Word Page Numbers Without the First Page: How to Set It Up

To add page numbers in Microsoft Word without showing one on the first page, insert page numbers, then turn on Different First Page. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, open Insert > Page Number, choose a position and style, then use the Header & Footer tab to select Different First Page.

Quick steps for hiding the first page number

This method works well for a report, essay, or other document where the cover page should be unnumbered but the remaining pages should have automatic page numbers.

Open the document and choose Insert > Page Number.
Choose where the number should appear, such as at the top or bottom of the page, and select a layout.
Double-click in the header or footer area to open the header and footer controls. You can also do this by choosing Insert > Header or Insert > Footer and selecting an edit option.
On the Header & Footer tab, select the Different First Page checkbox.
Choose Close Header and Footer, or double-click in the document body, and check the first two pages.

The first page’s number should disappear while the pages after it remain numbered. If you select the checkbox before inserting a number, make sure you insert the number in the header or footer on page two or later. The first page has its own separate header and footer when this setting is active, so an insertion made there will not automatically appear on the following pages.

What Different First Page changes

Different First Page does not delete a page, remove it from the document, or change the document’s actual page count. It gives the first page of a section a separate header and footer from the ones used on its later pages. Word can therefore display a title or no content in the first-page header while showing page numbers in the regular header or footer on pages two onward.

Page numbers are usually automatic fields rather than typed digits. That matters because a field can update when pages are added, removed, or rearranged. If you type the number 2 yourself in a footer, every page may show 2; inserting Word’s page-number field lets Word calculate each page’s number.

The setting can affect more than the number. If the first page currently has a running title, date, or other header or footer text, that content may also be hidden from later pages when you enable the option, because Word separates the first-page area from the regular one. Add or move any content you want on later pages into the regular header or footer.

Should page two display 1 or 2?

Hiding the first page number does not, by itself, change the page’s place in the count. In a two-page document, Word will normally treat the cover as page 1 and the next page as page 2, even though the number on the cover is not visible. This is a common and often correct choice for a document whose cover counts as part of the page sequence.

If the first page should be unnumbered and page two should visibly read 1, set the page-number sequence to start at zero for the section that includes the cover. In Word for Windows, open the header or footer, choose Page Number > Format Page Numbers, and under Page numbering set Start at to 0. With Different First Page enabled, the first page’s zero is hidden and the next page displays 1. Check the result in print layout before sharing, since the intended numbering depends on the document’s structure.

Use this adjustment only when page two really should be labeled 1. If it should be labeled 2, leave the numbering sequence at its normal starting value. The printed label and the physical position in the file are related, but they do not have to match: a document can have a cover counted as page 1 without displaying a number on it.

Using section breaks for front matter

A single Different First Page setting is enough when only the document’s first page needs different treatment. For a longer document with a title page, contents pages, and a main body that must begin at page 1, use sections. Sections let you set numbering and header or footer behavior separately for different parts of a document.

For example, a report might have an unnumbered cover, several pages of contents, and a main section whose first page should display 1. Place the cursor where the main section should begin and choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page to start a new section on the following page. Open the header or footer in the new section. If it is linked to the preceding section, turn off Link to Previous before changing its numbering; headers and footers can have separate link settings, so check the area you are editing.

Then choose Page Number > Format Page Numbers and set the new section to start at 1. If you do not want a number on the first page of that section, enable Different First Page for that section and add the number to its later-page header or footer. Section breaks are more flexible than repeatedly pressing Enter or adding blank pages, but they can take extra care: deleting a section break can also change formatting or numbering that belongs to the sections around it.

Choosing a position and number style

Word’s page-number menu offers common placements, including the top of the page, the bottom of the page, and page margins. Choose a style that is easy to read and consistent with the document. A centered footer is common in essays, while a number aligned to the outside edge can be useful in a document intended for double-sided printing. The available built-in styles can vary with the Word version and the chosen location.

You can change a number’s appearance after inserting it. Open the header or footer, select the number field, and use the formatting controls on the Home tab to change its font, size, or alignment. To switch between formats such as 1, 2, 3 and i, ii, iii, open Page Number > Format Page Numbers and choose a format. Avoid selecting and replacing the number with ordinary text, since that removes the automatic field behavior.

If the document uses different odd- and even-page headers, or has multiple sections, look at each relevant page type. A number can appear on one page but not another if it was added to only one header or footer type, or if a section has different settings. Word’s header and footer labels help identify whether you are editing the first page, an odd page, an even page, or a particular section.

Common problems and how to fix them

The first page still shows a number: Double-click its header or footer and confirm that Different First Page is checked for the section. If the number is still visible, it may be typed text rather than a page-number field, or it may be in a different text box.
All page numbers disappeared: Check page two’s header or footer. You may have inserted the number only in the separate first-page area, or deleted the number from the regular area while editing the cover.
Page two shows 2 but should show 1: Hiding the cover number does not restart numbering. Use Page Number > Format Page Numbers and set the section to start at 0 when the cover is part of the same section and its number is hidden.
Later sections keep the old numbering: Check whether the section is linked to the previous one and whether the numbering is set to continue or restart. Turn off Link to Previous in the relevant header or footer before making an independent change.
The number is in the wrong place: Reopen Insert > Page Number and choose the desired location or style. If the number is already in a custom header or footer, select the field and adjust its alignment rather than typing spaces to push it across the page.

When troubleshooting, use Print Layout and inspect more than the cover. A document can look correct on page one but have an unintended blank header on page two, a restarted number in a later section, or a different odd-page footer. Also check Print Preview or export a PDF if the final file will be printed or submitted electronically.

Windows, Mac, and Word for the web

The steps above use Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. In Word for Mac, the basic approach is similar: insert a page number from the Insert menu or ribbon, open the header or footer, and enable Different First Page in the header and footer controls. Menu placement and tab labels can differ slightly between Mac releases, so look for the contextual header and footer tab after clicking in that area.

Word for the web can handle common page-number and header or footer edits, but some advanced section and numbering controls may be limited or arranged differently from the desktop app. If you cannot find the option to restart numbering, control a section break, or separate linked headers, open the document in the desktop version of Word. After editing, review the layout again because page breaks and headers can shift when a file is opened in another version or converted to PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove the number from only the first page in Word?
Yes. Insert page numbers, then enable Different First Page in the header and footer controls. The later pages can keep their numbers.

How do I make page two start at 1?
With a cover and main text in the same section, enable Different First Page and set Page Number > Format Page Numbers > Start at to 0. The cover’s number is hidden, and page two displays 1.

Will hiding the first page number change the total page count?
No. It changes what appears in the first page’s header or footer, not how many pages the document contains. A hidden number does not remove that page from the sequence.

Can I hide the number on the first page but keep a title there?
Yes. The first page has its own header and footer when Different First Page is active. You can leave a title or other text there and put the page-number field in the regular header or footer for later pages.

Why did the first page setting change another part of my document?
Different First Page applies to a section, and sections may be linked to earlier ones. Check which section you are editing, whether Link to Previous is active, and whether the change was made in the header or the footer.

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

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

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