How to Add a New Page in Microsoft Word

Whether you're working on a report, a resume, or a multi-section document, knowing how to add a new page in Word is one of those foundational skills that saves time and prevents formatting headaches. The good news: Word gives you several ways to do it, and each method serves a slightly different purpose.

The Difference Between a Page Break and Just Pressing Enter

Before jumping into the how-to, it's worth understanding why the method matters.

Many people add a new page by simply pressing Enter repeatedly until the cursor moves to the next page. This works visually — until you edit anything. Add a sentence earlier in the document, and all those blank lines shift, pushing your new page out of position.

A page break is the clean alternative. It's a formatting instruction that tells Word: end this page here, no matter what. The content that follows always starts at the top of the next page, even if you add or remove text earlier in the document.

For anything beyond a casual single-page document, proper page breaks are the reliable choice.

Method 1: Insert a Manual Page Break (Keyboard Shortcut)

The fastest way to add a new page is with a keyboard shortcut:

• Windows:Ctrl + Enter
• Mac:Command + Enter

Place your cursor exactly where you want the new page to begin, then press the shortcut. Word inserts a page break at that point, and your cursor jumps to the top of the fresh page.

This is the go-to method for most users — quick, precise, and layout-stable.

Method 2: Insert a Page Break Through the Ribbon

If you prefer navigating menus:

1. Click to place your cursor where the new page should start
2. Go to the Insert tab in the ribbon
3. Click Page Break (it appears in the Pages group, usually on the far left)

Same result as the keyboard shortcut — just a different path to get there.

Method 3: Use the Layout Tab for Section Breaks

Sometimes you don't just need a new page — you need a new section. Section breaks are more powerful than standard page breaks because they let different parts of your document have independent formatting: different headers, footers, margins, or page numbering.

To insert a section break that also starts a new page:

1. Click where you want the new section to begin
2. Go to the Layout tab (called Page Layout in older versions)
3. Click Breaks
4. Under Section Breaks, choose Next Page

This is particularly useful for documents like reports, theses, or booklets where chapters or sections need their own distinct formatting.

Section Break Types at a Glance 📄

Method 4: Adding a Blank Page Mid-Document

If you need to insert a completely blank page between existing pages — rather than just adding a page at the end — Word has a dedicated option for this:

1. Place your cursor at the beginning of the page after where you want the blank page
2. Go to Insert → Blank Page

Word inserts two page breaks, creating a full empty page at that position. This is handy for things like intentional blank pages in printed documents or placeholder pages in a draft.

How to See Where Your Page Breaks Are

Page breaks are invisible by default, which can make troubleshooting layout issues frustrating. To reveal them:

• Windows: Press Ctrl + Shift + 8
• Mac: Press Command + 8
• Or click the ¶ (Show/Hide) button in the Home tab

You'll see dotted lines labeled Page Break or Section Break (Next Page) wherever these markers exist. This view makes it easy to click on a break and delete it if something's in the wrong place.

Deleting a Page You Don't Need

Accidentally added an extra page? Removing it depends on what created it:

• If it's a blank page caused by extra paragraph returns, enable Show/Hide (¶), select the extra paragraph marks, and delete them
• If it's a page break, find the break marker, click it, and press Delete
• If it's a section break, locate it in the Show/Hide view and delete it — though be aware this can merge the formatting of the two sections, which may affect headers, footers, or margins

The Variables That Affect Your Approach 🖥️

How you'll actually use these methods depends on a few things specific to your situation:

• Word version: The ribbon layout and available options differ between Word 2016, 2019, Microsoft 365, and Word for Mac. Most core features are consistent, but menu locations sometimes vary
• Document type: A simple letter needs nothing more than a keyboard shortcut. A multi-chapter report or thesis with different headers per chapter likely needs section breaks
• Collaboration: If you're sharing the document with others or submitting it to a template, section breaks can either help or complicate things depending on the template's structure
• Print vs. digital: Documents intended for printing — especially double-sided — often use Even/Odd page section breaks to control on which side a chapter begins

A single-page break inserted with Ctrl + Enter is the right answer for most casual use. But for complex, structured documents, section breaks offer a level of control that basic page breaks simply can't match — and knowing the difference changes how you approach long-form formatting in Word.