How to Add a Header in Word on Certain Pages: Guide

To add a header to only certain pages in Word, separate those pages into sections, then turn off Link to Previous for the section header you want to change. Add the header there, and leave the headers in the other sections blank or unchanged. You’ll need Word’s desktop app for the clearest control, especially if the target page is in the middle of a document.

What You’ll Need

A copy of your document, or permission to edit it. Section breaks can affect layout, so keeping a backup is sensible.
Microsoft Word for Windows or Mac. The ribbon labels below are for Microsoft 365 on Windows; Mac labels are similar, though the location of some controls can differ slightly.
A clear idea of which page or pages need the header. It helps to know whether the page numbers or existing headers should continue unchanged elsewhere.

Step-by-Step

Show formatting marks and identify the target page. Click at the start of the page that should have the header. To see section breaks and paragraph marks while working, choose Home > ¶ Show/Hide, or press Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows. On Mac, use Command+8. These marks do not print. If the page begins partway through a paragraph or after a page break, place the insertion point before the first character or content on the target page. Knowing where the page begins makes it easier to put the section break in the right place.
Insert a section break before the target page. With the cursor at the start of the page, choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page under Section Breaks. This starts a new section on the next page. Do not choose a plain page break: a page break moves content but does not create a separate header area. If the target page is page 1, you do not need a break before it; it is already the start of the document’s first section.
Insert a section break after the target page. Click at the end of the page, after its final text or object, and insert another Layout > Breaks > Next Page section break. The target page is now in its own section, with the following page starting a new section. If the header should appear on several consecutive pages, place the second break after the last page that needs it instead. Check the document afterward: a break inserted in the wrong place can push content onto an extra page.
Open the header in the target section. Double-click in the top margin of the target page. Alternatively, use Insert > Header and choose Edit Header if that option is shown. Word opens the Header & Footer tab and identifies the section. If the page has little room at the top, use the ribbon command instead of trying to click the margin.
Disconnect this section from the one before it. On the Header & Footer tab, select Link to Previous so it is no longer highlighted or active. This setting is what lets the section have its own header. The header may initially still display the previous section’s text; unlinking does not automatically erase it. Make the change in the header area, not the footer area, because Word links those separately.
Enter the header you want. Click in the target section’s header and type the text, or insert an element such as a page number, document title, or logo. Use the Header & Footer tab’s commands for built-in header layouts and page numbers. If you want no header on the target page, select the existing header content in this unlinked section and delete it. Take care not to select the section break itself.
Check the following section and preserve its header. Double-click the header on the page after the target page. If it should keep a different or blank header, turn off Link to Previous in that section before editing its contents. If it should continue using the same header as the target section, leave the link on. A section inherits its header from the preceding section until you unlink it, so confirm what appears before deleting anything.
Review every page and close the header. Choose Close Header and Footer, or double-click in the body text. Scroll through the document and confirm the header appears only where intended, including on the first and last pages of each section. If page numbers or other header content changed unexpectedly, undo the change and check the link setting for each section before continuing.

For one page in the middle, the usual structure is three sections: the pages before it, the target page, and the pages after it. The target page’s section needs its own header setting. The first section can stay as it is; the later section should be unlinked only if its header needs to differ from the target section. For a run of consecutive pages, use the same approach but make the middle section cover the whole run.

Common Mistakes

Using a page break instead of a section break. A page break starts a new page, but it does not give that page a separate header. Use Layout > Breaks > Next Page under Section Breaks.
Forgetting to turn off Link to Previous. Editing a linked header can change the header in the prior section too. Unlink the header in the section you want to customize before changing its text.
Assuming unlinking clears the header. Word may keep a copy of the previous header when you disconnect a section. Delete or replace that content yourself if you want a blank or different header.
Removing the break instead of editing the header. Deleting a section break can merge sections and change the formatting or headers beyond the page you are working on. Keep the break and edit the header area.
Forgetting that headers and footers have separate links. Turning off Link to Previous in the header does not necessarily unlink the footer. If you also need a different footer, open the footer and check its link setting independently.
Overlooking first-page or odd/even settings. Different First Page and Different Odd & Even Pages can make a header appear missing or different. These options apply within sections, so check them if the visible result seems inconsistent.

Tips

Save a separate copy before adding section breaks to a long or heavily formatted document. It is easier to compare the layout and undo a larger change when you have a clean original.
Turn on formatting marks while positioning breaks, then turn them off when you are done. Seeing the words “Section Break (Next Page)” helps distinguish a section break from an ordinary page break.
Use one section for a continuous group of pages that share a header. Avoid creating a section for every page unless each page needs independent header formatting; unnecessary sections make later editing harder.
If the document already contains section breaks, inspect them before adding more. Headers follow section boundaries, not printed page numbers, and an existing section may already cover the pages you want.
Check the document in Print Layout and, if it will be printed or exported, review the PDF too. Headers can look different when margins, paper size, or page orientation change.
To put a header on just the first page of a section, you may be able to use Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab instead of isolating that page with two section breaks. This is useful for a title page, but it changes the first-page header behavior for that whole section.

Troubleshooting

The header changes on every page. The pages may still be in the same section, or the header you edited may be linked to another section. Turn on formatting marks and confirm there are section breaks on both sides of a single target page. Then open its header and switch off Link to Previous.

The header is still visible after unlinking. That is expected: unlinking stops future changes from being shared, but does not remove copied content. Select the header text or object in the target section and delete it, or replace it with the text you need. Confirm the section is unlinked first so you do not remove the header from a linked section.

The next page has the wrong header. Open that page’s header and inspect Link to Previous. If it is linked to the target section, unlink it before restoring the original header. If the next page is unexpectedly part of the target section, the second break may be missing or in the wrong position. Insert or move the break at the end of the final page that should have the special header.

The header seems to vanish on one page. Check whether that page is the first page of a section and whether Different First Page is enabled. Also check odd/even header settings. Word can show separate header areas for first, odd, and even pages; add the content to the header type that applies to the page you are viewing.

Adding a break creates a blank page or shifts the layout. A Next Page section break deliberately starts a new section on a new page. If the cursor was not at the true start or end of the intended page, Word may have moved content. Undo once, show formatting marks, and place the break at the correct boundary. For continuous sections that do not need to start on a new page, Word also offers a Continuous section break, but it is generally not the right choice when isolating a whole printed page.

You cannot find the same controls in Word for the web. Open the file in the desktop Word app to work with section breaks and header links more easily. In the desktop app, use the Layout and Header & Footer ribbon paths above; the Mac ribbon may arrange commands differently, but the section-break and header-link concepts are the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a header to just one page in the middle of a document?
Yes. Put a Next Page section break before and after that page, then unlink its header from the previous section. Keep the following section’s header linked only if it should match the target page.

Can different pages have different headers?
Yes. Use section breaks to create separate header areas, unlink each section you want to customize, and enter the appropriate text. You can also use separate first-page or odd/even headers within a section.

Will section breaks change my page numbers?
They can affect page-number formatting if you change the numbering options, but inserting a section break alone does not require restarting the count. If numbering changes, open the header or footer, select the page number, and check the page-number formatting and section link settings.

How do I remove a header from selected pages but keep it elsewhere?
Place those pages in their own section, turn off Link to Previous for that section’s header, and delete its header content. Check the next section and unlink it before restoring a header if it inherited the blank one.

Can I do this in Word on a Mac?
Yes. The ribbon names and section-break options are similar in Word for Mac. Use the Layout tab to insert a Next Page section break, then edit the header and turn off Link to Previous on the Header & Footer tab. Keyboard shortcuts for showing formatting marks differ: Command+8 on Mac and Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows.

Is a section break the only way?
No. For a header only on the first page of a section, Different First Page may be simpler. For a page in the middle or selected groups of pages, section breaks give you more direct control over where headers change.

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

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