Formatting Issues

How to Add Page Numbers to Portrait and Landscape Sections in Word

Bushra Parveen Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to add page numbers to a document containing both portrait and landscape pages, ensuring the numbers consistently appear at the physical bottom of every printed page.

How to Add Page Numbers to Portrait and Landscape Sections in Word

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Formatting a document with mixed page orientations for printing or binding, where page numbers must align consistently across all pages.
Observed behavior: By default, Word places page numbers relative to the orientation of the page, causing landscape page numbers to appear on the side of the page when printed and bound with portrait pages.

Before you start

Ensure your document is properly divided into distinct sections using 'Next Page' Section Breaks before attempting to modify header and footer settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Unlink Sections and Use a Rotated Text Box

This is the most reliable method for placing a page number at the physical bottom of a landscape page so it matches the portrait pages when printed and bound.

To prevent landscape page numbers from appearing on the side of a bound document, you must separate the page's header and footer from the rest of the document. Then, you can use a rotated text box placed in the margin to simulate a bottom-aligned page number.

Insert Section Breaks

Place your cursor at the start of the landscape page. Go to the 'Layout' tab, click 'Breaks', and select 'Next Page'. Repeat this step at the end of the landscape section to isolate it.

Unlink the Header and Footer

Double-click the header or footer area of the landscape page. In the 'Header & Footer' tab, click 'Link to Previous' to toggle it off. Do the same for the first portrait page immediately following the landscape section.

Insert a Text Box in the Margin

On the landscape page, go to the 'Insert' tab, select 'Text Box', and choose 'Draw Text Box'. Draw it in either the left or right margin, depending on where the physical bottom of the page will be when bound.

Add and Rotate the Page Number

Click inside the text box, go to 'Insert' > 'Page Number', and choose 'Current Position'. Go to the 'Shape Format' tab, use 'Shape Outline' to remove the border, and click 'Text Direction' to rotate the number 90 degrees.

Unlink Sections and Use a Rotated Text Box

Alignment Tip: Use the 'Align' tool in the Shape Format tab to precisely center the text box along the margin so it perfectly matches the spacing of your portrait pages.

Solution 2

Place Page Numbers Using a Rotated Table

If you experience shifting issues with text boxes, inserting a borderless table in the margin offers a rigid structural container for your rotated page number.

Advanced Document Formatting

Format Mixed Orientation Documents Flawlessly with WPS Writer

WPS Writer provides intuitive section formatting and header/footer controls, making it incredibly simple to manage page numbers across different layouts and orientations without breaking your document structure.

1. Isolate the Page: Open your document in WPS Writer. Go to the 'Page Layout' tab, click 'Breaks', and insert a 'Next Page Section Break' before and after the page you want to change.
2. Change Orientation: Click inside the isolated section, return to the 'Page Layout' tab, click 'Orientation', and select 'Landscape'.
3. Unlink the Footer: Double-click the footer area to open the Header/Footer tab. Click the 'Link to Previous' button to turn it off, allowing you to edit this section independently.
4. Insert and Rotate Page Number: Insert a Text Box from the 'Insert' tab into the margin. Add your page number, select the text box, and use the 'Text Direction' tool to rotate it to match your portrait pages.

Easily toggle section links to customize headers and footersFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsAdvanced text box and object rotation toolsLightweight, fast, and free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my page numbers restart at 1 when I change to a landscape section?

This happens if the new section's page numbering settings are configured to restart. To fix this, double-click the header/footer, go to 'Page Number' > 'Format Page Numbers', and select 'Continue from previous section'.

Can I just hide the page number on the landscape page instead?

Yes. Once you have isolated the landscape section with 'Next Page' breaks and clicked 'Link to Previous' to disable it, you can simply delete the page number from the landscape page without affecting the portrait pages.

How do I see exactly where my section breaks are located?

Turn on paragraph formatting marks by going to the 'Home' tab and clicking the 'Show/Hide ¶' icon. This will display the exact location of all section breaks and page breaks in your document.

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