Formatting Issues

How to Remove Blank Pages After a Table of Contents in Word

WPS Content Manager Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to remove unexpected blank pages that appear immediately following the Table of Contents.

How to Remove Blank Pages After a Table of Contents in Word

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Formatting a document that includes a Table of Contents, chapter divisions, and specific pagination requirements.
Observed behavior: One or multiple blank pages are automatically generated between the Table of Contents and the first page of Chapter 1, especially noticeable in Print Preview.

Before you start

Enable formatting marks in your document to easily identify hidden section breaks, page breaks, and empty paragraph marks that are often the root cause of unexpected blank pages.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Section Break Settings and Delete Extra Marks

Modify your page setup to prevent forced blank pages and delete any stacked or unnecessary formatting marks.

Word automatically inserts a blank page when a section is set to begin on an odd page, but the previous section ends on an odd page. Correcting the section start type usually resolves this.

Turn on formatting marks

Navigate to the Home tab and click the Show/Hide button (the ¶ symbol) to display hidden formatting marks.

Remove extra breaks

Look for multiple 'Section Break' or 'Page Break' labels between your Table of Contents and Chapter 1. Highlight any unnecessary breaks and press Delete.

Open Page Setup

Place your text cursor on the first page of Chapter 1. Go to the Layout tab and click the small dialog box launcher in the bottom-right corner of the Page Setup group.

Change Section start

Click on the Layout tab within the Page Setup window. Under the Section heading, change 'Section start' from 'Odd page' to 'New page', then click OK.

Adjust Section Break Settings and Delete Extra Marks

Tip for Printed Books: If you are printing a physical book and strictly need Chapter 1 to start on a right-side (odd) page, keep the setting as 'Odd page'. The blank even page is necessary for double-sided printing.

Solution 2

Configure Odd and Even Page Formatting

Ensure that your header and footer settings are correctly configured without relying on excessive section breaks.

WPS Writer Solution

Manage Document Layout Easily with WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface for managing complex document formatting, including section breaks and odd/even pagination. You can easily remove stubborn blank pages while maintaining perfect layout compatibility with Microsoft Word.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document containing the unwanted blank pages.
2. Show editing marks: Click the Home tab, then click the 'Show/Hide Editing Marks' icon to make all section breaks visible.
3. Delete extra breaks: Select any redundant 'Section Break (Odd Page)' marks after your Table of Contents and press the Delete key.
4. Adjust layout settings: Go to the Page Layout tab, click Page Setup, and choose 'New page' for your section start to prevent automatic blank pages.

One-click toggle to reveal and delete hidden section or page breaks.Clear, straightforward Page Setup dialog for adjusting section starts.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.doc and .docx) formats.Lightweight, fast, and free to use.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word automatically insert a blank page after my Table of Contents?

Word inserts a blank page automatically when the next section is configured to start on an 'Odd page', but the Table of Contents ends on an odd-numbered page. Word adds a blank, even-numbered page so the next chapter prints on the correct right-hand side.

How do I see what is causing the blank page?

Go to the Home tab and click the Show/Hide button (the paragraph symbol ¶). This will reveal hidden formatting marks, allowing you to see manual page breaks, section breaks, or empty paragraph returns that are causing the blank page.

Can I have different odd and even headers without adding blank pages?

Yes. You can use a standard 'Next Page' section break instead of an 'Odd Page' section break. Then, double-click your header area and check the 'Different Odd & Even Pages' box in the Header & Footer tab to manage your page numbers.

Why can't I delete the blank page by just pressing Backspace?

Pressing Backspace often fails if the blank page is generated by an 'Odd Page' section break rule in the Page Setup settings rather than typed empty space. You must change the 'Section start' setting in Layout > Page Setup to resolve it.

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