When formatting a long document in Microsoft Word, a common mistake is pressing the Enter key repeatedly to push a paragraph onto the next page. While this might look correct temporarily, it creates a structural nightmare. If you go back and add or delete a single sentence earlier in the document, all of your carefully placed blank lines will shift, completely ruining the layout of every subsequent page. To format your document properly and ensure your content always starts precisely at the top of a new page, you must use a manual Page Break.
How to Insert a Page Break
A manual page break is an invisible formatting mark that explicitly tells Microsoft Word: “End the current page exactly here, and push all following text to the very top of the next page.”
- Open your document in Microsoft Word.
- Place your blinking text cursor at the exact location where you want the current page to end. (For example, place it immediately before a major chapter heading).
- Look at the ribbon menu at the top of the screen and click on the Insert tab.
- On the far left side of the ribbon, click the Page Break button.
All text following your cursor will instantly jump to the next page. If you edit the text before the break, the heading on the next page will remain perfectly locked in place at the top margin.
Using the Keyboard Shortcut
If you are typing a manuscript, removing your hands from the keyboard to hunt for the Page Break button disrupts your workflow. You can achieve the exact same result instantly using a keyboard shortcut.
- Place your cursor where you want the break to occur.
- Press and hold the Ctrl key (or Command on a Mac).
- Press the Enter key (or Return).
How to View and Delete Page Breaks
Because page breaks are technically invisible, it can be confusing to figure out why your document is behaving strangely if you accidentally insert one.
- Click on the Home tab in the ribbon.
- In the Paragraph group, click the Show/Hide ΒΆ button (it looks like a backward ‘P’).
This will reveal all hidden formatting marks. Your page break will now appear as a dotted line spanning across the document with the words “Page Break” in the center. To delete it, simply place your cursor at the beginning of the dotted line and press the Delete key on your keyboard.