When you are writing a professional report, a manuscript, or a school essay, you often need to include information that repeats on every single page. This might be the title of the document, your name, the date, or a company logo.
Instead of manually typing this information at the top of all 50 pages, you can use Microsoft Word’s Header and Footer tool.
The Fastest Way to Add a Header or Footer
The easiest way to access the Header and Footer area is by bypassing the ribbon menu entirely.
- Open your Microsoft Word document.
- Move your mouse cursor to the absolute top edge of the white page (above the first line of your normal text).
- Double-click rapidly in this empty margin area.
Instantly, the main body text of your document will fade to gray, and a dotted line will appear across the top with a tab labeled Header. A brand new “Header & Footer” tab will also appear on your ribbon menu at the top of the screen.
Any text you type into this Header box will automatically duplicate itself at the exact same position on every single page in the entire file. (To add a Footer instead, simply scroll down and double-click the empty margin at the bottom of the page).
When you are finished typing, click the red Close Header and Footer button on the ribbon, or simply double-click the faded gray text in the middle of your document to return to normal editing.
How to Make the First Page Different
One of the most common formatting errors occurs when people add a Header, and it accidentally prints over top of their beautiful, standalone Title Page. Usually, you want the title page to be completely blank, and the Header to start on page 2.
- Double-click the top of the page to open the Header area.
- Look at the “Header & Footer” ribbon menu at the top of the screen.
- Find the “Options” section.
- Check the box next to Different First Page.
The Header on page 1 will instantly clear itself out, while the Headers on pages 2, 3, and beyond will remain perfectly intact.