How to Delete an Extra Page in Word

To delete an extra page in Word, first show formatting marks with Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac, then remove the extra paragraph marks or page break causing it. If the page contains content you want to remove, select that page with Go To and delete it. Save a copy first if the document has complex section formatting, because removing a section break can change the layout of nearby pages.

What You’ll Need

A copy of the document open in the desktop version of Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365. The web version has similar editing tools, but some layout controls may be in different places.
Permission to edit the document. If it is read-only or protected, you may need to save an editable copy or ask the owner to unlock it.
A few minutes to check the page before and after the one you remove, especially if the document uses section breaks, headers, footers, or page numbering.

Step-by-Step

Save a working copy. Choose File > Save As and save a duplicate if the document is important or uses unusual formatting. Deleting a normal blank paragraph is low risk, but deleting a section break can affect page orientation, margins, headers, and numbering in other sections. A copy gives you a way to restore the original layout.
Identify the extra page. Scroll to the unwanted page and check whether it is truly blank or contains text, an image, a table, or other content you mean to remove. Also look at the page immediately before it. A page can appear empty because its content is white, hidden, or pushed down by a break, so do not delete marks blindly.
Show formatting marks. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, press Command+8. You can also select the paragraph symbol, ¶, on the Home tab in the Paragraph group. This displays normally hidden paragraph marks, page breaks, and section breaks; it does not print those marks. Toggle the same control again when you want to hide them.
Remove extra paragraph marks from a blank page. If the page contains only one or more ¶ symbols, drag across the marks on that page and press Backspace on Windows or Mac. You can also place the cursor at the start of the blank page and press Backspace until the page disappears. Work carefully: stop if you reach text or a break that belongs to the previous page. If the extra page is at the very end, press Ctrl+End on Windows or Command+End on Mac to go to the document end, then remove the surplus paragraph marks.
Delete a manual page break. With formatting marks visible, find the line labeled Page Break. Click just before that line and press Delete, or click just after it and press Backspace. The text that was on the following page will usually move up. Review the surrounding paragraphs afterward; if the page break was intentional, removing it may join sections of text that were meant to start separately.
Delete a page that contains unwanted content. Click somewhere on the page you want to remove. On Windows, press Ctrl+G to open Go To; on Mac, press Option+Command+G. In the page-number field, type \page, press Enter, and close the dialog. Word selects the current page’s contents. Press Delete or Backspace, then inspect the surrounding pages. If the selection includes material you want to keep, undo with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac and delete only the unwanted text or objects instead.
Handle a section break with care. A label such as Section Break (Next Page) can force a new page. Removing it may remove the page, but it can also apply the following section’s formatting to the preceding section. If you need the separate formatting but not a new page, place the cursor in the affected section and choose Layout > Breaks > Continuous on Windows. On Mac, use Layout > Breaks > Continuous if that option is available in your Word version. Check headers, footers, orientation, and numbering after changing it.
Check the result and save. Turn off formatting marks, scroll through the pages around the edit, and confirm that no needed text or layout has disappeared. If page numbers or section-specific headers changed, undo and try a less disruptive fix. Save the document with Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac.

Common Mistakes

Deleting the wrong break. A page break only starts a new page, but a section break also stores layout settings. Removing a section break can change margins, columns, orientation, headers, footers, and page numbering. Read the full break label before deleting it.
Selecting too much content. The Go To method selects the current page, which can include items that are easy to overlook, such as a table, image, or footnote-related content. Check the selection before pressing Delete, and undo immediately if the wrong material disappears.
Pressing Backspace repeatedly without showing marks. This can remove text at the end of the previous page rather than the cause of the extra page. Turn on ¶ first so you can see exactly what is between the pages.
Assuming every blank-looking page is empty. A page may contain an object, a break, or a paragraph with unusual formatting. Use Print Layout and formatting marks to find the cause before making changes.
Forgetting to inspect the layout afterward. The page count may look correct while a heading, table, or section has moved to an unsuitable place. Check the pages on both sides of the deletion.

Tips

Use the Navigation pane to orient yourself. Select View > Navigation Pane on Windows, then use its Pages view to locate the unwanted page. This helps you find it, but it does not by itself remove the page; use formatting marks or Go To to edit the cause.
Use Undo as soon as the layout changes unexpectedly. Press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac before making more edits. Then try removing only the visible paragraph mark or changing the break type instead.
Use Print Layout to confirm pagination. Select View > Print Layout if pages are not displayed clearly. Word repaginates as content changes, so a page can disappear or return after edits to font size, margins, or spacing.
Keep a blank paragraph after a table if Word requires it. Word may keep a paragraph mark after a table at the end of a document. If that mark is creating a nearly empty last page, select the final mark and set its font size to 1 point, or set its paragraph spacing to zero. Do not try to remove the required mark; shrink it so it fits on the preceding page.
Make one change at a time. If several breaks and blank paragraphs appear together, remove one and check the result before continuing. That makes it easier to identify which mark was responsible and to undo only the change that caused a problem.

Troubleshooting

The page remains after deleting a paragraph mark. Turn on formatting marks and look for a manual page break or section break farther up the page. Also check whether the paragraph before the blank page has a pagination setting. Click in that paragraph, open the Paragraph dialog from the Home tab, select Line and Page Breaks, and review options such as Page break before, Keep with next, and Keep lines together. Clear only a setting that is causing the unwanted move; these options can be useful for headings and should not be removed indiscriminately.

A blank last page follows a table. Show ¶ and select the paragraph mark immediately after the table. If Word will not let you delete it, reduce that mark to 1-point type or remove its before-and-after paragraph spacing. If the page still remains, check the table’s row height and the bottom margin, and see whether the preceding paragraph is forced to a new page.

Deleting a section break changes other pages. Undo the deletion. If you need to keep the section’s separate settings, change a Next Page section break to a Continuous break where appropriate rather than removing it. Then inspect the first page of each affected section, because continuous sections can behave differently when they use multiple columns or different page orientations.

The Go To selection is not what you expected. Make sure the cursor was on the page you intend to remove before opening Go To and typing \page. If the page contains content you need to preserve, undo the deletion and select only the unwanted object or text. You can also remove the page’s visible cause directly instead of selecting the whole page.

The document is protected or the controls are unavailable. If Word will not allow edits, check whether the file opened in Protected View or has editing restrictions. Use Enable Editing only if you trust the file, or ask the document owner for permission. Word for the web may not show every section or layout control; open the file in the desktop app for more precise break and pagination editing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I delete a blank page at the end of a Word document?
Show formatting marks with Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac. Remove extra paragraph marks or a page break at the end. If a table forces a final paragraph onto a new page, reduce that paragraph mark to 1-point type.

Can I delete a page without deleting its content one item at a time?
Yes. Click on the page, open Go To with Ctrl+G on Windows or Option+Command+G on Mac, type \page in the page field, press Enter, close the dialog, and delete the selection. Check what is selected first if you need to preserve objects or text.

Why does pressing Delete not remove the blank page?
The page may be caused by a section break, a manual page break, paragraph pagination settings, or the required paragraph after a table. Show formatting marks and inspect the page and the end of the preceding page to identify the cause.

Will deleting a section break affect my document?
It can. A section break may control page orientation, margins, columns, headers, footers, and numbering. Save a copy first, and consider changing a Next Page break to a Continuous break if you need to retain the section formatting.

How do I remove a page break in Word on a Mac?
Press Command+8 to show formatting marks, locate the line labeled Page Break, click immediately before it, and press Delete. You can also click after the break and press Backspace. Review the new page flow before saving.

Do formatting marks appear when I print?
No. The paragraph symbols and break labels are editing aids and do not print as document content. Toggle the ¶ control on the Home tab, or use the same keyboard shortcut, to hide them on screen.

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