Word Document: Add a Header to Every Page

Yes. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select Insert > Header, choose a header style, and enter your text; Word repeats it on every page in the same section by default. If your document has multiple sections, check each section’s header settings so the header carries across the entire document.

Add a header using the ribbon

For a straightforward document, adding a repeating header takes only a few steps:

Open the document and select Insert > Header.
Choose a built-in design from the gallery. If you want a plain header, choose a simple style such as Blank.
Type the text you want to appear at the top of the pages. You can add more than text, such as a logo or a page number.
Select Close Header and Footer, or double-click in the main body of the document to return to editing.

The header area is separate from the body of the document. When you select it, Word displays a contextual Header & Footer tab with tools for alignment, page numbering, positioning, and options such as Different First Page. You can also open an existing header by double-clicking near the top margin of a page. This is useful if the document already has a header and you need to change its wording or formatting.

How Word repeats headers

Word stores headers as part of a document’s sections, rather than treating every page as a separate sheet. In a document with one section and ordinary header settings, the same header appears on every page. Editing that header updates its repeated appearances; you do not need to paste it onto each page individually.

Page breaks do not normally create a new header arrangement. A section break can, because it gives Word a place to apply different page layout or header and footer settings. This distinction matters in reports, dissertations, proposals, and other long documents, which often use section breaks to change page orientation, margins, or numbering. A header that appears on the first few pages but not later may be the result of a section break, not a failure of the header feature.

Make the header continue through every section

When a new section is created, its header can be linked to the header in the previous section. If the link is on, the new section generally uses the same header content. If the link is off, that section can have its own header. Word may also treat the first page or odd and even pages as separate header types, so one section can have more than one version of a header.

To check a section, open its header by double-clicking at the top of a page in that section. On the Header & Footer tab, look for Link to Previous. If you want this section to use the preceding section’s header, turn on the link. If you want a distinct header, turn the link off before editing the section’s header. Check the pages after each section break, too: linking one section does not necessarily fix every later section.

Be careful when unlinking. If a section is linked and you edit its header, the change can also affect the earlier linked header. Turn off Link to Previous first when you need a change to apply only to the current section. Headers and footers are linked separately, so changing the header link does not automatically change the footer link.

Use a different first-page header

A cover page often needs no header, or a different one from the pages that follow. In the header area, select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab. Word provides a separate first-page header for that section. Leave it blank if the first page should have no header, and put the regular repeating header in the header area on the second page.

This setting can be misunderstood: it does not automatically hide the header on every page except page one. It creates a first-page header variant and a separate header for the remaining pages in that section. If you have multiple sections, check the setting and the header contents in each one. For example, a report may have a title page with no running header, followed by chapter pages that all show the report title.

Set different headers on odd and even pages

For a printed booklet or book, you may want a document title on left-hand pages and a chapter title on right-hand pages. Select Different Odd & Even Pages in the header and footer options. Word then gives you separate odd-page and even-page header areas. Enter the appropriate content in each type, and review several pages in print layout to confirm that it alternates as intended.

This option is not necessary just to put a page number on each page. If you need a single repeating header, leave it turned off. If you enable it accidentally, a header entered on an odd page may not appear on even pages, which can look like Word skipped some pages.

Format the header and manage its spacing

Use the header area’s formatting tools just as you would for text in the document: select the text to change its font, size, color, or alignment. A common layout is a short document name on the left and a section title or other brief detail on the right. A right-aligned tab stop, a table with its borders removed, or the alignment options in a built-in header layout can help position items without inserting a long string of spaces.

To add a logo, select Insert > Pictures while the cursor is in the header, then choose the image source available in your Word version. Keep the image small enough that it does not crowd the text or push the body down. If the image is difficult to position, select it and adjust its layout or wrapping options; an image set in line with text behaves more like a large character, while other wrapping settings allow it to sit beside header text.

The header’s distance from the top edge is not the same thing as the page’s top margin. To adjust the header position, open the header and use the Header from Top setting on the Header & Footer tab. To change where the main document text begins, adjust the page margins instead. If a printer cuts off the header, check both the page layout and the printer’s printable area rather than moving the header text repeatedly without checking the cause.

Add page numbers without replacing the header

A header can contain a page number as well as other content. Use Insert > Page Number and choose a location and style, or insert a page number while editing the header if that is where you want it. Word inserts a field that can update as pages are added or removed; it is preferable to typing a number manually, which would show the same fixed number wherever that text is repeated.

If a document needs both a running title and a page number, choose a layout that gives each item room. You can also use a header for the title and a footer for the number. Page numbering has its own options for starting at a chosen number or changing number format. Those controls are separate from the header text, and section breaks may be needed when one part of a document should use a different numbering sequence.

Fix headers that disappear or look inconsistent

If a header shows on some pages but not others, inspect the document’s section breaks and header options before adding duplicate text. These are common causes and checks:

A section is not linked: Open a page in the affected section and check Link to Previous. Link it if the section should share the preceding header.
Different First Page is on: The first page uses a separate header area. Add the text to the appropriate first-page or regular header, or turn off the option if it is not needed.
Odd and even headers are separate: Check whether Different Odd & Even Pages is enabled and fill in both header types if required.
The header is too close to the edge: Adjust the header position and review the page margins and printer limits.
The header is hidden by the view: Switch to View > Print Layout to inspect pages as they will generally appear when printed.

If you cannot see a section break, turn on formatting marks with Home > Show/Hide. Section breaks are labeled in the document and can explain why formatting changes from one page to the next. Avoid deleting a break casually: doing so can change the layout or formatting of the surrounding sections.

Word for Mac and Word for the web

In Word for Mac, the same basic approach applies: use the Insert tab and choose Header, select a layout, and enter the content. When you are editing the header, use the contextual header and footer controls to set first-page, odd-and-even, or section-link options. Ribbon labels and the placement of controls can differ slightly by Word version and window size, but the underlying section behavior is similar.

Word for the web also supports inserting and editing basic headers through the Insert tab. For a simple document, it is often enough. If the document relies on several sections, different first-page headers, alternating headers, or detailed positioning, open it in the desktop app and verify the result there. Complex layouts can be harder to inspect and adjust in a browser, and the desktop version provides fuller controls for section formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a header automatically appear on every page?
Usually, yes. A header repeats across pages within a section by default. Different first-page or odd-and-even settings, or an unlinked section, can make some pages use another header or appear blank.

How do I add a header to all pages except the first?
Open the header, select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab, leave the first-page header empty, and enter the desired text in the regular header area for the following pages.

Can each page have a different header?
Yes, but Word does not normally create an independent header for each page. Use section breaks to divide the document where the header should change, turn off Link to Previous in the new section, and edit that section’s header.

Why does my header appear on odd pages but not even pages?
Check whether Different Odd & Even Pages is selected. If it is, Word uses separate header areas for odd and even pages; add content to both if you want the header on both types.

How do I remove a header?
Use Insert > Header > Remove Header for the relevant section, or open the header and delete its contents. In a document with multiple sections, inspect the others as well, because their headers may be independent or differently configured.

Does adding a header change the top margin?
Not by itself. The header’s position and the page’s top margin are separate layout settings. Adjust the header position to move the header, and change the margin if you need to move the main body text.

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