How to Insert a Section Break in Word (All 4 Types)

What a Section Break Does (and Why Word Has Four)

A Word document is divided into sections, and every page-level setting — margins, orientation, paper size, columns, headers, footers, page numbering — belongs to a section, not to the document. One section means one set of those settings everywhere. The moment you need a landscape page in a portrait report, roman-numeral page numbers in a front matter, or a chapter that always opens on a right-hand page, you need a second section, and a section break is how you create it.

The four types differ in exactly one thing: where the new section starts. Next Page starts it on a fresh page, Continuous on the same page, and Even Page and Odd Page on the next even- or odd-numbered page. A detail worth knowing before you insert one: the label Word displays on a break — say, "Section Break (Next Page)" — describes how the section after the break starts, and the break itself rides on an invisible paragraph mark. That is why breaks can later be tricky to remove; if you ever get stuck, see can't delete a section break in Word.

How to Insert a Section Break in Word (Step by Step)

Step 1: Click where the new section should begin

Place the cursor at the exact point where you want the formatting to change — before the chapter heading that needs a fresh page, or right where a landscape table should start. Everything after the cursor will belong to the new section.

Step 2: Open the Layout tab and click Breaks

On the ribbon, go to Layout (called Page Layout in Word 2010 and earlier) and click the Breaks button. The dropdown has two groups: Page Breaks at the top and Section Breaks at the bottom. Only the bottom four create new sections. Word for Mac works the same way: Layout > Breaks, with the four section break types listed below the page breaks — see our Mac section break guide for the Mac-specific shortcuts.

Step 3: Choose one of the four section break types

Pick Next Page to start the new section on a fresh page, Continuous to start it on the same page, Even Page to start it on the next even-numbered page, or Odd Page to start it on the next odd-numbered page. The guide below explains when each one is the right choice.

Step 4: Turn on formatting marks to confirm the break

Press Ctrl+Shift+8 (Cmd+8 on Mac) to show formatting marks. You should see a double dotted line labeled with the break type, such as "Section Break (Next Page)". The label describes how the section after the break starts.

Step 5: Apply section-specific formatting

Click inside the new section and change what you need — orientation or margins under Layout > Page Setup, headers and footers via the Header & Footer tab (turn off "Link to Previous" first), or page numbering via Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers.

The Four Section Break Types and When to Use Each

Next Page — the general-purpose break

What it does: ends the current section and starts the new one at the top of the next page. Use it for chapters, appendices, a landscape table or chart in a portrait document, or anywhere page numbering restarts. It is the default choice whenever the new formatting should begin on its own page. To insert it: click before the content that starts the new part, then Layout > Breaks > Next Page. It is also the type most often behind phantom blank pages — if one appears later, our Next Page deletion guide covers the fix.

Continuous — new formatting, same page

What it does: starts the new section immediately, without a page boundary. Use it for anything two layouts must share a page for — most commonly a multi-column region between single-column text, or a margin change for one block. Word inserts these itself when you apply columns to a selection. To insert it: Layout > Breaks > Continuous, once where the new formatting starts and usually once more where it should end. Removing one safely has its own rules — see deleting a Continuous section break.

Even Page — start on a left-hand page

What it does: starts the new section on the next even-numbered page; if the next page would be odd, Word leaves it blank and skips ahead. Use it for double-sided, bound layouts where something must open on a verso (left) page — the back of a title leaf, or spreads that must align. To insert it: Layout > Breaks > Even Page. The skipped page is intentional white space in print, but it surprises people reading on screen.

Odd Page — start on a right-hand page

What it does: the mirror of Even Page — the new section begins on the next odd-numbered page, skipping a blank even page if needed. Use it for book-style chapters, which conventionally open on a recto (right) page. To insert it: Layout > Breaks > Odd Page before each chapter heading. Note that Google Docs supports neither Even Page nor Odd Page breaks — details in our Google Docs section break guide.

Insert With Care — Removal Is the Hard Part

Inserting a section break takes two clicks; the cost comes later. Every break is a permanent divider that survives edits around it, and an unneeded one — especially a Next Page break stranded on an empty paragraph — is the number-one cause of blank pages that refuse to delete. So insert the least powerful break that does the job, prefer a plain page break when formatting doesn't change, and delete breaks you no longer need. And if a document has already collected breaks you can't untangle, the free FixMyDocx tool on our home page lists every section break in your .docx and removes the problem ones in one click, right in your browser.

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