How to Skip Divider Pages and Continue Page Numbering in Word
Question details
The user wants to continue page numbering across a document while completely excluding blank or section-divider pages from the total page count and numbering sequence.
- Product
- Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Formatting a long document that contains section dividers or cover pages that should not be numbered or counted in the document's pagination.
- Observed behavior
- Word naturally counts every physical page, including blank divider pages, which disrupts the intended consecutive page numbering for the main content.
Make sure to enable the 'Show/Hide ¶' formatting marks in your Home tab, as this will help you see exactly where your page breaks and section breaks are located before making adjustments.
Use Section Breaks to Unlink and Restart Page Numbers
This method isolates the divider pages using section breaks, allowing you to remove their footers and manually adjust the starting page number for the subsequent content.
To stop Word from counting specific pages, you must divide the document into distinct sections. By unlinking these sections, you can remove numbers from divider pages and force the next section to resume counting exactly where the previous content left off.
Place your cursor at the very end of the content just before the divider page. Go to the Layout tab, click Breaks, and select 'Next Page'. Repeat this process at the bottom of the divider page to isolate it.
Double-click the header or footer area of the divider page. In the Header & Footer menu, click 'Link to Previous' to deselect it, then delete the page number on the divider page.
Scroll down to the page immediately following the divider. Double-click its footer, and again turn off 'Link to Previous' so your upcoming changes do not affect the blank divider page.
While still in the footer of the continuing section, go to Header & Footer > Page Number > Format Page Numbers. Select 'Start at' and manually type the number you want to continue with (for example, 14 if the previous section ended on 13).
Export to PDF and Insert Blank Pages Later
If managing multiple section breaks becomes too complex, you can format the text continuously in Word and add the unnumbered blank dividers later using a PDF editor.
Easily Manage Complex Page Numbering with WPS Writer
WPS Writer offers an intuitive interface for managing section breaks, headers, and footers, making it simple to skip divider pages and fully customize your document's numbering.
- 1. Isolate the divider pages: Open your document in WPS Writer. Navigate to the Page Layout tab and use 'Breaks' to insert 'Next Page Section Breaks' before and after your divider pages.
- 2. Unlink the headers and footers: Double-click the footer area to open the Header and Footer tab. Click 'Link to Previous' to unlink the sections, then delete the number on the divider page.
- 3. Set the continuation number: In the section following the divider, click Page Number > Format Page Numbers. Choose 'Start at' and type your desired continuation number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Word still count my blank pages even if I delete the page number?
Word counts all physical pages in the document by default. Deleting the visual number from the footer only removes it from the display. To stop the numbering sequence from advancing, you must use section breaks and manually set the 'Start at' number in the subsequent section.
Can I use the 'Different First Page' setting for divider pages?
Yes. If your divider page acts as the first page of a new section, you can check the 'Different First Page' option in the Header & Footer menu. This allows you to leave the divider page unnumbered without having to unlink the entire section's footer.
Will skipping pages affect my Table of Contents?
No. As long as you format the page numbers using the 'Start at' feature in the Page Number Format dialog, your Table of Contents will read the assigned page numbers correctly, ignoring the physical page count.
How do I view exactly where my section breaks are located?
Go to the Home tab and click the paragraph symbol (Show/Hide ¶) to reveal hidden formatting marks. This will display all 'Section Break (Next Page)' markers in your document, making it easier to manage your page numbering sections.
