How to Delete a Numbered Page in Word

To delete a page that has a page number in Word, remove the page’s content and any page or section break creating it; Word does not have a single “delete page” command. If you mean remove the number but keep the page, edit the page-number field in the relevant header or footer instead. Save a copy first if the document has complex sections or formatting.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, or Word for Mac if you use a Mac. The ribbon labels are similar, but some shortcuts and controls differ.
Permission to edit the document. If it is read-only or protected, you may need an editable copy or the document password.
A moment to check page numbers and layout after the change, especially in a document with section breaks, headers, or footers.

Step-by-Step

Save a working copy. Select File > Save As and save a separate copy if the document is important or has carefully formatted sections. Deleting a page can also remove a break that controls headers, footers, margins, or numbering. A separate copy gives you a safe way to compare or restore the layout.
Confirm what you want to delete. If the page’s text, images, or tables should go, follow the page-removal steps below. If you want to keep the page but hide its printed number, skip to step 7. Removing a page number is not the same as deleting the page, and removing all page numbers from the document may not be what you intend.
Go to the page. Scroll to it, or use the page navigation controls. In Word for Windows, press Ctrl+G to open Go To, type the page number, and press Enter; close the dialog to view the page. On Mac, press Option+Command+G to open Go To and enter the page number. The displayed page number may differ from the document’s printed number if numbering restarts in a section, so use the visible page and its surrounding content to confirm you are in the right place.
Select the page’s contents in Windows. Click anywhere on the page and press Ctrl+G. In the Go To dialog, enter \page in the page-number box and press Enter, then close the dialog. Word selects the contents of the current page. Check the highlighted area before deleting: if it includes text you need, press Esc or click elsewhere and select the unwanted content manually. Press Delete only when the selection is correct. On Mac, the Go To shortcut differs and the selection method can vary by Word version; selecting the page’s content with the mouse or keyboard is a reliable alternative.
Remove leftover breaks or empty paragraphs if the page remains. A page can stay blank because a page break, section break, or extra paragraph mark is still there. Turn on formatting marks with Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac. Look for labels such as “Page Break” or “Section Break,” or for paragraph marks (¶). Select only the break or empty paragraphs that should go and press Delete or Backspace. Be cautious with a section break: deleting it can make the following section inherit the previous section’s formatting and header or footer settings.
Check the pages around the deletion. Scroll through the page before and after the change. Confirm that the intended text is gone, that no unwanted blank page remains, and that the following page has the correct layout and numbering. If a heading or image moved, undo once with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac, then use a more precise selection or inspect the breaks before trying again.
If you meant to remove only the page number, edit the number field instead. Double-click the header or footer containing the number. Select the number itself and press Delete; do not select the body text. If the number disappears from every page, the pages likely share a linked header or footer. To remove it from just one page, make that page its own section using section breaks before and after it, then open the header or footer on that page and turn off Link to Previous. Also check the next section and turn off its link if needed, so changes do not carry forward. Delete the number field only after confirming you are editing the intended section.

For a document’s first page, there is often a simpler option: open the header or footer and select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab. This hides the first page’s header and footer content while leaving later pages numbered. To remove numbering throughout the document, use Insert > Page Number > Remove Page Numbers in Word for Windows. Menu wording or placement can vary slightly by Word version; check that all numbers are gone before saving.

Common Mistakes

Deleting the page number instead of the page. A page number is usually a field in a header or footer, separate from the page’s body text. Removing it will not remove the page or its contents. Decide first whether you want the whole page gone or only its visible number.

Using Backspace without checking what is selected. If the cursor is at the start or end of a page, Backspace may join paragraphs or remove a break rather than delete the whole page. Select the content deliberately, and inspect the result before making more edits.

Removing a section break without considering its job. Section breaks can preserve different margins, page orientation, columns, headers, footers, or number formats. Deleting one may make nearby pages look different or change the numbering sequence. If the layout changes unexpectedly, undo immediately and consider keeping the break while removing only the unwanted content.

Assuming a blank-looking page has nothing on it. A page may contain a page break, an empty paragraph after a table, or a section break. Turn on formatting marks and inspect the page rather than repeatedly pressing Delete.

Tips

Use Print Layout view when judging which content belongs to a physical page. A page may reflow when the window size or view changes.
Use formatting marks as a diagnostic, not as content to remove wholesale. The marks are visual guides and do not print; switch them off with the same shortcut when you are finished.
When removing a page from the middle of a document, check page numbering on both sides. Word may continue the sequence, restart it, or display a section-specific format depending on the document’s settings.
For a one-time exception on the opening page, try Different First Page before adding section breaks. It is usually easier to manage and less likely to affect later pages.
In Word for Mac, use the Mac shortcuts above, and look for header and footer controls on the Header & Footer tab after double-clicking that area. Ribbon names and placement can differ slightly between releases.

Troubleshooting

The page is still there after deleting its text. Turn on formatting marks and look for a manual page break, a section break, or empty paragraphs. Delete only the item that is creating the extra page. If the page follows a table, Word may require a final paragraph mark after the table; reduce that paragraph’s font size or spacing rather than removing a required mark if deleting it does not work.

Deleting the break changes the next page’s layout. Press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac right away. The break was likely preserving section settings. Keep it, remove the unwanted text separately, or adjust the content so it no longer forces an extra page. If you need to remove a whole section, first note its orientation, margins, and header/footer settings so you can restore them if they change.

The number disappears from more pages than expected. Reopen the header or footer and check whether Link to Previous is active. Word maintains separate header and footer links, so check the relevant one and the sections on both sides of the page. A change in one linked section can affect other pages. Restore the number with Undo if necessary, separate the sections, disable the links that should not share the change, and then remove the number from the intended section.

The number on the page does not match the number in Go To. A section may restart numbering or use a different numbering style. Navigate using the visible page content, then verify the header or footer and section boundaries. If you are deleting the page itself, identify it by its text or position rather than relying only on the printed number.

You cannot edit the page or its number. The document may be protected, open in read-only mode, or displayed in Word for the web with fewer editing controls. Check whether editing is enabled and whether the file is protected. If a section-specific header or footer change is unavailable in the web version, open the document in the desktop Word app and make the change there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a page in Word without deleting its contents one item at a time?
Yes. In Word for Windows, use Ctrl+G, enter \page, press Enter, close Go To, and inspect the selection before pressing Delete. On Mac, select the page’s content using the mouse or keyboard if that Go To selection method is unavailable in your version.

How do I delete one page number but keep numbering on the others?
Make the page a separate section with section breaks before and after it, disable Link to Previous for the relevant header or footer, and remove that section’s number field. Check the adjacent section links too. For the first page only, Different First Page is usually simpler.

Will deleting a numbered page renumber the pages after it?
Usually, the remaining pages close the gap and Word updates the displayed sequence. However, section numbering can restart or use a custom format. Check the pages after the deletion and, if needed, open Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers to review the numbering options.

Why does Word leave a blank page after I delete everything?
A break or an empty paragraph may remain, or a paragraph after a table may be forced onto a new page. Show formatting marks, inspect the page, and remove or adjust the item causing it. Preserve section breaks when they control formatting you still need.

Does Remove Page Numbers delete the page?
No. It removes page-number fields from the document; it does not delete page content. To remove a page, delete its contents and the break or empty paragraphs responsible for keeping it in the layout.

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

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

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