How to Set Page Breaks

Page breaks are incredibly useful when you want to make a page appear as you want it to. A page break ends one page, and starts a new one; many word-processing software will insert page breaks automatically, but you can set them manually. This wikiHow will teach you how to set page breaks in Microsoft Excel, Word, Google Docs, and Sheets.

Method 1
Method 1 of 5:
Setting Page Breaks in Excel

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    1
    Open your project in Excel. With the program open, go to File > Open to open your file. On the other hand, you can open the file in Excel before opening the program by right-clicking the file in your file manager (File Explorer for Windows and Finder for Mac) and selecting Open with > Excel.
    • To see both your manual page breaks and the automatically added ones, go to View > Page Break Preview. Automatically added page breaks will appear as dotted blue lines.
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    Click the row below your desired horizontal page break location. For example, if you want to place a page break between rows 4 and 5, select row 5.
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    Insert the horizontal page break. Go to the Page Layout tab and click the arrow below "Breaks." From the options, select Insert Page Break. A thick line will appear where the manual break was inserted.
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    Select the column to the right of your desired vertical line break. For example, if you want to insert a vertical line break between columns C and D, select column D.
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    5
    Insert the vertical page break. Go to the Page Layout tab and click the arrow below "Breaks." From the options, select Insert Page Break. A thick line will indicate where the manual break was inserted.
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    Move a page break. If you want the page break to occur at a different location than where you’ve inserted it, hold your mouse over the break until an arrow appears, then drag the arrow to another location.
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    7
    Delete a page break. If you no longer want a page break you’ve inserted, it’s possible to delete it. The automatic page breaks will adjust once you delete a manual page break.
    • To delete a vertical break, select the column directly to the right of your vertical page break. Click the arrow below “Breaks” and select Remove Page Break.
    • To delete a horizontal line break, select the row below the horizontal page break, then click the arrow below “Breaks” and select Remove Page Break.
    • If you don't want to see the page breaks, you can go back to the View tab and select Normal.[1]
    • To use a keyboard shortcut to add a page break, press Alt + P + B + I. The PBI stands for "Page Break Insert."
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:
Inserting a Page Break in Word on Windows

  1. Image titled Set Page Breaks Step 8
    1
    Open your project in Word. With the program open, go to File > Open to open your file. On the other hand, you can open the file in Word before opening the program by right-clicking the file in your file manager (File Explorer for Windows) and selecting Open with > Word.
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    2
    Put your cursor where you want to insert a page break. This will end the current page and begin another.
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    3
    Go to Insert and click Page Break. Word will adjust the following page breaks unless you insert more manually.
    • This would be useful to end a chapter and start a new one if you're writing a book.
    • To delete your page breaks, first make all non-printable marks visible (like page breaks and new paragraph markings) by going to Home > Show/Hide. Then double-click your page break in the document to select it and press your Backspace key to delete it.
    • To use a keyboard shortcut to insert a page break, press Ctrl + Enter.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:
Inserting a Page Break in Word on Mac

  1. Image titled Set Page Breaks Step 11
    1
    With the program open, go to File > Open to open your file. On the other hand, you can open the file in Word before opening the program by right-clicking the file in your file manager (Finder for Mac) and selecting Open with > Word.
  2. Image titled Set Page Breaks Step 12
    2
    Go to Layout. You'll see this menu option above the document editing space next to References and Mailings.
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    3
    Click Breaks and select Page. The page will end and start a new one where your cursor is.[2]
    • To delete your page breaks, first make all non-printable marks visible (like page breaks and new paragraph markings) by going to Home > Show/Hide. Then double-click your page break in the document to select it and press your Backspace key to delete it.
    • To use a keyboard shortcut to insert a page break, press Cmd + Enter.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:
Inserting a Page Break in Google Docs

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    Open a Google Doc. You can go to https://docs.google.com/document/ or you can open the mobile app. This app icon looks like a blue sheet of paper with a corner folded down.
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    Tap
    Image titled Android7edit.png
    (mobile only).     If you're using a web browser, go to the section where you want to add a page break.
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    Go to Insert (web) or + (mobile). The insert button or icon is in the menu above your document space.
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    Hover your mouse over Break (web only). It'll prompt another window to open.
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    5
    Select Page Break. Selecting this will insert a page break where your cursor is.
    • To remove a page break, tap or click below it and press Delete/Backspace until the gap is closed.[3]
    • To use a keyboard shortcut to create a page break, press Ctrl + Enter.[4]
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:
Inserting a Page Break with Google Sheets on Your Computer

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    Go to http://sheets.google.com/. Unfortunately, you cannot use the mobile app to add or edit page breaks in Google Sheets. Instead, you will have to use a desktop version of the website.
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    Click File. It's in the menu above your document space. If you don't see this, click the downwards pointing arrow in the upper right corner of your browser to expand the menu.
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    Click Print. This option is next to a printer icon and will open a print settings window.
    • Alternatively, you can press Ctrl/Cmd + P.
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    Click Set Custom Page Breaks. It's on the right side of the page.
    • You'll see a print preview where each printed page is outlined in dotted blue lines.
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    5
    Drag the highlights to change your page breaks. You'll see the new page breaks added to the document to suggest the size of what a page can fit.
    • Any page breaks that you've changed will appear as solid blue lines.
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    6
    Click Confirm Breaks. It's in the top right corner and will set the page breaks as you've edited them here.
    • To remove a page break, click it to select it and click the x that appears at the top of the line.[5]
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-move-or-delete-page-breaks-in-a-worksheet-ad3dc726-beec-4a4c-861f-ed640612bdc2?redirectSourcePath=%252fen-us%252farticle%252fCreate-manual-page-breaks-in-a-worksheet-3765600c-8d42-4b47-96a2-83a08258c400&ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US
  2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-page-break-in-word-eb0e569c-8e3f-4db4-9b13-7bfe1cabdbd7#ID0EAABAAA=macOS
  3. ↑ https://support.google.com/docs/answer/45893?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1#zippy=%2Cremove-a-page-break
  4. ↑ https://support.google.com/docs/answer/179738?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
  5. ↑ https://support.google.com/docs/answer/7663148?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&oco=1

About This Article

Darlene Antonelli, MA
Written by:
Darlene Antonelli, MA
Tech Specialist
This article was written by Darlene Antonelli, MA. Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities.
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Co-authors: 5
Updated: November 30, 2021
Views: 379
Categories: Software
Article SummaryX

1. Open your project in Excel.
2. Click the row below your desired horizontal page break location.
3. Insert the horizontal page break.
4. Select the column to the right of your desired vertical line break.
5. Insert the vertical page break.
6. Move a page break.
7. Delete a page break.

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