How to Keep a Continuous Section Break When Copying Text in Word
Question details
The user wants to prevent a continuous section break from converting into a Next Page break when copying and pasting a paragraph into a new document.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Copying text with a continuous section break and pasting it into a new blank document.
- Observed behavior
- The continuous section break changes to a Next Page section break, which creates an unwanted blank page and alters landscape or portrait page formatting.
Before proceeding, turn on the Show/Hide ¶ feature on the Home tab to make your section breaks and hidden formatting symbols visible in the document.
Adjust the Section Start Setting in Page Setup
Modify the Page Setup layout options to manually revert the section start type back to Continuous.
When pasting text into a new blank document, Word often applies the default 'New page' section start setting of the new document. You can easily fix this by modifying the layout properties for the affected section.
Click anywhere inside the text section that immediately follows the unwanted page break.
Navigate to the Layout tab (or Page Layout in older versions) on the ribbon, and click the small launcher arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Page Setup group.
In the Page Setup dialog box, click on the Layout tab. Under the Section area, click the 'Section start' drop-down menu and select 'Continuous'.
Ensure 'Apply to' is set to 'This section' or the appropriate section, then click OK. The unwanted blank page will disappear, and the continuous break will be restored.
Easily Manage Section Breaks with WPS Office
WPS Writer offers an intuitive layout system that perfectly preserves your formatting, including section breaks, when copying between documents. You can easily manage complex page layouts without generating unwanted blank pages.
- 1. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document containing the text you want to copy.
- 2. Copy and Paste: Highlight the paragraph along with the continuous section break, copy it, and paste it into your new WPS Writer document.
- 3. Adjust Section Layout: If adjustments are needed, go to the Page Layout tab, click Page Setup, navigate to the Layout tab, and set Section start to Continuous.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my continuous section break turn into a next page break?
This happens because new blank documents in Word generally default to a 'New page' section start. When you paste your text, the destination document's default settings can override your copied continuous break.
How do I see where section breaks are located in my Word document?
Go to the Home tab and click the Show/Hide ¶ button (or press Ctrl+*) to display hidden formatting symbols. Your section breaks will appear as dotted lines across the page with text indicating the exact type of break.
Can I delete an unwanted next page section break?
Yes. Turn on hidden formatting symbols, place your cursor just before the section break line, and press the Delete key. Be aware that the text above the break will adopt the layout formatting of the section below it.
