How to Add Different Page Numbers in Word by Section

To add different page numbers in Word, divide the document into sections, unlink the header or footer where numbering should change, and set the number format or starting value for each section. This lets you use Roman numerals for a contents page, restart numbering at 1 for the main text, or leave a cover page unnumbered without changing the rest of the document.

The steps below are for Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Save a copy of your document first, especially if it already has several sections or carefully formatted headers and footers. Page numbers are fields that Word updates automatically; insert a page-number field rather than typing numbers by hand.

What You’ll Need

A Word document that you can edit. Desktop Word is best for section-based numbering because it provides the full set of page-number and section controls.
A clear plan for where numbering should change—for example, after a cover page or contents section—and whether each part should use Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, or a different starting number.
If your document already has headers, footers, or page numbers, note which sections they appear in before changing the layout.

Step-by-Step

Identify the point where numbering should change. Click at the end of the page immediately before the new numbering scheme begins. For example, if the introduction should begin at page 1 after a contents section, click after the last character on the contents page. Turn on formatting marks with Home > ¶ if it helps you see paragraph marks and breaks. Do not rely on an ordinary page break for this job: a page break moves text to a new page, but does not create an independent numbering section.
Insert a section break. On the Windows ribbon, choose Layout > Breaks, then select Next Page under Section Breaks. Word begins a new section on the following page. If the change should happen partway down the same page, choose Continuous instead, but use Next Page for the usual front-matter-to-main-text layout. Check that the break is where you intended; a section break can also affect page orientation, margins, and columns if those settings are changed later.
Open the header or footer in the new section. Double-click the area at the top or bottom of a page in the new section, where the page number will go. If you are unsure where the number is located, use Insert > Page Number to inspect the available positions, or click an existing number. Word displays a contextual Header & Footer tab while you are editing this area. Note whether the number is in the header or footer, because the link between sections is controlled separately for each one.
Unlink the new section from the previous one. On the Header & Footer tab, find Link to Previous and click it so it is not selected. If the button is highlighted or Word shows Same as Previous beside the header or footer, that area is still linked. Turn off the link for the area containing the number; if you are changing both a header and a footer, check each area separately. This step allows the new section to use its own numbering settings. It does not automatically remove existing text or numbers.
Insert a page-number field if needed. With the cursor in the correct header or footer, choose Insert > Page Number and select a position, such as Top of Page or Bottom of Page, followed by a style. If a number is already present, do not insert another one: use the existing field and go straight to formatting it. A duplicate field can make the page appear to have two numbers, especially if one is aligned at the opposite side of the footer.
Choose the number style and starting value. Keep the cursor in the new section’s header or footer, then choose Header & Footer > Page Number > Format Page Numbers. In the dialog, select a format such as 1, 2, 3 or i, ii, iii. Under Page numbering, choose Start at and enter the first number you want shown, often 1. Choose Continue from previous section only when the new section should carry on the same sequence. Select OK to apply the setting to the current section.
Set up the earlier section separately if it also needs a change. Go to a page in the earlier section, open its header or footer, and use Page Number > Format Page Numbers to select its format and starting value. For example, set the contents section to i, ii, iii, then set the main-text section to 1, 2, 3 and Start at 1. If the earlier section currently has no number, insert a page-number field there as well. Verify the format in each section instead of assuming that changing one section changed them all.
Hide a number on a cover page if needed. If the cover page belongs to its own section, open its header or footer and select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab. This gives the first page a separate header and footer, so you can remove the number from that page without removing it from the following pages. If the next page must display 1, place a section break after the cover and set the following section to Start at 1. Hiding a number alone does not reset the count.
Check every section and close the header or footer. Use the Next Section and Previous Section controls on the Header & Footer tab, or scroll through the document, to inspect each part. Confirm that the first page, later pages, and section starts show the right style and sequence. Then select Close Header and Footer, or double-click in the document body. Save the file and, if it will be printed or shared as a PDF, check the page numbers in Print Preview too.

On a Mac: The same section-based method applies in Word for Microsoft 365. Insert the break from Layout > Breaks > Next Page, then open the header or footer and turn off Link to Previous on the contextual Header & Footer tab. The ribbon layout and the page-number menu may look slightly different from Windows; use Insert > Page Number and the available formatting option to choose a position and number style. In Word for the web, basic page numbers are available, but section-specific formatting controls may be limited. Open the document in the desktop app if you cannot set a section’s format or starting number.

Common Mistakes

Using a page break instead of a section break. A page break starts a new page but does not provide a separate page-number sequence. Insert a Next Page section break wherever the numbering rules need to change.
Forgetting Link to Previous. Sections are often linked by default, so editing a footer can affect another section. Turn off the link in the relevant header or footer before adjusting the new section’s number format or content.
Changing the wrong section. The format dialog applies to the section containing the cursor. Click inside the intended section’s header or footer first, and check the section boundaries if the result appears elsewhere.
Typing a number instead of inserting a field. A typed number stays the same on every page and will not update when pages are added or removed. Use Insert > Page Number to insert an automatic field.
Expecting Different First Page to restart numbering. This setting creates a distinct first-page header or footer; it does not change the sequence. Use Start at in Format Page Numbers when a section needs to begin at a particular value.
Removing the wrong footer content. Headers and footers can contain other text, logos, or rules. Before deleting anything, check whether the number field is the only content and whether the area is still linked to another section.

Tips

Plan the document’s sections before formatting page numbers. Common sections include a cover, front matter, main text, and appendices, each separated only where its layout or numbering needs to differ.
Use Roman numerals for front matter and Arabic numerals for the main text when that suits your document’s style guide. The important setting is Format Page Numbers, not the visual appearance of a number typed into the footer.
Turn on Home > ¶ while troubleshooting. Word displays section-break labels, making it easier to distinguish a Next Page section break from a page break or a row of empty paragraphs.
If you want a number on the left and a document title on the right, use the header or footer’s alignment tools or a tab stop rather than adding spaces. Spaces can shift unpredictably when margins or fonts change.
After inserting or deleting pages, let Word update the page-number fields. If a number seems stale, select the field and press F9 on Windows, or right-click it and choose Update Field. Some field updates happen automatically when you print or preview.
Keep a backup before experimenting with section breaks in a long document. Breaks can carry layout settings, and deleting one may merge sections and change their formatting as well as their numbering.

Troubleshooting

Every section changes when you edit one number. The affected header or footer is probably still linked to the previous section. Open the section where the change should begin and turn off Link to Previous for that specific header or footer. If the number is in a footer, unlink the footer; if it is in a header, unlink the header. Then set the number format again.

The new section continues the old sequence. Open Format Page Numbers in the new section and select Start at, then enter the desired first number. Continue from previous section is appropriate only when the sequence should remain continuous, even if the format changes from Roman to Arabic numerals.

The number is missing on the first page, or appears when it should not. Check whether Different First Page is selected for that section. Word treats that first-page header or footer separately, so it may not contain the same number field as the other pages. Add or remove the field in the first-page area as needed, and check subsequent pages separately.

A page displays two numbers. Open the header or footer and look for more than one page-number field. Delete the extra field, not the whole footer, if it also contains useful text or formatting. Also check whether a number is present in both the header and footer.

The change starts on the wrong page. Show formatting marks and inspect the section break. Move the cursor to the correct boundary, remove the misplaced break carefully, and insert a Next Page section break at the end of the preceding content. Recheck page layout afterward, since moving a break can affect the following section’s layout.

You cannot find Format Page Numbers. First click or double-click inside a header or footer so the contextual Header & Footer tab appears. On Windows, use Header & Footer > Page Number > Format Page Numbers. If you are using Word for the web and that control is unavailable, choose Open in Desktop App and make the section-specific change there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I start page numbering at 1 on the third page?

Yes. Insert a Next Page section break at the end of page 2, open the header or footer on page 3, turn off Link to Previous, then choose Page Number > Format Page Numbers and set Start at to 1. If page 1 or 2 should show no number, remove or hide its number in the earlier section without changing the new section.

Can I use Roman numerals for the contents and regular numbers for the main text?

Yes. Put a section break between the contents and main text. Set the contents section to i, ii, iii in Format Page Numbers, then set the main-text section to 1, 2, 3 and Start at 1. Unlink the main-text header or footer before formatting it so the two sections can use different settings.

Do I need a section break for every page with a different number?

No. Add a section break only where the numbering rules change, such as where the format or starting value changes. Word’s page-number field creates the correct sequential number on each page within a section. For a special first page, Different First Page may be enough if you only need a different or empty first-page header or footer.

Will the numbering update if I add or remove pages?

Yes, when you use Word’s page-number field. The field reflects the page’s position and section numbering settings, so later numbers adjust as the document changes. A number typed as ordinary text does not update automatically.

Why does my section still have the same footer after I turn off Link to Previous?

Turning off Link to Previous separates the section’s footer from the one before it, but it does not erase the content already displayed there. You can then edit or remove the number field in the new section. Also confirm that you are editing the right section and the right area, because headers and footers have separate links.

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

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