is most reliable in the desktop app. If the web version does not show the section-break or orientation controls you need, open the document in Word for Windows or Mac and make the change there.

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.