How to Delete a Blank Page at the End of a Document in Microsoft Word Caused by a Table

One of the most notorious and persistent formatting quirks in Microsoft Word occurs when working with tables placed at the very bottom of a document. You finish formatting your CV, contract, or quarterly report so that it fits precisely onto a single page or concludes neatly on the final page of a section. Yet, to your frustration, Word generates an empty, stubborn trailing page that refuses to disappear no matter how many times you press Delete or Backspace.

This unwanted extra page is not a software crash; it is an unavoidable consequence of Microsoft Word’s document layout engine. Word enforces a strict internal rule: every table must be followed by a trailing paragraph mark (¶). When your table reaches the absolute bottom margin of a page, that mandatory paragraph mark is automatically pushed onto a new, completely blank page. In this tutorial, we explain three reliable methods to eliminate the trailing blank page in Microsoft Word without distorting your table layout.

Why You Cannot Simply Delete the Blank Page

Understanding Word’s layout mechanics reveals why standard keypresses fail:

• Mandatory Structure: Word’s underlying OpenXML schema requires every table element to terminate with a subsequent paragraph container. Word does not permit a document or section to terminate on a table without this paragraph mark.
• The Delete Trap: When you press Backspace on the blank page, Word refuses to delete the paragraph mark because doing so would violate the document structure rule.
• Margin Pushing: If your table extends down to the bottom margin, the height of a standard 11pt or 12pt paragraph mark simply cannot fit within the remaining space, forcing it onto page two.

Method 1: Reduce the Paragraph Mark Font Size to 1 Point (Recommended)

The cleanest and most reliable way to pull the trailing paragraph mark back onto the main page is to reduce its font height to the absolute minimum allowed by Microsoft Word (1 point):

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. On the Home ribbon tab, click the Show/Hide (¶) icon in the Paragraph section (or press Ctrl + Shift + 8). This reveals all invisible paragraph marks and formatting symbols.
3. Scroll down to the stubborn blank page. You will see a solitary paragraph symbol (¶) sitting at the top of the page.
4. Select this paragraph mark with your mouse cursor.
5. Go to the Font Size box on the Home ribbon.
6. Click into the font size box, type 1, and press Enter on your keyboard.
7. Additionally, check the line spacing for that paragraph: click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button, choose Line Spacing Options, and ensure Before and After spacing are set to 0 pt, with line spacing set to Single.

Because the paragraph mark now occupies only 1 point of vertical space (approximately 0.35 mm), it easily slips into the microscopic margin gap immediately below your table on the previous page. The unwanted blank page disappears instantaneously.

Method 2: Mark the Paragraph as Hidden Text

If your table extends completely flush against the bottom margin and even a 1-point font mark pushes onto the next page, you can instruct Word to hide the trailing paragraph:

1. Turn on Show/Hide (¶) to view the trailing paragraph mark on the blank page.
2. Highlight the paragraph mark with your cursor.
3. Press Ctrl + D (or right-click the mark and choose Font) to open the Font dialogue box.
4. Under the Effects section, check the box labelled Hidden.
5. Click OK.
6. Click the Show/Hide (¶) button on the Home ribbon to turn off formatting symbols.

Word completely hides the paragraph mark, collapsing the extra space and deleting the trailing page from both on-screen viewing and final printed or PDF output.

Method 3: Adjust Bottom Page Margins Slightly

If you prefer not to alter paragraph formatting attributes, expanding the page canvas slightly will also resolve the issue:

1. Click on the Layout tab on the Word ribbon.
2. In the Page Setup group, click Margins and select Custom Margins.
3. Locate the Bottom margin field (typically set to 2.54 cm or 1.0 inch).
4. Reduce the bottom margin slightly—for instance, changing 2.54 cm to 2.0 cm or 1.8 cm.
5. Ensure Apply to is set to Whole document (or This section), then click OK.

This creates enough breathing room beneath the final table row to accommodate both the table border and its mandatory paragraph container on the same page.

Export Verification

After applying any of the methods above, verify the final result before sending your document to colleagues or clients:

• Press Ctrl + P to open Print Preview.
• Review the total page count displayed in the bottom navigation bar to confirm the stubborn blank page is permanently gone.