In this article, we will show you on how to delete a page in Word. Unwanted pages can clutter your Microsoft Word document. These pages might be a blank page, or they could contain content you no longer need. This guide shows you how to delete a page in Word. You can follow these simple methods to clean up your pages in Word and delete page in Word tasks efficiently. Learning how to delete these blank or extra pages is a useful skill.
Why Unwanted Pages Appear in Word
Several things can create an extra page in your Word document.
- Extra paragraph marks (¶) at the end of your document can push content to a new page, often an unwanted blank page.
- A manual page break forces Microsoft Word to start a new page, even if the current page has space. This is a common reason you might need to delete a page.
- Section breaks in Microsoft Word also create new pages in Word and can change formatting, sometimes creating a blank page.
Understanding the cause helps you choose the best way to delete the unwanted page.
First Step: Show Formatting Marks
Formatting marks like paragraph marks or page breaks in Word are usually hidden. Viewing these marks helps you see what is causing the blank page.
This makes deleting a page much easier.
- Open your Word document.
- Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
- Find the Paragraph group.
- Click the Show/Hide ¶ button. (It looks like a pilcrow symbol: ¶).
Alternatively, Windows users can press Ctrl+Shift+8.
Mac users can press Command+8 (useful if you need to delete a page in Word on Mac).
Word now displays symbols for paragraphs (¶), spaces (·), tabs (→), page breaks, and section breaks. You can use this view for most tasks where you need to delete an extra page in Word.
How to Delete a Blank Page in Word (End or Middle)
A blank page often appears at the end of your Word document or even in the middle of a Word document. These typically result from extra paragraph marks or an errant page break.
- Scroll to the unwanted blank page. This might be the last page or a page in the middle.
- With formatting marks visible (¶), look for paragraph marks or a “Page Break” indicator.
- Select these marks. You can click and drag your mouse over them.
- Press the Delete key on your keyboard. You can also use the Backspace key.
The blank page should disappear. If the blank page in Word contains many paragraph marks, you might need to press Delete multiple times to delete the blank page. This is a primary way to remove a blank page.
How to Delete a Filled Page in Any Part of a Microsoft Word Document
Sometimes, you need to remove a page that has text, images, or other content. This method works for any page you want to delete in your Microsoft Word document.
- Go to the specific page you want to remove.
- You must select the page content – the entire page. Here are two ways:
- Manual Selection: Click your mouse at the very beginning of the page content. Scroll down to the very end of the page content on the same page. Hold down the Shift key, then click your mouse. Word selects everything between your two clicks.
- Using the Navigation Pane (Thumbnail View) to delete pages:
- Go to the View tab on the ribbon.
- In the Show group, check the Navigation Pane box.
- The Navigation Pane will open.
- In the Navigation Pane, click Pages. You will see small thumbnail images of your pages in your Word document. This is the thumbnail view.
- Click the thumbnail of the page you want to remove. Word automatically selects all content on that page in your main document view. This is an effective way to delete a page.
- After you select the content, press the Delete key or the Backspace or Delete key.
Word removes the selected content. If the page was full, the page itself should disappear, and subsequent content will move up. This is how you delete a specific page.
How to Delete Pages Using Page Breaks or Section Breaks
Manual page breaks and section breaks directly tell Word to start a new page. Deleting these breaks can remove blank pages or unwanted pages from your document. Always ensure formatting marks (¶) are visible for this method.
Deleting a Manual Page Break
A manual page break forces subsequent content onto a new page. These are common unnecessary page breaks.
- Locate the “Page Break” indicator.
- Place your cursor directly before the page break indicator.
- Press the Delete key. You select the break and press delete.
Deleting a Section Break
Section breaks also start new pages in Word.
- Locate the “Section Break” indicator.
- Place your cursor directly before the section break.
- Press the Delete key.
Important Note: When you delete a section break, Word merges the two sections. The content after the break will adopt the formatting of the section before the break. This might affect the next page.
For further information on breaks, Microsoft Support offers helpful details: Microsoft Office Support – Insert a page break.
How to Delete a Page in Word Using “Find and Replace”
You can use “Find and Replace” to quickly find and delete specific page breaks or section breaks. This is useful if you need to delete multiple pages in Word caused by such breaks.
Deleting a Single Specific Break
- Press Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+H (Mac).
- Click on the Replace tab.
- In the “Find what” box, click More >>, then Special.
- Select Manual Page Break (finds ^m).
- Select Section Break (finds ^b).
- Leave the “Replace with” box empty. This tells Word to delete the break.
- Click Find Next, then Replace to delete the page break.
Deleting Multiple Breaks
- Follow steps 1-4 above.
- To delete multiple breaks at once, click Replace All.
- Caution: Use “Replace All” carefully.
How to Delete a Stubborn Blank Page (Often After a Table)
Sometimes, a blank page at the end of your Word document refuses to delete, especially if a table is on the preceding page. You might feel unable to delete this extra blank page. Word requires a paragraph mark after a table. If this mark spills onto a new page, it creates a blank page you cannot easily delete by normal means.
- Ensure formatting marks (¶) are visible. You will see a paragraph mark (¶) on the stubborn blank page.
- Select only that paragraph mark (¶).
- Make this paragraph mark very small so it fits onto the preceding page:
- Go to the Home tab. Open the Paragraph dialog box (click the small arrow in the Paragraph group).
- Change Line spacing to Exactly and set At: to 1 pt. Click OK.
- Or, select the mark and change its font size to 1 point.
This action should delete the blank page.
How to Delete Pages by Adjusting Document Layout
Sometimes, an extra page exists because content slightly overflows. You can delete an extra page by making minor layout adjustments in the page setup.
- Identify content on the page before the unwanted page.
- Try these adjustments:
- Reduce Margins: Layout tab > Margins. Or, Custom Margins via the page setup dialog box.
- Decrease Font Size or Adjust Line Spacing.
- Reduce Image/Object Size.
These can help remove page excesses.
To learn more about general Word functions, GCFGlobal provides excellent free tutorials: GCFGlobal – Word Tutorials for any version of Word.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: How do I delete a blank page at the end of my Word document?
A: Scroll to the end of your document. Show formatting marks (¶). Select and delete any paragraph marks or page breaks on the blank page. If you are unable to delete a page after a table, see Method 5. This is the common way to delete a blank page.
Q2: How do I delete a blank page in the middle of my Word document?
A: Show formatting marks (¶). The blank page in the middle of your document is likely from extra paragraph marks or a manual page break/section break. Select these. Press Delete. Refer to Method 1 and Method 3 to delete blank pages.
Q3: Can I undo a page deletion if I make a mistake?
A: Yes. Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) immediately to undo the action if you delete the page by mistake.
Q4: How to delete pages by adjusting the document layout?
A: You can adjust margins, font size, or line spacing to make content fit on fewer pages in your Word document. This can effectively delete an extra blank page. See Method 6.
Q5: How to delete pages using the thumbnail view?
A: Use the Navigation Pane (View > Navigation Pane > Pages). Click the thumbnail of the page you want to remove to select its content, then press the delete key. See Method 2.
Q6: How to delete a page in Word using “Find and Replace”?
A: Use “Find and Replace” (Ctrl+H) to find special characters like ^m (manual page break) or ^b (section break) and replace them with nothing. This helps delete page in Word elements causing new pages. See Method 4.
Q7: How to delete multiple pages in Word (one after the other) using “Find and Replace”?
A: Use “Find and Replace.” After setting “Find what” (e.g., ^m), you can click “Find Next” and then “Replace” repeatedly. Or, use “Replace All” cautiously to delete multiple instances. See Method 4.
Q8: How to Delete a Filled Page in Any Part of a Microsoft Word Document?
A: Find the page you want to remove. Select all content on that specific page (manually or via Navigation Pane). Then, press the delete key. This will delete the page that contains the content. See Method 2.
Summary: Take Control of Your Word Document Pages
You now have several effective methods that show you how to delete a page in Word.
In your Word document, you can remove a blank page, delete blank pages at your document’s end or in the middle of your Word document, and delete any page you want to remove.
You can address pages in Word created by page breaks or if your document has a blank page. These steps help you delete a page in Word without affecting other content excessively, though care is needed with section breaks.
Always show formatting marks (¶). This is key to deleting a page or unwanted or blank pages. Using these techniques helps you maintain a clean Word doc.
Go ahead and try these methods to delete that extra blank or empty page. If this guide helped you learn how to delete an unwanted page in your word processing software, please share it.
Do you have more questions about deleting a page or how to delete a blank page in your word? Share your thoughts below!
Read more: How to merge Excel data into Word
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