How to Delete a Blank Page in Word Without Losing Text

To delete a blank page in Word, turn on formatting marks with Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac, find the extra paragraph marks or break causing the page, and remove or adjust it. Check the surrounding text and layout before saving, because a section break or the final paragraph after a table may need a different fix.

What You’ll Need

A copy of the Word document you want to edit. If its layout is important, save a duplicate first using File > Save As.
Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac. Word for the web has fewer layout controls, so some fixes may require opening the document in the desktop app.
A keyboard or access to Word’s Home and Layout tabs. You do not need to install anything.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and locate the blank page. Scroll through the document, or use the vertical scroll bar to reach the empty page. Check whether it is in the middle or at the end; the cause and safest fix can differ. If you can see text or a table on the page before it, note whether that content shifts when the blank page disappears.
Show formatting marks. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, press Command+8. You can also select Home > ¶ (Show/Hide) in Word’s ribbon. Formatting marks are not printed; they reveal paragraph marks, page breaks, and section breaks that can occupy a page. The ¶ button toggles them off again when you are finished.
Look for paragraph marks on the blank page. If you see one or more ¶ symbols and no break, the page may be pushed over by extra empty paragraphs. Click just before the first extra mark and press Delete, or click after a mark and press Backspace. Remove only the extra marks, one at a time, and stop when the page disappears. Avoid deleting a paragraph mark that holds formatting for nearby text unless you are comfortable restoring that formatting.
Remove a manual page break if you find one. A page break appears as a labeled line when formatting marks are on. Click immediately before the break and press Delete, or immediately after it and press Backspace. The following text will move up to fill the space. Review the new page, since removing the break may place a heading or paragraph in a position you did not intend.
Check for a section break before removing it. A section break may be labeled Next Page, Odd Page, Even Page, or Continuous. Deleting it can change headers, footers, page numbering, margins, or columns in one or both sections. If the blank page is caused by a Next Page section break, and you want the next section to continue on the same page, change the section start instead of deleting the break: place the cursor in the affected section and use Layout > Page Setup dialog launcher > Layout tab > Section start > Continuous on Windows. The dialog launcher is the small arrow in the Page Setup group. Review the section’s formatting afterward. On Mac, look for the section-break options under Layout > Breaks; available controls and labels can vary by Word version. If the section is supposed to start on a new page, keep the break and check whether the apparently blank page is required by the chosen layout.
Handle an empty page after a table carefully. Word requires a final paragraph mark after a table, so that mark cannot simply be deleted. If it is pushed onto a new page, turn on formatting marks, select the paragraph mark after the table, and reduce its font size using Home > Font Size. Set it to 1 point, then check whether the extra page disappears. If needed, set that paragraph’s spacing before and after to 0 in the Paragraph settings. Do not select the table itself, and confirm that the table remains readable and in place.
Use Word’s page-selection method only when the cause is clear. In the Windows desktop app, press Ctrl+G, enter \page in the Enter page number box, and press Enter, then close the dialog. Word selects the current page’s contents; press Delete only if you have confirmed that the selection contains nothing you need. Be especially cautious near section breaks, tables, and page boundaries, because removing selected content can affect more than the visible blank area. If unsure, use the individual-mark method above instead.
Hide the marks and inspect the result. Press Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac again, or select Home > ¶. Scroll through the pages around the edit and check page numbers, headings, tables, headers, and footers. If the result is right, save with Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac.

Common Mistakes

Deleting a section break as if it were an ordinary page break. Section breaks control section-level layout. Removing one can carry the next section’s formatting backward or alter headers and page numbering. Identify the break type first, and change its start setting when you need to preserve section formatting.
Pressing Backspace repeatedly without showing marks. This can remove real text, collapse paragraphs, or change formatting before the blank page goes away. Turn on Show/Hide and remove the specific extra mark or break instead.
Trying to delete the required paragraph after a table. Word keeps a paragraph after the final table in a document. Shrink that paragraph or adjust its spacing rather than deleting it or altering the table to make it disappear.
Assuming every blank-looking page is empty. A page can contain a white-font character, a large empty paragraph, a table, or a break. Show formatting marks and inspect the page before selecting or deleting its contents.
Forgetting to inspect the pages around the edit. Removing a break may pull text upward, change pagination, or alter section layout. Check at least the preceding and following pages, not just the page that vanished.

Tips

Use Print Layout to judge pagination. Select View > Print Layout so you can see page boundaries as they will appear in a printed or exported document. Draft or Web views may not make page breaks as obvious.
Make one change at a time. Delete one extra paragraph mark or adjust one break, then check the result. If something changes unexpectedly, use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac to undo the last edit.
Keep a clean copy before changing section layout. Save a duplicate before editing section breaks, especially in documents with different headers, page-number styles, or landscape pages. A copy makes it easier to compare the original layout.
Check odd- and even-page section starts. An Odd Page or Even Page section start can intentionally insert a blank page so a chapter begins on the correct side of a printed spread. Changing it may be inappropriate for books, reports, or double-sided documents.
Use the desktop app for precise fixes. Word for the web may not expose every section-break or page-layout control. If a break cannot be selected or changed in the browser, choose Open in Desktop App and make the adjustment there.

Troubleshooting

The page remains after removing visible paragraph marks. Check again for a page break or section break, including one at the very end of the preceding page. Also inspect paragraph pagination settings: select the paragraph immediately after the blank area, open the Paragraph dialog from Home, and check the Line and Page Breaks tab for options such as Page break before, Keep with next, or Keep lines together. A heading style can apply these settings automatically. Turn off only the setting that is causing the unwanted page, and verify the surrounding layout.

The blank page returns after editing nearby text. The document may be close to a page boundary, so a small change in font, spacing, or margins can push a paragraph onto another page. Show formatting marks and look for empty paragraphs. You can remove unnecessary empty paragraphs, or adjust paragraph spacing or page layout slightly, but avoid shrinking body text just to force pagination unless that is acceptable for the document.

Deleting a break changes headers, footers, or numbering. Undo immediately, then restore the break if needed. Section formatting is linked to the break, and headers or footers may also have a Link to Previous setting. Consider changing a Next Page section start to Continuous instead, if that suits the document, or get help from the document’s owner before changing a designed layout.

The page looks blank, but Word will not remove it. Turn on formatting marks and click near the top and bottom of the page. Look for hidden text, a table, or a required final paragraph. If the page follows a table, reduce the final paragraph mark to 1 point and set its spacing to 0. If the issue appears only in a particular view, switch to View > Print Layout and check the print preview.

The controls or shortcuts do not match. Confirm that you are using the desktop version of Word and the correct operating system. On Windows, Ctrl+Shift+8 toggles formatting marks; on Mac, use Command+8. Ribbon labels can vary slightly between Word updates. In Word for the web, open the document in the desktop app for section-break changes that are unavailable in the browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a blank page without changing the rest of my document?
Usually. First identify whether extra paragraph marks, a manual page break, or a section break is creating it. Removing only the cause is safer than selecting a large area and deleting it. Always review nearby pages afterward, because pagination can shift.

Why is there a blank page at the end of my Word document?
Common causes include extra paragraph marks, a page or section break, or the required paragraph mark after a table. Show formatting marks with Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac to see which one applies. A final table paragraph may need to be reduced to 1 point rather than deleted.

How do I remove a blank page in Word on a Mac?
Use Command+8 to show formatting marks, then remove extra paragraph marks or a manual page break with Delete or Backspace. For section breaks, inspect the section-start settings under Layout and be cautious: changing or deleting the break can affect layout. Save with Command+S.

Why does deleting a section break change my formatting?
A section break stores the boundary between sections with different layout settings, such as headers, footers, orientation, or page numbering. Deleting it merges the sections and can transfer formatting. Undo the change and, if suitable, change the section start to Continuous instead of removing the break.

Can I remove a blank page in Word for the web?
You can often delete visible extra paragraphs or manual breaks in the browser version. Some section and page-layout controls are limited, though. If the blank page is caused by a section break or a table’s final paragraph, open the document in the Word desktop app for more precise options.

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