How to Delete a Page in Word: Simple Steps to Remove Unwanted Pages

It’s a common frustration: you’re working in Microsoft Word, and suddenly, there’s a blank page where it shouldn’t be. Whether it’s in the middle of your document or stubbornly lingering at the end, this extra page can be annoying. You might consider just printing selected pages, but that doesn’t truly solve the issue. Fortunately, deleting a page in Word is usually a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through several easy methods to remove those unwanted pages and get your document looking exactly as you intend.

Basic Methods to Remove a Page in Word

Let’s start with the simplest solutions for deleting a page in Word. Often, these basic steps are all you need to get rid of that extra page.

Method 1: The Backspace or Delete Key

This is the most direct approach and often the first thing to try.

1. Go to the Unwanted Page: Scroll to the page you want to delete.
2. Click at the Bottom: Place your cursor as close to the very bottom of the page as possible.
3. Press Backspace: Repeatedly press the Backspace key. This will remove any hidden characters or empty paragraphs pushing the content to a new page. If Backspace doesn’t work, try the Delete key instead.

This method is particularly effective for blank pages created by extra paragraph marks or line breaks.

Method 2: Utilizing the Navigation Pane

Word’s Navigation Pane provides a visual way to navigate your document, and it can also be helpful for selecting and deleting entire pages.

1. Open the Navigation Pane: Click on the View tab in the Ribbon at the top of Word. In the Show group, check the box next to Navigation Pane.

   This image shows the “View” tab in Microsoft Word with the “Navigation Pane” option highlighted in the “Show” section, guiding users to open the Navigation Pane for page deletion.

2. Select Pages: In the Navigation Pane on the left, click on Pages. This will display thumbnails of all pages in your document.

3. Select the Blank Page: Click on the thumbnail of the blank page you wish to delete. It should be highlighted.

4. Press Delete: Press the Delete key. This should remove the selected page.

Method 3: Checking Margin and Layout Settings

Sometimes, unusual margin settings or section breaks can inadvertently create blank pages. It’s worth checking these settings.

1. Access Layout Options: Click the Layout tab on the Ribbon.

2. Open Margins Settings: Click on Margins in the Page Setup group, and then select Custom Margins… at the bottom of the dropdown menu.

   This image displays the “Layout” tab in Word, highlighting the “Margins” dropdown menu and the “Custom Margins…” option, instructing users to access margin settings for potential page deletion solutions.

3. Go to the Layout Tab: In the Page Setup dialog box, click on the Layout tab.

4. Verify Section Start: Look for the Section start dropdown menu. Ensure it is set to “New page” if you intend for each section to start on a new page. While “New page” is a common setting, reviewing it can sometimes reveal unexpected configurations causing blank pages. Click OK to save any changes.

Method 4: Displaying Paragraph Marks to Find Page Breaks

Hidden formatting marks, like paragraph marks and manual page breaks, can be the culprits behind blank pages. Displaying these marks can help you identify and delete them.

1. Show Paragraph Marks: On the Home tab of the Ribbon, in the Paragraph group, click the ¶ button (Show/Hide Paragraph Marks). Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + 8.

   This image showcases the “Home” tab in Microsoft Word, emphasizing the paragraph mark symbol “¶” in the “Paragraph” section, guiding users to reveal hidden formatting marks for diagnosing blank page issues.

2. Identify Page Breaks: With paragraph marks visible, look for a line that says “Page Break”. This indicates a manual page break.

3. Delete Page Breaks: Select the “Page Break” line and press the Delete key. This will remove the manual page break and should eliminate the unwanted page if it was caused by this break.

Dealing with Section Breaks and Blank Pages at the End

Sometimes, blank pages, particularly at the end of a document, are caused by section breaks. Next Page, Odd Page, and Even Page section breaks can all insert a blank page.

Method 5: Deleting Section Breaks

1. Locate the Section Break: If the blank page is at the end of your document, scroll to the very end and look for a section break. With paragraph marks turned on (Method 4), section breaks are often indicated by double dotted lines. For clearer visibility, you can switch to Draft view. To do this, go to the View tab and select Draft in the Views group. Section breaks will be displayed as clear dotted lines in Draft view.
2. Place Cursor Before Break: Position your cursor immediately before the section break.
3. Press Delete: Press the Delete key to remove the section break. This will often remove the blank page that the section break was causing at the end of the document.

Important Note about Section Breaks in the Middle of Documents:

Deleting section breaks in the middle of your document can cause formatting problems. Section breaks are often used to apply different formatting (margins, headers/footers, columns, etc.) to different parts of your document. Removing a section break will merge the formatting of the sections before and after the break.

Method 6: Changing Section Break Type to Continuous

If you need the section break to maintain different formatting but want to remove the blank page it’s creating, you can change the section break type to Continuous. A continuous section break applies formatting changes without starting a new page.

1. Place Cursor After Section Break: Position your cursor after the section break you want to modify.

2. Open Page Setup Dialog: Go to the Layout tab on the Ribbon. Click the small dialog launcher arrow in the bottom right corner of the Page Setup group.

3. Go to Layout Tab in Page Setup: In the Page Setup dialog box, select the Layout tab.

4. Change Section Start to Continuous: In the Section start dropdown menu, select Continuous.

   This image illustrates the “Layout” tab within the “Page Setup” dialog box in Word, focusing on the “Section start” dropdown menu where “Continuous” is selected, guiding users to change the section break type for blank page removal.

5. Click OK: Click OK to apply the change. This should remove the blank page while preserving any formatting differences intended by the section break.

By using these methods, you should be able to effectively delete any unwanted page in your Word document. Take your time, try each step, and you’ll be back to focusing on your content in no time!