# MS Word: Page numbering **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376 "2016-07-19T23:58:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/1 "2016-07-19T23:58:55Z")
I’m working on a document in MS Word. It has a cover letter, a title page, a table of contents, and then the rest. I want to start page numbering with Page 1, on the first page of the content. I don’t want a page number on the cover letter, the title page, or the table of contents. I can only number all of the pages, or none of the pages. How do I make Word do what I want it to do? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/2 "2016-07-20T00:02:07Z")
Make a section break prior to the page you want to be page 1. Format the first section to have no page numbers and start page numbers on section 2. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/3 "2016-07-20T00:07:39Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Make a section break prior to the page you want to be page 1. Format the first section to have no page numbers and start page numbers on section 2. I inserted a section break in the title table of the first page I want numbered, and then inserted page numbers. It numbered all of the pages. I tried putting the section break at the bottom of the last page I didn’t want numbered, and it numbered all of the pages. I don’t actually know what a section break is, so I just chose them from the menu. The first time, I tried ‘continuous’, and the second time I tried ‘next page’. How do I format the first section to have no numbers? If I were a logical program, I’d say ‘Oh, there’s a break and the cursor is below the break, so I’m not going to number anything before then,’ and there wouldn’t be a separate formatting. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![TipTapTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@TipTapTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TipTapTwo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/4 "2016-07-20T00:11:48Z")
For Word2010, this might work > **[Insert Page Numbers In Word 2010 Document](https://www.addictivetips.com/microsoft-office/insert-page-numbers-in-word-2010-document/)** > > Unlike other word processors, Word 2010 comes packed with a number of options and features to quickly insert and manage page number in the header and [QUOTE=Usman Javaid] if you don’t want to insert page number on the first page of the document, as often it contains Document title, Cover Page, or Table of Contents. Select the page number section (either header or footer), and navigate to the Design tab and from Options group, enable Different First page option. it will remove the page number from first page, allowing you to add the desired header content. [/QUOTE] For Word 2002, 2003 / 2007, 2010 / 2013, 2016 tutorials see here > **[Using sections to control page numbers, headers and footers - Legal Office Guru](https://legalofficeguru.com/using-sections-to-control-page-numbers-headers-and-footers/)** > > This is part two of a tutorial on how to control page numbers and page number formats using sections in Microsoft Word 2002-2003. Useful for changing page number styles in appellate briefs or for having distinct headers and footers in different parts... [QUOTE=Deborah Savadra] The secret to doing this is found in the Word feature called Sections. Sections will (among other things) allow you to have distinct headers and footers on different pages of the document. […] Whew! Okay, that seems like a lot of steps, but there’s really only three: ``` Insert section breaks between the pages where the pagination style will change. In the demonstration brief, there was one section break between the title page and the first page of the Tables of Contents/Authorities, and another section break between the Tables of Contents/Authorities section and the main body of the brief. Break the link between the Section 1 footer and the Section 2 footers by toggling off the Same As Previous button/checkbox so you can insert distinct page numbers in each section. Insert the appropriate style of page number in each distinct footer, remembering to not only format the style of the page number, but also to start page numbering again at “1” (or “i”) at the beginning of each new section. ``` [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/5 "2016-07-20T00:20:11Z")
I’m not entirely sure how I did it, but I have italic _i_s on the cover letter, the title page, and the table of contents, and page numbers starting at 1 on the contents. Let me see if I can get rid of the number on the cover letter… ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/6 "2016-07-20T00:23:25Z")
Layout \> Breaks \> Next Page. Wherever you do that, it forces the next page to break right there. It’s very similar to Ctrl-Enter, which also forces a new page. But the section break creates a new “section” and those can have their own pagination. Maneuver to anywhere within the new section, i.e., below the break. Insert \> Header \> Blank. This gives you a new blank header for the second section. You will note that there is a little flag that says “Same As Previous.” This is what you do _NOT_ want. To get rid of that flag, while the header (in section two) is open, click on “Link to Previous” The little flag should go away. Section two’s header is now it’s own thing, not linked to section one’s header. In section two’s header, type your header text – “The Bloody Drip Writhes Again by Johnny L.A.” – and leave a little room for a page number. Click on the button that says Page Number, then Current Position, then Plain Number. Oops; it will start at Page Number two. (Or more, from however many pages were in section one.) So: click on Page Number again, then on “Format Page Number” then on “Start At” and roll it down to 1. Close Header and Footer: your changes are set. Now…you may want to do some formating of the header for section one. I’ll try to help with this if you want. I hope I’ve been of at least some small help. This business is non-intuitive to a daunting degree, and it took me a darn long time to get as far as this. Cheers! And may “The Bloody Drip” writhe for a million copies! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/7 "2016-07-20T00:26:36Z")
I put a page break on the cover letter page and the title page. Now those pages do not have page numbers. (Or they probably do, but I chose ‘don’t show the first page number’ – there doesn’t seem to be a way to delete page numbering once it’s in the document.) My ToC has '_i_, and my contents have page numbers starting at one. Thanks for the help. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/8 "2016-07-20T00:31:05Z")
I am going to bookmark this page because it is one of my frequently asked Word questions, which after an hour of struggling with Word, I answer by saying “Ah, screw it!” ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/9 "2016-07-20T21:37:00Z")
A better solution is to NOT mix all these different content pieces (a cover letter, a title page, a table of contents, and then the rest) in a single document. Have separate Word files for each one. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/10 "2016-07-20T21:58:46Z")
Separate files wouldn’t work for some things, like self-publishing on Amazon. (However, self-publishing to a Kindle book requires removing the page numbers and headers anyway, so what the heck.) ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/11 "2016-07-20T22:43:40Z")
There’s a button that shows up only when you’re first inserting page numbers, sort of in the middle of the top bar, as to whether to link section page numbers together. If you unclick it the document will number different sections differently. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/12 "2016-07-20T23:52:11Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > A better solution is to NOT mix all these different content pieces (a cover letter, a title page, a table of contents, and then the rest) in a single document. Have separate Word files for each one. But if you put the Table of contents as a separate document, you lose the benefit of being able to update the ToC automatically as you edit. Plus e-filing requirements for courts often require a single document. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/13 "2016-07-21T01:36:52Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > update the ToC automatically as you edit. You dan do that? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/14 "2016-07-21T03:20:44Z")
Legend has it. Me, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-page-numbering/760376/15 "2016-07-21T04:42:15Z")
If you apply Header Styles to your Chapter (section, whatever) headers, the Table of Contents will list them, but if you add a new Section Heading, you have to press the “update” button on the ToC control for it to sink in. I don’t believe Word automatically re-sorts the ToC. (Interestingly, it automatically sorts and lists the Headings in the “Search” pane.) (Okay, maybe not so interesting.)