How to Add a Back Cover Page in Microsoft Word Documents

To add a back cover page in Microsoft Word, place your cursor at the end of the document, choose Insert > Blank Page, and add your text, images, or design elements to the new final page. Word’s built-in Cover Page gallery is intended for the front of a document, so a back cover is usually made as a regular page and formatted separately. Before you start, save a copy of your file and decide whether the back cover should have a page number or appear without a header and footer.

What You’ll Need

A Word document that you can edit in Microsoft 365 for Windows. The same general process works in Word for Mac, although some ribbon details and keyboard shortcuts differ.
The text and any logo, photograph, or other artwork you want on the back cover. Keep image files available on your computer so you can insert them.
A saved backup if the document has carefully arranged pages, section breaks, or headers and footers. Adding a page is straightforward, but changes to section formatting can affect nearby pages.

Step-by-Step

Save a working copy. Choose File > Save As and save a copy under a new name, or make sure the existing file is saved before editing. This gives you a way to return to the original layout if a page break, image, or footer shifts unexpectedly.
Go to the end of the document. Click in the document and press Ctrl+End on Windows. On a Mac, press Command+Down Arrow to move to the end of the document; in some keyboard layouts, Fn+Command+Right Arrow may be needed. Check that the insertion point is after the last text, not inside a footer or a text box. You can also scroll to the final page and click after its last paragraph.
Insert a new page. On the ribbon, choose Insert > Blank Page. This inserts a page at the cursor position, so confirm that the cursor is at the end first. An alternative is to press Ctrl+Enter on Windows, or Command+Return on Mac, to insert a page break. Use one method, not both: doing both can create an extra blank page.
Check where the new page begins. Word should move the insertion point onto the new final page. If the back-cover content starts partway down, press Ctrl+Home or use the scroll bar to inspect the pages around the insertion. A leftover page break at the document end can cause a blank page between your content and the new page. Turn on formatting marks with Home > ¶ to locate page breaks and extra paragraph marks.
Add the back-cover wording. Type or paste the material you want, such as a short description, author biography, contact information, website, credits, or a closing note. Keep the text concise and arrange it in a clear reading order. Use the Home tab’s font, size, alignment, and paragraph-spacing controls to make the content distinct from the main document.
Insert artwork if needed. Choose Insert > Pictures and select the image source available in your version of Word, then choose the file. Select the picture and use the Layout Options button beside it to choose how text wraps. For a small logo or a picture beside text, Square or Tight wrapping may work. For a full-width image, In Line with Text is often easier to position reliably. Resize using a corner handle so the image keeps its proportions.
Arrange and align the elements. Use paragraph alignment and spacing for a simple layout. If you need a colored block, border, or decorative panel, use Insert > Shapes, draw the shape, and use Shape Format to adjust its fill and outline. For a background-like shape behind text, use the shape’s wrapping options and send it behind the text. Check that it does not cover or obscure other content.
Decide how to handle page numbers and headers. A back cover that is part of a report may keep the document’s normal footer and page numbering. For a clean cover with no number, place a section break before it: click at the start of the back-cover page, then choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page. Open the footer on the back-cover page and, on the Header & Footer tab, turn off Link to Previous. Remove the number or footer content from that section. A section break is more appropriate than changing the whole document’s footer, but verify that earlier pages still look right afterward.
Review the final page and save. Choose View > Print Layout if you are not already in that view. Check the back cover at the intended zoom, then choose File > Print and review the print preview. Confirm that the page is last, that artwork is not cut off, and that no unwanted blank page follows it. Save the file when the layout is correct.

Common Mistakes

Using the Cover Page gallery for the back. Word’s Insert > Cover Page designs are made to appear at the beginning of a document. Choosing one does not normally create a back cover at the end. Add a blank page at the end and build the back cover there instead.

Inserting a page in the wrong place. Word inserts a blank page where the cursor is, not necessarily after the document. If it appears in the middle, undo with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac, move the cursor to the end, and try again.

Creating two pages by accident. Inserting a blank page and then adding a page break can push the cover onto the following page. If you see an unexpected blank page, turn on Home > ¶ and inspect the paragraph marks and page breaks before deleting anything. Remove only the redundant break; deleting ordinary paragraph marks can join or alter nearby text.

Changing page numbering throughout the file. Deleting a page number in a linked footer can remove it from other pages too. If only the back cover should be different, use a section break and turn off Link to Previous in the new section before changing its footer.

Dragging images into place without checking wrapping. A floating image can move when text is edited or the document opens on another computer. Choose a suitable Layout Options setting, check the result in Print Layout, and review print preview before sharing or printing.

Tips

Plan the back cover as the final page of the file. If you are preparing a printed book or booklet, confirm the printer’s requirements for cover artwork, trim size, bleed, and page order; the last page of an ordinary Word document is not automatically a complete outside-cover spread.
Keep important text and logos away from the page edges. Printers may not print to the very edge, and some printers scale pages slightly. Leave a comfortable margin unless your print provider specifies a different setup.
Use consistent fonts and colors so the back cover feels connected to the front cover and the rest of the document. A restrained layout with a clear title, short description, and one visual element is usually easier to read than a page crowded with decoration.
Use Word’s built-in alignment tools instead of repeated spaces. Select the relevant paragraphs and use the alignment buttons on Home, or set spacing through the Paragraph dialog, so the layout remains stable when fonts or page dimensions change.
For an image that should sit behind the entire page, consider using a shape or picture with an appropriate text-wrapping option, then inspect it in print preview. Do not assume that a screen-filling image will print edge to edge.

Troubleshooting

The blank page appeared in the middle. Undo the insertion, click after the last content on the final page, and insert the blank page again. If the document ends with a table, click in the paragraph after the table if one is available, then insert the page. Word requires a paragraph after a table in some layouts, and that paragraph can affect where the next page begins.

There is an unwanted blank page before or after the back cover. On the Home tab, select ¶ to show formatting marks. Look for a manual page break, a section break, or several empty paragraph marks. Remove an unnecessary break carefully, then check that the back cover remains at the end. If a section break is needed to control the footer, keep it and adjust the page-break settings rather than deleting it blindly.

The page number disappears from earlier pages. Open the footer on the back-cover page and check whether Link to Previous is still active. If it is, the footer is connected to the preceding section. Turn off Link to Previous before removing or changing the number, then inspect the previous section to ensure its numbering is intact. Section breaks can also affect numbering; use Page Number > Format Page Numbers to check the numbering settings for the relevant section.

An image moves or overlaps the text. Select the image, open Layout Options, and try In Line with Text for more predictable placement. If you need text to wrap around it, choose a wrapping style and reposition the image only after the text is final. Reopen Print Layout or print preview to verify the result.

The new page will not stay at the end. Check for text, a footnote, or another object after the page in the document. Press Ctrl+End (Windows) or Command+Down Arrow (Mac) to confirm the actual insertion point. Also inspect whether the back-cover material was placed in a header, footer, or text box that is anchored elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Word’s Cover Page feature as a back cover?
It is designed to insert a cover at the start of a document. For a back cover, add a blank final page and format it yourself, or copy a design you have already made to that page.

How do I add a back cover without a page number?
Insert a Next Page section break before the back cover, open its footer, turn off Link to Previous, and remove the number from the new section. Check the earlier pages afterward to ensure their numbering remains unchanged.

Can I make the back cover a different color?
You can add a colored shape or background element to the final page. The Page Color command applies to the document’s pages rather than just one selected page, so a shape confined to the back-cover page is usually the practical choice.

Does this work in Word for Mac?
Yes. Use Insert > Blank Page from the ribbon. The page-break shortcut is Command+Return on Mac instead of Ctrl+Enter on Windows. Section-break and footer controls are also available, though their exact placement can differ slightly by Word version.

How can I make sure the back cover prints as the last page?
Check the document in Print Layout and use File > Print to inspect the preview and page count. If printing a booklet or commercial cover, follow the printer’s instructions for cover spreads and page imposition; a standard Word page may not match those production requirements.

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

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