Being able to choose the specific point at which to start page numbering in Microsoft Word is very handy. This trick is particularly useful when crafting more formal documents like a report with a cover page and table of contents, where you may want to start page numbering on page 2 or 3, for example.
By default, Microsoft Word will start page numbering from the very first page, regardless of how you intend to use it. However, there is a way to manipulate your pages to improve readability and the user experience.
Microsoft Word hasn't always had the most intuitive UI, but now it's part of Microsoft 365, which is among the best online collaboration tools, so it’s actually a quick process.
You can manipulate page numbering by splitting the document into sections, with each section dictating where you want the numbering to start. We've detailed the full process below, including a preparatory step you will need to take before you're able to start page numbering from a specific page in Microsoft Word.
How to start page numbering from a specific page in Microsoft Word
Step 1: Prepare your document
(Image: © Microsoft)
To begin numbering pages from the second page and higher in Microsoft Word, you will need to break your document down into sections. These section breaks mean you can start numbering different pages beginning with number one.
Navigate to the top of the page that you want to start numbering and click the Layout tab in the top ribbon to reveal a set of commands underneath.
Hit the Breaks dropdown menu to see a number of different types of Section Break. You can choose from these options, depending on your use case, but in most cases you will probably need to use the Continuous option. Hitting the continuous option will start a new section wherever you have your cursor on the page.
After doing this you will have two sections in your document, the first containing the pages you don’t want to be numbered, and the second containing the pages you do want numbered.
Step 2: Insert page numbers
Next up is inserting page numbers for the whole document. Navigate back to the top ribbon and click the Insert tab. Locate the Header & Footer section and go into the Page Number dropdown menu.
You can now choose from the Top of Page, Bottom of Page, and Page Margins options, depending on where you want the page numbers to appear.
Once you have selected the desired location and a number style, which includes its alignment, bold text, brackets, and more, the whole document should now have page numbers.
Step 3: Deselect the Link to Previous option
(Image: © Microsoft)
Now we need to unlink this page numbering across the two sections you created in the previous stage.
Double-click either the header, footer, or margin on any page in the section you want numbered, according to where you decided to put your page numbers. This should create a new tab in the top ribbon labeled Header & Footer, with a series of commands listed below it.
Looking at Navigation, the Link to Previous option should already be selected by default. Turn this off by clicking on it, which should mean the sections you created in the preparation stage should have separate page numbering.
Step 4: Choose a number to start page numbering
(Image: © Microsoft)
By discontinuing the numbering between the two sections, you’re now able to start numbering from your chosen page. By default, the page number mirrors the page position in the document.
You may wish to change this if, for example, you’re writing a book or an academic paper with a title page or a cover page and want to number your pages starting from 1.
Click your cursor on any page in the numbered section. Then, either head to the Insert tab and open the Header & Footer section, or double-click the header, footer, or margin where the page number is. This will open the Header & Footer ribbon. Click the Page Number dropdown and select Format Page Numbers.
At the bottom of the menu, type your desired number in Start at and click OK.
Step 5: Remove page numbering from the first section
The final part of the process is to remove any page numbers from pages you don't want to count, such as the cover or table of contents.
Click your cursor on any page in the section that should have no numbering – presumably, the first few pages of the document. Locate the Page Number dropdown within the Header & Footer commands and click Remove Page Numbers.
Because you’ve unlinked the sections created in the preparation step, the first section should now be number-free. The rest of the document should be numbered, starting with the page separating the two sections.
Step 6 (optional): Change the page number format
If you would like the page numbers to be represented in a different way, such as Roman numerals for the introductory section of your report, this can be achieved by using the menus outlined in Step 4.
To do this, open the Format Page Numbers menu by clicking Insert and then the Header & Footer menu, followed by the Page Number dropdown and then Format Page Numbers. At the top, the Number format dropdown contains multiple numbering styles to choose from, including Roman numerals.
Summary
Starting page numbering from a specific page can make a huge difference to the readability of your document, particularly if it’s an academic or professional paper.
While it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, modifying settings for sections and page numbers could get tricky, which is why we recommend breaking your pages into sections before you begin.
Then, you can determine the starting point and formatting for your page numbering in the second section before removing any numbering from the first section.
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You can further advance your Microsoft Office knowledge by reading our guides on how to use the Microsoft Office Ribbon, how to insert a tick or a cross symbol in Microsoft Word and Excel, or how to insert and edit footnotes in Microsoft Word.
Ioana Andrei
Ioana holds a BSc in Business Management from King's College London, and has worked for over four years as a management consultant in the industries of technology, media and telecoms. Ioana is also a successful entrepreneur, having launched several social enterprises. Writing interests include market research and planning, start-up culture and ethics, agile methodology, and financial modelling. No stranger to tech and hackathons, she is also an accomplished fintech and SaaS writer.
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