How to do page numbering in Word

While working in the Microsoft Word word processor, many users are looking for an answer to the question of how to number pages in Word in order to assign numbers to the pages of a document. If there is a number, it is easier to find the necessary information in a multi-page document, for this you will need to go to a specific page.

Most users do without pagination because they work with small documents. If your document has many pages, numbering can make it much easier to navigate and work with the document.

Page numbering in Word is often used for the following types of documents: term papers, abstracts, graduation theses, various instructions and manuals. Based on this, users have questions about how to number the pages in different cases.

Word has several ways to insert numbers in a document. This guide contains instructions on several ways to insert numbers in a Word document: automatically number pages, number pages in Word without a title page, number pages starting from a specific sheet.

The information in this article works in the following versions of Word: MS Word 2019, MS Word 2016, MS Word 2013, MS Word 2010, MS Word 2007.

How to Number Pages in Word Automatically

First, let’s look at how to make pagination in Word the easiest way. This is an automatic way to add numbering to all pages of a document from beginning to end.

Do the following:

1. Open the desired document in Word.
2. Enter the “Insert” tab.
3. In the Headers and Footers group, click the Page Number button.

In the drop-down context menu, items are available to select the location of numbers on the page:

• Top of the page.
• At the bottom of the page.
• On the margins of the page.
• Current position.

4. It is necessary to choose the appropriate option for the arrangement of numbers on the sheets of the document. To do this, click on the corresponding menu item.
5. A window will open with examples of the location of the number on the document page. Click on the appropriate template.

Numbers will be added to the pages of the Word document, in accordance with the previously selected location.

6. Click on the “Close Header Window” button to exit the insert mode.

How to number pages in Word starting from a specific number

Sometimes, users have questions about how to number pages starting from a certain number in order, and not from the first, as is usually done in most cases.

You need to make the following settings:

1. In the Microsoft Word window, go to the “Insert” tab.
2. Click on the “Page Number” button located in the “Headers and Footers” group.
3. Select the numbering location on the document page.
4. In the context menu, click on the “Format page numbers …” item.
5. In the “Page Number Format” window, in the “Page Numbering” option, activate the “start at:” option, and then select the appropriate page number.
6. Click on the “OK” button.

In this case, the number you selected will be displayed in place of the first page, and then the numbers in ascending order.

How to number pages in Word without a title page

Quite often, users have a question about how to number pages without a title page. The title page does not include a page number, although it may be included in the numbering of the Word document.

When inserting page numbers, we need to fulfill the requirement: number the pages starting from sheet 2. Go through the following steps:

1. Perform page numbering automatically.
2. Double-click the left mouse button on the number “1” on the first sheet of the document.
3. On the Design menu, in the Options group, check the box next to Custom First Page Header.
4. Close the footer window.

After that, the display of the number will disappear from the first page of the document, and the numbering will continue from the number “2” on the second page.

If on the second page you want to continue numbering from the number “1”, excluding the title page, follow these steps:

1. Enter the “Insert” menu, go to the “Headers and Footers” group, click on the “Page Number” button.
2. In the context menu, click on “Format page numbers …”.
3. In the “Page Number Format” window, in the “Page Numbering” option, in the “start at:” parameter, select “0”.
4. Click on the “OK” button, and then close the header and footer window.

How to number pages from sheet 3 or subsequent sheets – 1 way

There are situations when it is necessary to number pages from sheet 3 or any other subsequent sheet. At the beginning of the document, there is often a title page, a table of contents, so the numbering on these pages of which looks inappropriate.

We use the following solution to the problem with two options:

1. In a Word document, perform automatic insertion of numbers on pages.
2. Click the mouse cursor at the bottom, after the last line on the first sheet of the document.
3. Open the “Layout” tab (in Word 2007 and in Word 2010 – the “Page Layout” tab), in the “Page Setup” group, click on the “Breaks” button.
4. From the Page Breaks menu, in the Section Breaks group, select Next Page.
5. Go to the second page of the document, move the mouse cursor to the end of the page, select “Breaks” and then “Next Page”.
6. Repeat this operation for those pages that should not have numbers.
7. Go to the first page of the document, and then click anywhere with the mouse cursor.
8. Enter the “Insert” menu, in the “Headers and Footers” group, click on the “Page Numbers” button.
9. In the context menu, select “Format Page Numbers…”.
10. In the “Page Number Format” window, in the “Page Numbering” setting, in the “start at:” option, put the number “0”.
11. Click on the “OK” button.

Go to the second page of the document, do the same. If you want to start numbering from “4”, “5” or another page, do the same for each page.

In our document, the first two pages contain the number “0”, and the numbering in Word starts from the third page, where the number “1” is now located. We need to remove the “0” from the first two pages of the document.

1. Double click on the number “0”, the page will display the header and footer.
2. On the Design tab, in the Options group, select Custom First Page Header.
3. The number “0” will disappear from the document page. Repeat these steps on the second page of your Word document.
4. Finally, click on the “Close Header Window” button.

As a result, there are no numbers on the first and second pages, and the numbering starts from the third sheet of the Word document.

To change the numbering order, for example, if you want the third page to display the number “3” instead of “1”, change the order in which the numbering starts.

1. Click on the number “1”.
2. Open the “Insert” menu, click on the “Page Number” item.
3. From the open menu, select “Format Page Numbers…”.
4. In the “Page Numbering” section, in the “start at:” setting, put the number “3”, and then save the changes.

How to make numbering in Word from 3 pages – 2 way

Now we will analyze a similar option:

1. Set automatically numbers on the pages of a Word document.
2. Click after the last line on the first page of the document.
3. In the “Layout” tab (in Word 2007 and in Word 2010 – “Page Layout”), click on the “Breaks” button located in the “Page Setup” group.
4. From the Page Breaks context menu, in the Section Breaks group, click Next Page.
5. Double click on page 3 where the numbering should be displayed.
6. In the “Transitions” group, click on the “As in the previous section” button.
7. In the Options group, uncheck the box next to Custom First Page Header.
8. In the Headers and Footers group, click on Page Number.
9. Select the location of the numbering elements, and then click on the “Format page numbers …” item.
10. In the “Page Format” window, in the “start with:” numbering options, put the number “1” or the number “3”, depending on which number you want to start numbering on page 3 of the document.

How to make numbering from page 3 of a document – 3 way

Using this simple method, you can remove the numbering from the first pages of the document, starting the display of numbers from page 3 or the next. We’re using the Insert Shapes feature, which covers the numbers on the document page.

This method is best used when the user has already finished editing the document to avoid formatting violations. Otherwise, with further editing, the formatting of the document may change, because of this, the figures may shift in space, and the hidden numbers may become visible again.

In the Word file window, do the following:

1. Click on the first word on the document page.
2. Enter the “Insert” menu, in the “Illustrations” group, click on “Shapes”.
3. Select Rectangle from the context menu.
4. Place a shape outline (rectangle) around the number.
5. Click on the Shape Fill button.
6. Choose white from the Theme Colors menu.

The number will disappear because it is covered by the shape. On the page, we still have the outline of the shape that needs to be hidden.

7. Click on the “Shape Outline” button, select white color for the outline.
8. Click in the Word document window.

An empty space will appear in place of the number. We have hidden the number with a white shape.

Do the same for the next, or the next few pages. As a result, the numbering in the document will be displayed from 3 or another subsequent page.

How to change the number format in pagination

If necessary, the user can change the number format used when numbering the pages of a Word document. By default, the program uses regular (Arabic) digits.

Roman numerals, lowercase or uppercase letters of the Latin alphabet are available in the application, which can be used when numbering pages, instead of ordinary numbers.

According to GOST, the following requirements are imposed on the numbering of documents:

• Arabic numerals are used;
• numbers are placed above the text at the top of the page;
• the numbering includes appendices and a list of references.

In individual institutions and organizations, different rules apply for the design of page numbering in Word.

To change the number format, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Insert” tab, in the “Headers and Footers” group, click on “Page Number”.
2. In the menu that opens, select “Format page numbers …”.
3. In the “Page Number Format” window, in the “Number Format:” parameter, select the desired format, and then click on the “OK” button.

Article Conclusions

In Word, many users do page numbering. You can number the pages of a document in several ways, depending on the preferred order of displaying numbers: from the first sheet of the document, skipping the numbering of the title page, or from an arbitrary sheet of the document.