The Unwanted Page Numbers
When you are writing a long document in Google Docs, you might occasionally want to add page numbers. However, Docs has a feature where if you manually type a number in the header or footer of your document, it might assume you are trying to initiate an automated page numbering sequence. It can also automatically generate page numbers if you apply certain pre-built templates or formatting styles to your document.
While automatic page numbering is essential for a printed manuscript or a formal thesis, it is completely unnecessary (and often visually distracting) for documents meant to be read entirely on a screen, such as a continuous scrolling web draft, a short memo, or a collaborative brainstorming sheet. If you find page numbers appearing at the bottom of your screen that you did not intentionally place there, you need to strip the automated formatting from the document’s margins.
How to Remove Automatic Page Numbers
You can clear the automated numbering fields via the Insert menu.
- Open your document in Google Docs.
- Look at the top toolbar and click on Insert.
- Scroll down the dropdown menu and hover your mouse over Page numbers.
- A secondary menu will pop out showing various layout options (top right, bottom right, etc.).
- Instead of clicking any of the layout icons, look at the very bottom of that secondary menu.
- Click on More options.
- In the small window that appears, look for the section regarding page numbering. If numbers are currently active, you will see a button or option to remove them. Alternatively, you can simply double-click inside the header or footer area of your document where the number appears, highlight the number, and press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Because Google Docs links the header/footer across the entire document by default, deleting the automated number field on one page will instantly remove the page numbers from every single page in your document.