How to Remove a Word Header Without Removing the Footer
Question details
The user wants to delete the header text or design on specific pages without affecting the footer content, such as page numbers, in a Word document.
- Product
- Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Formatting a multi-page document where a specific section needs a blank header but requires continuous footer elements like page numbering.
- Observed behavior
- By default, headers and footers are linked to previous sections. Deleting a header on one page automatically removes it across all linked pages unless properly separated.
Make sure to enable paragraph marks (Show/Hide ¶) on the Home tab so you can clearly see where your existing section breaks are located before editing headers.
Unlink the Header Using a Section Break
Use section breaks to divide the document into parts, allowing you to unlink and delete specific headers while keeping the footers intact.
In Word, headers and footers are controlled independently when it comes to linking to previous sections. By unlinking only the header, you can safely delete its contents without breaking the continuity of your footers.
Place your cursor at the very end of the page just before the section where you want the header removed. Go to the 'Layout' tab, click 'Breaks', and select 'Next Page' under Section Breaks.
Scroll to the new page and double-click the header area at the top of the page to open the Header & Footer tools.
In the Header & Footer tab on the ribbon, find the Navigation group and click 'Link to Previous' to toggle it off. Ensure you are doing this only for the header; leave the footer untouched so it remains linked.
Highlight the text or images in the unlinked header and press the Delete key. Your header will be removed from this section onward, but the footer will remain exactly as it was.
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- 1. Insert a Section Break: Open your document in WPS Writer. Go to the 'Page Layout' tab, click 'Breaks', and choose 'Next Page Section Break' where you want the header to change.
- 2. Edit the Header: Double-click the top margin of the new page to enter the Header and Footer editing mode.
- 3. Unlink Header: On the 'Header and Footer' ribbon, click the 'Link to Previous' button to deselect it.
- 4. Remove Content: Select the contents of the header and delete them. The footer remains linked to the previous section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove the header on just the first page without using section breaks?
Yes. Double-click the header area, and in the Header & Footer tab, check the box for 'Different First Page'. You can then delete the header on the first page without affecting the rest of the document's headers or footers.
Why did my page numbers disappear when I deleted the header?
If your page numbers were located inside the header area, deleting the header will remove them. If your page numbers are in the footer, ensure you only clicked 'Link to Previous' while your cursor was in the header, not the footer.
How do I reconnect a header if I made a mistake?
Double-click the header area of the unlinked section, and click the 'Link to Previous' button again. A prompt will ask if you want to delete the current header and connect to the previous one; click 'Yes' to restore the link.
