How to Add a Header in Microsoft Word: Step-by-Step

To add a header in Microsoft Word, open the document, select Insert > Header, and choose a built-in layout or Edit Header to create your own. Type your text, then select Close Header and Footer or double-click in the document body. A header sits in the top margin and can repeat on every page, making it useful for titles, names, dates, document labels, and page numbers.

What You’ll Need

A Word document opened in the desktop version of Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The instructions also apply broadly to recent Word versions, though some ribbon labels may differ.
The text or other content you want to place in the header, such as a report name, author, date, or logo. You can also start with a blank header and decide what to include as you work.
If the header should appear differently on selected pages, know where those pages begin and whether they belong in a separate section. Section breaks may be needed for that layout.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and check the page layout. Open the file in Word and save a working copy if you are making substantial changes. Switch to View > Print Layout if you are not already in that view; it makes the page edges and header area easier to see. Headers can also be edited in other views, but Print Layout is the clearest choice for arranging content as it will print.
Open the Header menu. Select the Insert tab on the ribbon, then select Header in the Header & Footer group. Word displays a gallery of built-in designs, usually including plain layouts and options with a line, title, or other formatting. On Word for Mac, use Insert > Header & Footer > Header; the exact grouping can vary slightly by version.
Choose a layout or open the editing area. Select a design if you want Word to insert a ready-made header, then replace its sample text with your own. To build a simple header without a preset, choose Edit Header from the menu. The insertion point appears in the header area above the main page text, and Word opens the contextual Header & Footer tab. In some versions, this contextual tab is called Design.
Enter and format the header text. Click in the header area and type the words you need. Select the text to change its font, size, color, or emphasis from the ribbon, just as you would for body text. Keep the content brief and readable; a header that is much larger or more crowded than the page text can distract from the document. You can use the alignment buttons on the Home tab to place text at the left, center, or right.
Arrange content across the header. For a simple left-and-right layout, type the first item, press Tab, and type the second item. Word’s header tab stops can move the cursor to the center or right area, depending on the selected header design and tab settings. If Tab does not place the text where you expect, use a built-in layout with separate positions, or use a table with invisible borders for more precise alignment. Avoid inserting a long string of spaces, which may shift when fonts or margins change.
Add a page number or other built-in field if needed. With the header active, select Insert > Page Number and choose a position and style, such as the top of the page. Word inserts an automatic page-number field, so numbering updates as pages are added or removed. You can combine a page number with text such as a short document title. If the page number should be in the footer instead, use Insert > Page Number and choose a bottom-of-page option.
Set whether the first page should be different. If the document needs a cover page without a header, select Different First Page on the contextual Header & Footer tab. The first page has its own header area; remove or leave it blank there, then add the header in the second-page header. This option affects the first page of the current section, not necessarily the first page of the entire file if the document has multiple sections.
Finish editing and review the pages. Select Close Header and Footer on the ribbon, or double-click in the main document text. Scroll through several pages in Print Layout to confirm the header is positioned correctly, repeats where intended, and does not overlap the body text. Save the document. If you plan to print or share a PDF, check the saved or exported version too, since its page boundaries can make spacing problems more obvious.

Common Mistakes

Typing in the body instead of the header: The header area is above the main text, inside the top margin. If your words appear as ordinary content and do not repeat on later pages, you may have clicked in the body. Double-click near the top of the page, or use Insert > Header > Edit Header, then move or retype the content there.

Assuming every page uses the same header settings: By default, a header repeats through a section, but options such as Different First Page, Different Odd & Even Pages, and section breaks can make pages behave differently. Check the contextual tab and the section boundaries before trying to fix a header that appears to vanish.

Pressing Enter repeatedly to move the header: Extra blank paragraphs can make the header too tall and push the body down. Adjust paragraph spacing or the header’s position from the page edge instead. On Windows, use Layout > Margins > Custom Margins to review page margins; the Layout tab’s Page Setup options also include header positioning in many versions.

Using spaces to line up separate items: Spaces are not a reliable alignment tool. Text may move when the font, page width, or printer changes. Use tabs, a built-in header layout, or a borderless table instead.

Tips

Keep a running header short. A compact title, author name, department, or date is usually easier to scan than a full sentence. If a report has a long title, use a shorter version in the header while leaving the complete title on the opening page. Use a consistent font and size, and make sure the header remains distinguishable from the main text without competing with it.

Use Word’s automatic fields for information that may change. Page numbers inserted from Insert > Page Number update as the document grows. For a date, select Insert > Date & Time while the header is active, choose a format, and decide whether to update automatically. An automatically updating date may change when the file is opened or printed, so choose a fixed date if the document must preserve the date it was created.

If your document needs a header on the first page but not on later pages, or the reverse, make that choice before fine-tuning the layout. The Different First Page setting separates the first-page header from the rest of its section. For alternating layouts, select Different Odd & Even Pages. These controls are on the contextual header and footer tab, and their effect is easier to understand if you inspect both an odd-numbered and an even-numbered page.

For a logo, select Insert > Pictures while the header is active and choose the image file. Resize it with a corner handle to preserve its proportions, and use the picture layout options if you need text beside it. Keep the image modest in size, and check that it does not extend beyond the printable area. A logo embedded in the header repeats wherever that header is in use.

Troubleshooting

The header is missing from page one: Double-click the top of the first page. If Different First Page is selected, page one has a separate header from the other pages. Add content to that first-page area or clear the option if all pages should share the same header. In a multi-section document, check the first page of the relevant section as well.

The header appears on some pages but not others: Look for section breaks by selecting Home > Show/Hide ¶, which reveals formatting marks. Click in the affected section’s header and inspect whether it is linked to the previous section. If you want sections to share the same header, turn on Link to Previous in the contextual tab. If they should differ, turn that setting off before editing; otherwise, changes may carry into linked sections. Note that odd-and-even and first-page settings are separate from section linking.

The header is too close to the page edge or overlaps text: Double-click the header, then adjust its position using the header position controls on the contextual tab, or review the page’s margins under Layout > Margins. Printer hardware may not print all the way to the edge, even if text is visible in Word. Keep important content within the printable area and print a test page when precise placement matters.

The header will not open or changes are unavailable: Confirm that the file is not in a restricted or protected state. If Word shows Protected View, use Enable Editing only when you trust the file. If the document is read-only, save an editable copy. You can also close and reopen the document if the ribbon appears stuck, then try double-clicking the top margin again.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a header to only the first page?
Open the header, select Different First Page on the contextual tab, and enter the content in the first-page header. Leave the regular header empty if you do not want one on later pages.

How do I add a header to every page?
Insert a header normally and type in the main header area. Word repeats it throughout the section by default. If the document has multiple sections, check whether their headers are linked to the previous section.

Can I have different headers on odd and even pages?
Yes. Open the header and select Different Odd & Even Pages on the contextual tab. Then enter the content separately in an odd-page header and an even-page header.

How do I remove a header?
Select Insert > Header > Remove Header in Word for Windows. On Mac, open the Header menu from the Insert tab and choose the remove option. In a document with multiple sections, you may need to remove or adjust the header in each section.

Will a header show up when I print or save as a PDF?
Normally, yes, provided it is inside the printable page area and the document’s print settings include the page. Check Print Preview or the exported PDF before sharing. A printer that cannot print close to the page edge may leave a header partly cut off if it is positioned too high.

Can I edit the header without changing the body text?
Yes. Open the header by double-clicking its area or choosing Insert > Header > Edit Header. Click in the header to edit it, then close Header and Footer to return to the body. The header is a separate document area, though changing margins or section settings can affect the layout of both areas.

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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