Delete a Blank Page in Word: Step-by-Step Guide

To delete a blank page in Word, turn on formatting marks, find the paragraph mark or break creating the page, and remove or adjust that item. This works in Microsoft 365 for Windows and is similar on Mac. Save a copy first if the document has important section formatting, tables, or page numbering; a page that looks empty can still contain layout instructions that affect the rest of the file.

What You’ll Need

The Word document with the unwanted blank page.
A keyboard, or access to Word’s Home ribbon, to show formatting marks and edit the page.
A few minutes to check the surrounding pages after making a change, especially if the document uses section breaks.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and identify the blank page. In Word, use the Print Layout view so you can see the page boundaries. If the page is at the end, scroll to the bottom; if it is in the middle, note the text or heading on the pages immediately before and after it. This makes it easier to confirm that you removed the intended page rather than content on a neighboring page. If the document is important, use File > Save As to create a working copy before changing its layout.
Show the hidden formatting marks. On Windows, select Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶, or press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, select the Show/Hide button on the Home tab or press Command+8. Formatting marks do not print; they reveal paragraph marks, page breaks, and section breaks that can occupy a page even when there are no visible words. Use the same command again when you want to hide them.
Look closely at the blank page and its edges. A series of ¶ symbols usually means there are empty paragraphs. A line labeled Page Break is a manual page break. A line labeled Section Break may say Next Page, Odd Page, or Even Page. Also check the end of the page before the blank one and the start of the page after it: the item pushing content onto a new page may sit just outside the visibly empty page. Do not select nearby text simply because it is close to the unwanted page.
Remove empty paragraph marks when they are the cause. Click immediately before the first unwanted ¶ on the blank page, then drag to select the extra paragraph marks and press Backspace or Delete. You can also click at the end of the last real paragraph before the blank page and press Delete carefully, one mark at a time. Stop when the next page moves into place. Do not remove the paragraph mark that belongs to text you want to keep; deleting that mark can join paragraphs and change their formatting.
Delete a manual page break. Click just before the Page Break label and press Delete, or click just after it and press Backspace. The text that followed the break should move up to fill the space. Check the result before deleting more: a manual break may have been deliberately placed to start a chapter or form on a new page. If you want a new page at a particular point, leave the break in place and remove the unrelated empty paragraphs instead.
Handle a section break with care. A section break controls more than pagination: sections can have different margins, orientation, headers, footers, columns, or page-number settings. Deleting it can apply the following section’s formatting to the preceding section. If it is a Next Page break and the following content should continue on the same page, consider changing the section start to Continuous rather than deleting the break. In Word for Windows, open Layout > Page Setup using the small dialog launcher, choose the Layout tab, and change Section start to Continuous. If the break is Odd Page or Even Page, Word may insert a blank page to make the next section start on the specified side; changing the section start to New page can remove the filler page while retaining a section boundary. Review headers, footers, and page numbering afterward. Mac dialog labels and placement can differ; look in the Layout tab or Format > Document for section layout settings.
Check the final paragraph after a table. Word requires a paragraph mark after a table at the end of a document. You generally cannot delete this required mark, and if it falls onto a new page it can look like an unexplained blank page. Click the ¶ immediately after the table, select its font-size box on Home, type 1, and press Enter. If needed, open the Paragraph dialog from Home and set spacing before and after to 0. This often makes the required paragraph small enough to fit on the table’s page without changing the table itself.
Confirm the document and save it. Hide formatting marks if they make the page hard to review, then scroll through the pages around the change. Check that text, tables, headers, footers, and page numbers still look right. If the blank page is gone and the layout is intact, save with Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. If the page remains, turn the marks back on and inspect the area again; there may be more than one cause.

Common Mistakes

Deleting a section break as if it were an ordinary page break. A section break can carry layout settings. Removing it may change page orientation, margins, columns, headers, footers, or numbering beyond the page you meant to fix. Identify its type before editing, and use a copy if you are unsure.

Pressing Backspace repeatedly without showing marks. It is easy to remove the last sentence or heading on the previous page while trying to clear empty space. Turn on Show/Hide first, then remove only the visible empty marks or break that is responsible.

Assuming every blank page is caused by empty paragraphs. A manual page break, a section start set to Odd Page or Even Page, or a required paragraph after a final table can produce the same appearance. The right fix depends on what the marks show.

Expecting the page to stay in the same position after editing. Word repaginates as content changes. Removing a break can move text and page numbers, so review the surrounding pages instead of judging only the page you targeted.

Tips

Use the Home tab’s Show/Hide button if you forget the keyboard shortcut. Formatting marks can be displayed without changing the document’s printed appearance.
Make one change at a time. If the result is wrong, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac immediately, then inspect the marks again before trying another fix.
For a blank page after a table, shrink the required paragraph mark rather than deleting table rows or changing the table’s content.
Keep a section break when the document needs different headers, footers, orientation, columns, or numbering. Adjust its start type only when that matches the intended layout.
If the page is blank only in Print Preview or a PDF, check the document in Print Layout and review printer or export settings before deleting content. A display or output difference may not be caused by an empty paragraph.

Troubleshooting

The blank page is still there after deleting a mark. Turn Show/Hide back on and look for another paragraph mark or break at the bottom of the preceding page or top of the following one. A single empty paragraph may not be the only item pushing content down. Also inspect section breaks and the paragraph after any table at the end of the document.

Text moved, but the page did not disappear. Check whether the remaining item is a section break set to Odd Page or Even Page. Word may need a filler page to honor that instruction. If the section can start on the next available page, change its section start as described above, then check the headers, footers, and numbering. If it must begin on an odd or even page, the blank page may be intentional.

Deleting a break changed formatting on other pages. Undo at once with Ctrl+Z or Command+Z. Restore the section boundary, then change its start setting instead of removing it, or work from the saved copy. Section formatting can be linked across a boundary, so verify orientation, margins, headers, footers, columns, and page numbering before saving.

The page after a table will not go away. Turn on marks and click the paragraph mark directly after the table. Set that paragraph to 1-point type and remove its before-and-after spacing. If the mark still spills over, check the table’s final row, paragraph spacing, and page margins; make small adjustments and review the table’s appearance so its text is not clipped.

The page disappears on screen but returns when printed. Check Print Preview and confirm that the same document is open. Printer settings, paper size, and scaling can change pagination. If you export to PDF, review the PDF separately; do not delete meaningful content just to compensate for a page created by a different output setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a blank page in Word with the Backspace key?
Yes, if you place the cursor after the unwanted paragraph mark or break and press Backspace. Turn on formatting marks first so you can see what you are removing and avoid deleting nearby text.

Why is there a blank page after my table?
Word keeps a paragraph mark after a table at the end of a document. If that mark is pushed onto another page, reduce it to 1-point type and set its paragraph spacing to 0 rather than trying to delete it.

Will removing a section break affect my document?
It can. The section break may separate different page layouts, headers, footers, or numbering. If you remove it, Word can carry one section’s settings into another, so consider changing the section start instead and inspect the result.

How do I show page breaks in Word?
On Windows, choose Home > Paragraph > Show/Hide ¶ or press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, use the Show/Hide button on Home or press Command+8. The marks appear on screen but do not print.

Can I remove a blank page in Word for Mac?
Yes. Show formatting marks with the Home tab button or Command+8, select the unwanted paragraph marks or page break, and delete them. The names or locations of some section-layout controls can differ from Word for Windows.

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