How to Add a Header Template in Word

To add a header template in Microsoft Word, open the document, choose Insert > Header, select a built-in design, and replace its sample text with your own. To reuse a custom header, save it to Word’s Header gallery or save the whole document as a template. The steps below use Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows and note the Mac differences.

What You’ll Need

A document open in the Word desktop app, or a new blank document.
The text and any logo or other image you want in the header. For a logo, use a clear image file such as PNG or JPG.
If you want to reuse the header, decide whether to save just the header for different documents or save a complete document template with the header already in place.

You can add a header without a logo or prepared text; Word’s built-in designs include placeholders you can fill in later. Word for the web can edit many existing headers, but the desktop app offers more complete options for creating and saving reusable header designs.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and choose a header method. Open the document that needs a header, or create a new one. If you want a quick, standard layout, use a built-in header. If you have a company or project design to reuse, add and format it first, then save it. If you want the header, page layout, styles, and other formatting to start together in future documents, save the finished file as a Word template.
Insert a built-in header design. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select Insert > Header. Browse the gallery and click a design. Word opens the header area and may show placeholder fields for a title, author, date, or other details. Click each placeholder and type over its sample text. Do not type the header into the document’s regular body area: the header is a separate region at the top of the page.
Add your own text and logo. Click inside the header and type the information readers need, such as a business name, report title, or chapter name. To add a logo, place the cursor where it should appear and select Insert > Pictures, then choose the image source and file. Select the image to resize it with a corner handle; dragging a corner helps preserve its proportions. If text wraps unexpectedly, select the image and use the layout options to choose an arrangement such as In Line with Text or a suitable text-wrapping option. Keep the logo small enough that the header does not crowd the page.
Adjust the layout and formatting. With the cursor in the header, Word displays the Header & Footer contextual tab or ribbon area. Use the available alignment, font, spacing, and positioning controls to make the content consistent with the document. You can press Tab to move between tab positions in some built-in designs, but do not add repeated spaces to force text to the right; spacing can shift when fonts or page sizes change. If the header sits too close to the page edge, adjust the header position using the controls on the Header & Footer tab, or review the page margins under Layout > Margins.
Set special-page options if needed. On the Header & Footer tab, select Different First Page if the first page should have no header or a different one. To use separate headers on odd- and even-numbered pages, select Different Odd & Even Pages. These options create distinct header areas, so edit the first-page, odd-page, and even-page headers individually. For a different header in a later chapter or section, insert a section break using Layout > Breaks, choose an appropriate section break, then turn off Link to Previous in that section’s header before changing its content. Otherwise, edits may also affect the preceding section.
Close the header and check the pages. Select Close Header and Footer, or double-click in the document body. Scroll through the document and check the first page, a middle page, and the last page. Confirm that the text and logo are aligned, that the header does not overlap the body, and that page-specific settings behave as intended. Save the document with Ctrl+S on Windows.
Save the header for reuse, if desired. To save only the design in Word for Windows, select the header content, including its text and any logo, while editing the header. Then choose Insert > Header > Save Selection to Header Gallery. Give the entry a recognizable name and save it in the gallery. In the save dialog, choose a category if useful; saving it in the general gallery makes it easier to find later. In another document, open Insert > Header and select the saved entry. If the save-to-gallery command is unavailable, see Troubleshooting below; availability can depend on the selection and Word version.
Save a complete reusable document template, if that is the goal. Keep the header in place, then on Windows choose File > Save As > Browse. In the file type list, choose Word Template (*.dotx), enter a clear name, and save. A template file is intended to serve as a starting point for new documents, rather than as the finished report itself. On Word for Mac, use File > Save as Template if that command is available in your version, then name and save the template. To use it later, create a new document from that saved template rather than editing the template file as though it were the final document.

Mac note: In Word for Mac, the header command is generally under Insert > Header & Footer > Header; choose a design and edit its placeholder text. Ribbon labels and available gallery-saving commands can vary by Mac version. If your version does not offer a way to save a selected header to the gallery, save a .dotx template containing the header, or keep a clean starter document and make a copy for each new project. Keyboard shortcuts differ by keyboard settings; use the menus if a Windows shortcut does not apply.

Common Mistakes

Editing the body instead of the header: Text typed at the top of the page in the normal document area is not a real header. Double-click near the top margin to enter the header area, or use Insert > Header.
Expecting one header to cover every page type: Different First Page and Different Odd & Even Pages create separate header versions. If one page looks blank or different, check these options and edit the relevant header.
Changing a linked section accidentally: Headers are linked across sections by default. Before making a section-specific change, go to that section’s header and turn off Link to Previous. A section break is needed; a regular page break alone does not create a separate header.
Using spaces to align content: A string of spaces may look right on one screen but move when the document is opened elsewhere. Use the design’s tab positions, alignment controls, or a simple table with borders removed if you need stable left-and-right placement.
Saving over the original document: If you want a reusable starting point, save as a template or keep a separate master copy. Do not replace a completed report with a blank starter file by mistake.

Tips

Keep the header brief. A short name, title, or logo is usually easier to scan and leaves more room for the page’s main content.
Use the same typeface and a restrained color palette as the document. Check that text remains readable when printed in grayscale, and do not rely on color alone to communicate important information.
Use a meaningful name when saving a gallery entry or template, such as Project Header – Blue Logo. A descriptive name is much easier to recognize than Header 1.
Test the design with realistic content. A long report title, a large logo, or a two-digit page number can expose spacing problems that a short placeholder will not.
If the file will be shared, consider whether recipients need only the finished document or also need the reusable template. A .dotx file is useful as a starting point, but a regular .docx is usually the appropriate format for a completed document.

Troubleshooting

The header gallery is missing or looks different: Confirm that you are using the Word desktop app and have opened Insert > Header. Word for the web and different Office builds may offer fewer design and saving options. Use a desktop version for custom gallery work, or add the header to a .dotx template.
Save Selection to Header Gallery is unavailable: Enter the header-editing area and select the header content itself, not just the page or a paragraph in the body. Try selecting the text and image together, then reopen Insert > Header. If the option still is not present, your Word version may not expose that command; save a template or starter document instead.
The header appears on the first page but not the rest: Check whether Different First Page is enabled. If it is, the first page has its own header. Click a later page’s header and add the content there, or turn the option off if every page should match.
A later section keeps the previous header: Click in the header of the new section and check the Header & Footer tab for Link to Previous. Turn it off before editing. If the control is unavailable or the change affects the whole document, check that you inserted a section break rather than only a page break.
The logo is too large, blurry, or pushes text down: Resize it from a corner, use a higher-resolution source image, and check the image’s text-wrapping setting. Also review the header position and top margin. If the image is decorative, a smaller inline logo is often easier to keep aligned.
The saved design does not appear on another computer: A custom gallery entry may be stored in Word’s local building blocks and may not travel with the document. Share the template file or a clean starter document with collaborators, and test it on their Word version before relying on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a header template to an existing Word document?
Yes. Open the file, choose Insert > Header, select a design, and replace its placeholder content. Adding a header does not require creating a new document.

What is the difference between a header and a header template?
A header is the content displayed in the top margin of a page. A header template is a reusable design or starter file that lets you apply similar header content again without rebuilding it each time.

How do I put a header on every page?
Insert a header in the document’s first section and leave Different First Page and Different Odd & Even Pages turned off if the same design should appear throughout. Separate sections can have their own header settings.

Can I make the first page header different?
Yes. Open the header and select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab. Then edit the first-page header separately from the headers on subsequent pages.

Can I reuse a custom header on another computer?
Usually, the most dependable method is to save and share a Word template (.dotx) or a clean starter .docx containing the header. A gallery item may be saved locally and may not be available on another computer automatically.

Can I do this in Word for the web?
You can work with many headers in Word for the web, but some desktop design and reusable-gallery features may be unavailable. If you cannot find the command you need, open the document in the Word desktop app and save the completed design as a template.

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