How to Delete a Header from One Page in Word

To delete a header from just one page in Word, isolate that page in its own section, turn off Link to Previous for its header, and remove the header from that section. A page break alone will not do this: headers are controlled by sections, so separating the page is what keeps the change from affecting other pages. The steps below are for Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows; Mac differences are noted where they matter.

What You’ll Need

The document open in the Word desktop app, with editing enabled.
A moment to check which page should lose its header and whether the pages before and after it should keep theirs.
If the document has several header styles, such as different first-page or odd/even headers, you may need to identify which style appears on the page you are changing.

Step-by-Step

Save a copy before changing the layout. Section breaks can affect page layout, so use File > Save As to make a separate copy if the document is important. Note the page number and check whether it is a regular page, a section’s first page, or an odd/even page. Word’s displayed page number can differ from the page’s position in the file if numbering restarts in a section.
Show formatting marks to find the page boundaries. On Windows, choose Home > ¶, or press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, choose Home > ¶, or press Command+8. The marks make paragraph breaks and existing section breaks visible. They do not print. If the page already begins and ends in its own section, you may not need to insert new breaks; skip to step 4 after confirming the section boundaries.
Place the cursor at the start of the target page. Click before the first character or paragraph mark on that page, not inside the header. If the page begins with a table, click in the first paragraph before the table if available. Use the document text and formatting marks to verify the position. Avoid selecting the page’s text: the goal is to add a section boundary, not remove or move content.
Start a new section before the target page. Choose Layout > Breaks > Section Breaks > Next Page. This starts the target page in a new section. On Mac, use Layout > Breaks > Next Page (the exact grouping can vary slightly by Word version). Do not choose a regular page break: it moves text to a new page but does not create a separate header section.
Start another section after the target page. Click at the end of the page’s final paragraph, immediately after its text and before the following page’s content. Insert another Next Page section break using the same Layout menu. This makes the page between the two breaks its own section, so removing its header need not remove the header from the following pages. If the target is the document’s final page, a trailing break is generally unnecessary. If it is already followed by a section break, keep the existing break rather than adding a duplicate.
Open the header on the target page. Double-click inside the header area at the top of that page. Word opens the Header & Footer tab. Check the label Word displays, such as “Section 2” or “First Page Header – Section 2,” so you know you are editing the intended section and header type. If the page has no visible header, check whether it uses a different first-page or odd/even header before assuming the section is ready.
Turn off the link to the previous section. On the Header & Footer tab, click Link to Previous so it is no longer selected. If Word asks whether to unlink the header, confirm. This setting is separate for headers and footers: you only need to unlink the header to remove the header, but leave the footer linked if you want it to stay unchanged. If the button is unavailable, the current section may be the first section or you may not be in the header area.
Remove the header from this section. With the target page’s header active and unlinked, choose Insert > Header > Remove Header, or select the header contents and press Delete. The menu command removes the header for the current section and header type. If the page has a first-page or odd/even header, open that specific variant and remove its contents as needed. Do not remove a header from a neighboring section by mistake.
Check the next section and the rest of the document. Go to the page after the target and inspect its header. If it has disappeared, open that section’s header and make sure it is linked to the correct earlier section or restore its header content. If the later header should differ from the target page, unlink it from the target section and add or restore the appropriate content. Review the pages before the target too.
Hide formatting marks and save. Toggle off Home > ¶ (or use the same shortcut) and inspect the document in Print Layout. Confirm that the target page has no header, neighboring pages still have the intended headers, and no text or page numbering has shifted unexpectedly. Save the document when the layout looks right.

Common Mistakes

Using a page break instead of a section break. A page break only starts text on a new page. It does not give that page an independently controlled header.
Removing the header before unlinking it. Sections are commonly linked by default. If you clear a linked header, Word can clear the same header in the previous section, too. Turn off Link to Previous first.
Forgetting the section after the target page. Without an ending section break, the following pages may share the target page’s section and lose its header as well. Add the second boundary when later pages need to retain a header.
Editing the wrong header variant. A page may use a first-page header or an odd/even header rather than the regular one. Removing the regular header may appear to do nothing.
Deleting a section break without checking its effects. A section break can control more than headers, including layout settings. Removing one may combine sections or change formatting. Undo immediately if the layout changes unexpectedly.

Tips

Keep formatting marks on while inserting breaks. A label such as “Section Break (Next Page)” helps you distinguish the section boundary from an ordinary page break.
Make one change at a time, then inspect the target and the page after it. If the wrong pages change, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac before making another edit.
If the header contains only a logo, line, or other item that you want to remove from one page, you can delete just that item after unlinking instead of removing the whole header. Preserve any text or fields that should remain.
Header linking and footer linking are independent. Changing the header link does not automatically unlink the footer, and changing a header does not require changing page numbers in the footer.
After editing, use File > Print or Print Preview to check the pages as they will appear. This can reveal a lingering logo or a header variant that is not obvious in the editing view.

Troubleshooting

The header disappeared from several pages. Undo the removal, then return to the target page’s header. Confirm its section label and switch off Link to Previous before removing anything. Also check the following section: if it is linked to the target section, unlink it and restore the header there if necessary. Header links can carry content forward, so check both the section before and the section after the page.

The header is still visible on the target page. Double-click the visible header and look at the label. If it says “First Page Header” or “Even Page Header,” you are seeing a different variant. In Header & Footer, check whether Different First Page or Different Odd & Even Pages is enabled, then edit the variant actually displayed on the target page. Also verify that you inserted the section break before the correct page and that you are not viewing a neighboring section.

A blank page appeared or content moved. Turn on formatting marks and inspect the paragraphs and section breaks around the target. A Next Page break always begins a section on a new page; an extra break or an existing page break may therefore create a blank page. Undo the last change, remove only the accidental extra break, and recheck the page boundaries. Be cautious with section breaks that already separate pages, because they may also preserve layout settings.

The “Link to Previous” button is greyed out or the change affects the wrong section. Click inside the header itself, not the document body, and check the section label. The first section has no earlier section to link to, so there is nothing to unlink there. If the target is not in its own section, add the section boundaries first. If the document is open in Word for the web and the section controls are missing, choose Open in Desktop App and make the changes in desktop Word.

The target page is not the same page after editing. Section breaks, changed header spacing, and content reflow can shift page boundaries. Check the text around the breaks and the header’s distance from the top of the page. If necessary, adjust the break position or restore the original layout setting rather than deleting content to force the page count.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove a header from one page without using section breaks?

Only if that page is already in a section separate from the pages whose headers should remain. Otherwise, create section breaks before and after the page. A normal page break does not isolate a header.

Will this delete the header from the whole document?

Not if the target page is isolated and its header is unlinked before removal. If the header is still linked to another section, changes can affect linked pages, so verify the section label and check nearby pages afterward.

Can I remove the header but keep the footer?

Yes. Header and footer links are controlled separately. Unlink and remove the header only; leave the footer settings and contents alone.

What if the page is the first page of the document?

The first section has no previous section to unlink from. If only the first page should have no header, enable Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab and remove the first-page header content. If later pages in that section need a header, leave their regular header intact.

Can I do this in Word for the web?

Some section and header controls may be limited or unavailable in Word for the web. For reliable control of section breaks and header links, open the file in the Word desktop app, make the edit, and then save it.

Does removing the header also remove page numbers?

Only if the page number is part of the header you removed. Many documents put page numbers in the footer, which is separate. Check the footer and its link settings independently if the numbering changes or disappears.

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

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

Spotted an error in this guide? Let us know.