How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word

If you are printing a 50-page document and you accidentally drop the stack of paper on the floor, you will spend the next two hours trying to put the pages back in order. You must add page numbers to every document longer than two pages.

You should never try to type page numbers manually at the bottom of the screen. The second you add a new paragraph to page one, all of your manual numbers will be pushed out of alignment. You must use Microsoft Word’s automated numbering system, which embeds the numbers into the document’s margins.

Method 1: The Quick Insert (The Standard Way)

If you just want a simple number at the bottom of every page, Word has a dedicated tool that takes about three seconds to use.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Look at the Ribbon at the top of the screen and click the Insert tab.
3. Look toward the right side of the ribbon for the “Header & Footer” section.
4. Click the button labeled Page Number.
5. A drop-down menu will appear, asking you where you want the numbers to live. For a standard document, hover your mouse over Bottom of Page.
6. A secondary menu will fly out showing visual examples. Select Plain Number 2 (this will put the number perfectly centered at the bottom of the page).

Word will instantly throw you into “Footer Editing Mode.” The main text of your document will turn grey, and a dashed line will appear at the bottom with your new number. Simply double-click anywhere in the grey main text to exit this mode. The numbers will automatically update as you write.

Method 2: Remove the Page Number from the Title Page

If you are writing a college essay or a corporate report, your very first page is usually a title page (with the title of the document and your name). You absolutely do not want a giant “1” sitting at the bottom of a professional title page.

You must tell Word to ignore the first page.

1. Insert your page numbers using Method 1.
2. While you are still in “Footer Editing Mode” (or if you exited, double-click the page number at the bottom of the screen to reopen it).
3. Look at the Ribbon at the top of the screen. A brand new tab will have appeared called Header & Footer.
4. Look in the “Options” section of this ribbon.
5. Check the box labeled Different First Page.

The number “1” will instantly vanish from your title page. However, the second page of your document will still say “2.”

How to Make the Second Page Start at “1”

If you want the physical second page of paper to actually be labeled as page number one, you must change the starting count.

1. Double-click the footer to open the Header & Footer ribbon.
2. Click the Page Number button on the left side.
3. Click Format Page Numbers…
4. Look at the bottom of the dialog box under “Page numbering.”
5. Click the radio button next to Start at: and type the number 0 in the box.
6. Click OK.

Your title page is now technically Page 0 (which is hidden because you checked “Different First Page”), making your second page officially Page 1.

Method 3: Add “Page X of Y” Formatting

For legal documents or highly technical manuals, a simple number is not enough. You need to tell the reader exactly how long the document is (e.g., “Page 3 of 15”) so they know if they are missing the final page.

1. Click Insert on the main ribbon.
2. Click Page Number.
3. Hover over Bottom of Page.
4. Instead of clicking “Plain Number,” use your mouse to scroll down the list of visual templates.
5. Scroll past the shapes and colors until you reach a section labeled Page X of Y.
6. Click Bold Numbers 2 (or whichever alignment you prefer).

Word will automatically calculate the total number of pages and update the “Y” variable every time you add or delete a page.