How to Delete an Extra Page in Word Without Losing Text

To delete an extra page in Microsoft Word, first show formatting marks with Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac, then remove the paragraph marks, page break, or section break causing it. If the page contains text you want to remove, select that page’s contents and delete them. Check the surrounding pages afterward, because a section break or table can affect layout.

What You’ll Need

A copy of your Word document. If it is important, save a separate copy before changing section breaks or other layout controls.
Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac. Word for the web can handle ordinary text edits, but some page-layout controls are easier to inspect in the desktop app.
Access to formatting marks, which reveal paragraph marks and page or section breaks that are normally hidden.

Step-by-Step

Save a copy and check the page. Save the document before editing, especially if it contains carefully formatted sections, headers, footers, or page numbering. Scroll to the extra page and note whether it is completely blank, contains text you do not need, or appears after a table. The cause determines the safest fix. If the page only appears in Print Layout, also check Print Preview to confirm that it is included in the printed or exported document.
Turn on formatting marks. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+8, or choose Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶. On Mac, press Command+8, or select Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶. You will see paragraph marks (¶), manual page breaks, and section breaks. These marks are editing aids and do not print. Toggle them off with the same shortcut or button when you are finished.
Look at what is on the extra page. A blank page may contain one or more paragraph marks, a manual page break, a section break, or the required paragraph after a table. If the page has text, check whether it is genuinely unwanted or whether a large paragraph, image, or table has flowed onto a new page. Do not delete the first visible mark without identifying it: removing a section break can change formatting on pages before or after it.
Delete unwanted text on the page, if applicable. Click at the beginning of the material you want removed, hold Shift, and click after its last character to select a continuous range; then press Backspace or Delete. For a whole page, Word’s Go To command can select the page contents: on Windows, press Ctrl+G, choose the Go To tab if needed, type \page in the page-number box, press Enter, and close the dialog. Word selects the current page’s contents; press Backspace or Delete to remove them. Review the selection before deleting, because it can include content you meant to keep. On Mac, Option+Command+G opens Go To in many desktop versions; if the dialog differs, use Edit > Find > Go To or select the content manually.
Remove extra paragraph marks from a blank page. Click just before a paragraph mark on the blank page and press Delete, or click just after it and press Backspace. Repeat only for the empty marks that create the unwanted page. If deleting a mark joins two paragraphs, undo immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac, then place the cursor more carefully. Paragraph marks at the end of actual text are not necessarily disposable: they may contain paragraph formatting.
Remove a manual page break. With formatting marks visible, find the line labeled Page Break. Click immediately before it and press Delete, or immediately after it and press Backspace. The text that followed the break will move up, so confirm that it belongs in the preceding page. If the break was intentional, undo and instead adjust the layout or remove only the excess content that forced an unwanted page.
Handle a section break cautiously. A line labeled Section Break (Next Page), Section Break (Odd Page), or Section Break (Even Page) can create a blank page. Deleting it may remove the blank page, but Word can also apply the following section’s layout to the preceding section. That may change margins, orientation, columns, headers, footers, or page numbering. If you need the section’s formatting, consider changing the break type: place the cursor in the relevant section and use Layout > Page Setup dialog launcher > Layout tab > Section start, then choose Continuous where appropriate. The available choices or dialog arrangement can vary slightly by Word version. Check the result carefully before saving.
Check the paragraph after a table. Word keeps a paragraph mark after a table, and that mark cannot simply be removed. If a table reaches the bottom of a page, its final paragraph mark may be pushed onto a new page. Select that mark and reduce its font size, for example to 1 pt, or adjust paragraph spacing. You can also try selecting the mark and setting its line spacing to Exactly with a very small value. Be careful not to shrink table text or alter the table itself.
Confirm the fix and save. Turn off formatting marks, then inspect the pages around the change in Print Layout. Check that headings, tables, page numbers, and headers or footers still look right. Use File > Print to preview the document without printing, or export a PDF if you need to verify the final page count. Save the document after confirming the layout.

Common Mistakes

Deleting a section break without checking formatting. A section break stores layout boundaries. Removing one can make pages inherit the wrong orientation, margins, columns, header, footer, or numbering. If you need the sections to remain distinct, change the break type or adjust the section settings instead of deleting it blindly.

Pressing Backspace repeatedly without showing marks. This can remove text or merge paragraphs while leaving the actual break in place. Turn on Show/Hide first so you can see what you are removing, and use Undo immediately if nearby content changes unexpectedly.

Assuming every blank-looking page is empty. A page can hold a break, a table row, an anchored object, or a paragraph mark that is hard to notice. Formatting marks and Print Preview help reveal why it is there.

Deleting the paragraph after a table. Word requires a paragraph after a table at the end of a document. Instead of trying to remove it, make the mark smaller or adjust spacing so it fits on the preceding page.

Ignoring intentional odd- or even-page section starts. These break types can insert a blank page so a new section begins on the correct side of a printed spread. Removing the blank page may defeat the document’s layout purpose.

Tips

Use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac as soon as you notice an unwanted layout change. Undo is more reliable than trying to reconstruct a complicated section setup.
When the blank page follows a heading or paragraph, inspect paragraph settings for Page break before or Keep with next. Select the paragraph, open the Paragraph dialog from Home > Paragraph, and review the Line and Page Breaks tab. Clear a setting only if it is not needed for the document’s layout.
If a large image, shape, or table is pushing content onto another page, try resizing it slightly or checking its text-wrapping and spacing settings rather than deleting a break that is not present.
For a document you will print, verify the page count in File > Print. A blank page caused by an Odd Page or Even Page section start may be intentional even if it looks unnecessary on screen.
In Word for the web, basic text and paragraph edits are available, but section-break handling and detailed layout controls may be limited. If the page is caused by a section break or a table, choose Open in Desktop App and make the change there.

Troubleshooting

The page remains after deleting a break. Turn formatting marks back on and inspect the page again. There may be multiple paragraph marks, a second break, or a paragraph set to start on a new page. Also check the paragraph immediately before the blank page and the first paragraph after it; layout settings on either can force a page break.

Deleting the section break changes other pages. Undo, then restore the break. Put the cursor in the section that needs adjustment and review Layout > Page Setup dialog launcher > Layout tab. Change Section start to Continuous only if that layout is suitable. Compare headers, footers, page numbering, orientation, and margins before keeping the edit.

The blank page is at the very end after a table. Click after the table and select its final paragraph mark. Reduce only that mark’s font size or spacing until it fits on the previous page. If the table itself is too tall, adjust row height, cell margins, or spacing, but confirm that the table remains readable.

The document looks right on screen but exports with an extra page. Check File > Print or export a fresh PDF after saving. Different printer settings, paper sizes, or margins can change pagination. Confirm the document’s paper size and margins under Layout, and check that the blank page is not required by an odd-page or even-page section start.

You cannot find Show/Hide or the Go To option. Make sure you are using the desktop Word app and look on the Home tab for the paragraph symbol (¶). Ribbon layout can vary with window size. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows and Command+8 on Mac to show marks; Ctrl+G on Windows or Option+Command+G on many Mac versions to open Go To.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I delete a blank page at the end of a Word document?
Show formatting marks, then remove extra paragraph marks or a manual page break at the end. If a table is immediately before the page, shrink the required paragraph mark after the table instead of trying to delete it.

Can I delete a page in Word without affecting the rest of the document?
Usually, if it contains ordinary text or a manual page break. Section breaks can control formatting across pages, so save a copy and check the layout after removing one.

Why does Word add a blank page after a section break?
An Odd Page or Even Page section break may deliberately move the next section to the next odd- or even-numbered page. A Next Page break can also begin a new section on a fresh page. Review the break type before changing it.

Do formatting marks appear when I print?
No. Paragraph marks and break labels are editing aids, not printed content. Turn them on to diagnose the page, and turn them off afterward if you prefer a cleaner editing view.

How do I delete a page in Word on a Mac?
Use Command+8 to show formatting marks, then select and delete the unwanted content or break. Option+Command+G opens Go To in many Mac versions; if it does not, use the Edit menu’s Go To command or select the page contents manually.

Why can’t I remove the last paragraph mark after a table?
Word requires a paragraph after a table. Reduce the mark’s font size or spacing so it fits on the previous page, or adjust the table’s height. The mark itself cannot be removed like an ordinary empty paragraph.

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