One Page Landscape in Word: How to Change One Page

To make just one page landscape in Microsoft Word, isolate it in its own section with a section break before and after it, then set that section to Landscape. This keeps the pages around it in portrait orientation. Save a copy first if the document has complex formatting, and turn on formatting marks if you need help seeing where the breaks go.

What You’ll Need

A Word document you can edit in Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The steps are very similar in Word for Mac, though some ribbon labels and dialog layouts may differ slightly.
The page or content you want to rotate, plus a clear idea of where that page begins and ends. If the content is still changing or flowing between pages, check its pagination again after changing orientation.
Optional: the Show/Hide formatting marks button on the Home tab. It displays paragraph marks and section breaks, which makes it easier to check the document structure.

Step-by-Step

Save a working copy. Choose File > Save As, or save the document normally if you are already working in a separate copy. Section breaks affect layout, headers, footers, and page numbering, so having a recoverable version is useful before you change the structure.
Identify the exact page and its content boundaries. Scroll to the page you want in landscape. Decide what belongs on it, including any tables, images, or headings. Word pages are created by flowing content, so a page is not a fixed object: changing orientation or editing text can move material onto another page. If the content does not currently fit on one page, first decide whether you want the whole content block rotated or only the page that presently contains its beginning.
Show formatting marks if the boundaries are hard to see. Select Home > ¶ (Show/Hide) on the ribbon, or press Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows. On a Mac, press Command+8. Formatting marks are not printed; they reveal paragraph ends and existing breaks. Use them to find the paragraph before the target page and the final paragraph on it. You can hide the marks again by selecting the same button or shortcut.
Insert a section break before the target page. Place the insertion point at the very beginning of the first paragraph that should be on the landscape page. Choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page in the Section Breaks part of the menu. This starts a new section on the following page, keeping the preceding section separate. If the target content begins after a heading that should remain portrait, put the break after that heading instead. Be careful not to select Page Break: a page break moves text to another page but does not create a separate section for orientation.
Insert another section break after the target page. Find the end of the content that should remain on the landscape page. Place the insertion point immediately after its last paragraph, before the first content that should return to portrait, and choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page again. The second break starts a new section for the following pages. If the landscape page is the final page of the document, this second break is not needed. If the last item is a table, see the table note in Troubleshooting before inserting the break.
Set the orientation while the cursor is in the isolated section. Click anywhere between the two section breaks, on the page you want to rotate. Choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape. Word applies the setting to that section. Confirm that the cursor is actually inside the intended section; if it is before the first break or after the second, Word will rotate the wrong pages.
Check the pages before and after it. Scroll through the document and confirm that the intended page is landscape while surrounding pages are portrait. Review the content, headers, footers, page numbers, and any tables or images. If the wrong range changed, undo immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac, then check the section-break positions and repeat the orientation step with the cursor in the correct section.
Save and verify the final layout. Save the document, then use File > Print or Print Preview to inspect the page sequence. Check that the landscape page is not blank, that no content has unexpectedly shifted, and that the page numbers remain correct. A print preview is especially helpful when a table or image sits close to the page edge.

In Word for Mac, use the Layout tab and its Breaks and Orientation controls in much the same way. The precise ribbon arrangement can vary with the window size and Word update. If a control is not visible, expand the ribbon or use the Search box at the top of Word to locate Section Break or Orientation. The important distinction is the same on both platforms: create section breaks, not just page breaks, and set orientation for the section containing the page.

Common Mistakes

Using a page break instead of section breaks. A page break only sends following text to a new page. It does not isolate page formatting. If you select Landscape after inserting only a page break, Word may rotate the whole section, which can include several pages. Use a Next Page section break on each side of the page when there are pages after it.

Changing orientation with the cursor in the wrong section. Word applies the orientation to the section containing the insertion point. A cursor just before or after a break can therefore produce a different result than expected. Click in the middle of the target page before choosing Layout > Orientation > Landscape.

Putting a break at the wrong paragraph. A section break belongs between paragraphs. If it is placed before a heading that should stay portrait, that heading may move into the landscape section. If it is placed after the page’s final paragraph but before an extra empty paragraph, the extra paragraph can affect the layout. Show formatting marks and position each break carefully.

Expecting the same content to stay on the same numbered page. Landscape pages are wider and shorter than portrait pages. Text may reflow, and content can move to a different page number. The aim is to isolate the relevant content in a landscape section, not to freeze every page boundary. Recheck the document after making the change.

Forgetting that section formatting can include headers and footers. Sections can have separate header and footer settings, and Word may link them to the previous section. Changing orientation can alter header or footer placement. Review these areas instead of assuming they will look identical.

Tips

For a page containing a wide table, chart, or image, place the breaks around the full content block rather than around only its first paragraph. A landscape page gives the content more width, but it also has less vertical space, so a table that was tall in portrait may still continue onto another page. Use Print Preview to see whether the entire object fits.

Keep Show/Hide turned on while editing section breaks. A label such as Section Break (Next Page) is a useful visual confirmation that you used the right kind of break. After confirming the layout, you can hide formatting marks; they do not affect the saved or printed document.

If the document has several consecutive landscape pages, put one section break before the first landscape page and one after the last. The pages between them can share a single landscape section. For a single landscape page between portrait pages, use a separate section break on both sides so the following section can return to portrait.

When a landscape section needs a different header or footer, double-click that area to open the Header & Footer tab and check Link to Previous. If you want the new section to have independent content, turn off Link to Previous before editing the header or footer. Make the change in the appropriate header or footer area, since those can be linked separately.

Consider page numbering before removing or rearranging breaks. A section can be set to continue numbering from the previous section or to start at a chosen number. If numbering changes unexpectedly, open the footer or header, choose Page Number > Format Page Numbers, and check whether Continue from previous section is selected. Avoid adding extra empty paragraphs to push content around; they can create more pagination problems later.

Troubleshooting

Several pages became landscape. Undo the orientation change, turn on formatting marks, and inspect both boundaries. A missing second section break can leave the landscape section running through all later pages. A misplaced first break can include earlier material. Once the target page is isolated, click within it and apply Landscape again.

The target page is still portrait. Check that the cursor is between the section breaks, not in a neighboring section. Also confirm that the break type is Section Break (Next Page), not Page Break. If you are unsure, click within the target page and open Layout > Orientation; then select Landscape while the cursor remains there.

The landscape page is blank or the content moved away. Show formatting marks and look for duplicate section breaks, manual page breaks, or empty paragraphs. Remove only the break or paragraph you have identified as unnecessary; deleting a section break can merge sections and change formatting. If unsure, undo, save a copy, and make one change at a time. Text may also have shifted because it no longer fits the available vertical space. Reduce unnecessary spacing or review the content rather than repeatedly adding breaks.

The last item is a table and there is no paragraph after it. Word requires a paragraph after a table in many document layouts, and a section break cannot be placed inside the table. Click in the paragraph after the table to insert the break if it is available. If the table is at the end of the document, add a section break in the paragraph following it only if Word allows it, and check whether that paragraph creates an extra page. Another option is to place a break in the paragraph before the table and isolate the table within the landscape section, then inspect the result carefully.

Headers, footers, or page numbers changed. Open the affected header or footer and check Link to Previous. If the new section should match the preceding one, leave it linked; if it needs different content or placement, unlink it and edit the new section. For page numbers, check the section’s Format Page Numbers setting and choose whether numbering should continue or restart.

The result looks right on screen but wrong when printed. Check File > Print and confirm the printer settings, paper size, and orientation. Word’s document orientation and the printer’s paper settings usually work together, but a printer driver can impose its own choices. If the preview itself is wrong, revisit the section breaks; if only the physical output is wrong, inspect the print settings and paper loaded in the printer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make only one page landscape without changing the rest?
Yes. Put a Next Page section break before and after the page, then apply Landscape while the cursor is in that section. The pages outside it can remain portrait.

Why does Word rotate every page when I choose Landscape?
Those pages are probably in the same section. Orientation is a section-level setting, so separate the page with section breaks before changing orientation.

Do I need two section breaks for one landscape page?
Usually, yes, if portrait pages follow it: one break starts the landscape section and another starts the section that returns to portrait. If the landscape page is the document’s final page, the second break is generally unnecessary.

Can I use a continuous section break instead?
A continuous break starts a new section on the same page. It is useful for some column or formatting changes, but for a full page with a different orientation, Next Page breaks make the boundaries clearer and more predictable.

Will the landscape page have a different page number?
It can keep numbering in sequence. If the number restarts or disappears, inspect the section’s header or footer and its Page Number > Format Page Numbers settings. Also check whether the header or footer is linked to the previous section.

Do these steps work in Word Online?
Word for the web supports many common layout edits, but its section and page-layout controls may be more limited or arranged differently than the desktop app. If you cannot find section-break controls or need precise section formatting, open the file in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Word for Mac and make the change there.

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.