How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word

Why Automatic Pagination is Essential

If you are writing a university thesis, a legal contract, or a lengthy manuscript, page numbers are an absolute requirement. They allow readers to quickly reference specific sections and ensure that printed documents can be easily reassembled if they are dropped or shuffled.

In the early days of word processing, many users made the mistake of manually typing a number at the bottom of every page. This is a disastrous approach. If you go back to page 1 and add a new paragraph, all the text shifts downward, pushing your manual numbers into the middle of the next page and ruining the entire document’s formatting.

Microsoft Word has a built-in pagination system that automatically calculates and updates page numbers in the background. It places these numbers securely inside the document’s Header or Footer, keeping them completely separate from your main text.

How to Add Basic Page Numbers

This is the standard method for adding consecutive page numbers to a typical document.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Click on the Insert tab in the top ribbon menu.
3. Look toward the right side of the ribbon for the “Header & Footer” section.
4. Click on the Page Number button.
5. A dropdown menu will appear offering four main placement options:
   • Top of Page: Places the number in the Header.
   • Bottom of Page: Places the number in the Footer (This is the most common academic standard).
   • Page Margins: Places the number in the blank white space on the far left or right of the page.
   • Current Position: Places the number exactly where your typing cursor is currently located.
6. Hover your mouse over Bottom of Page. A secondary menu will fly out showing different design styles.
7. Click on Plain Number 2 (which places a simple number perfectly centred at the bottom) or Plain Number 3 (which places it on the bottom right corner).

Word will automatically open the Footer design tab, and you will see the numbers appear on every page. To exit the footer and return to writing, simply double-click anywhere in the main body text of your document.

How to Remove the Page Number from the Title Page

The most common problem users face is that Word automatically places a “1” on the very first page of the document. If your first page is a formal Title Page or a Cover Letter, you do not want a page number printed on it. However, you cannot just highlight the “1” and hit delete, because that will delete all the numbers in the document.

You must instruct Word to treat the first page differently.

1. Double-click on the page number at the bottom of page 1 to open the Header & Footer menu tab.
2. Look at the ribbon menu at the top of the screen. In the “Options” section, find the checkbox labeled Different First Page.
3. Check that box.
4. The number “1” will instantly vanish from your title page.

If you scroll down to your second page, you will see it is correctly numbered as page “2.”

How to Start Numbering at Page 1 (After the Title Page)

Following the steps above removes the number from the title page, but it leaves your second page numbered as “2.” Many universities and publishers require the second page (the first page of actual text) to be numbered as page “1.”

To achieve this, you have to tell Word to start counting from zero.

1. Go back to the Insert tab.
2. Click the Page Number button again.
3. Near the bottom of the dropdown menu, click on Format Page Numbers….
4. A small dialogue box will appear. Look at the very bottom section labeled “Page numbering.”
5. Click the radio button next to Start at:.
6. Change the number in the box from 1 to 0.
7. Click OK.

Because your title page is now technically page “0” (and hidden because of the “Different First Page” setting), your second page will now display a perfect “1.”