Word has a dedicated Blank Page button that adds an empty page wherever your cursor is, in the middle of a document or at the end. There’s also a keyboard shortcut that starts a new page instantly. Both work by inserting page breaks, which keep the blank page in place even when you add or remove text elsewhere. This guide covers both methods, how to add a page in a specific spot, and how to remove a blank page you didn’t want.
Quick answer
Click where you want the new page, go to the Insert tab, and click Blank Page. Or press Ctrl + Enter to start a new page at the cursor.
Method 1: Insert > Blank Page
- Click where you want the blank page to appear. For a page between two existing pages, click at the very end of the earlier page or the very start of the later one.
- Go to the Insert tab.
- In the Pages group on the left, click Blank Page.
Word inserts two page breaks, creating a full empty page. If your cursor was in the middle of a paragraph, the text after the cursor moves to the page after the blank one.
Method 2: Ctrl + Enter (page break)
Pressing Ctrl + Enter inserts a single page break. Everything after the cursor moves to a new page. Press it twice to create a completely blank page between two pages of text. On a Mac, use Command + Enter, or go to Insert > Break > Page Break.
This is the fastest way to start a new section on a fresh page, such as a new chapter or appendix.
Add a blank page at the end of the document
Press Ctrl + End to jump to the end of the document, then click Insert > Blank Page or press Ctrl + Enter.
Add a cover page instead
If you want a designed first page rather than a blank one, click Insert > Cover Page and pick a style. Word adds it to the front of the document automatically.
Why not just press Enter?
Pressing Enter repeatedly until you reach a new page works, but it’s fragile. As soon as you add or remove text above, the empty lines shift and the “blank page” moves or breaks apart. Page breaks stay in place.
To see where page breaks are, click the ¶ (Show/Hide) button on the Home tab, or press Ctrl + Shift + 8. Page breaks appear as a dotted line labeled “Page Break.”
Remove a blank page
- Turn on Show/Hide (¶) so you can see breaks and empty paragraphs.
- Click just before the page break or empty paragraph marks on the blank page.
- Press Delete until the page disappears.
A stubborn blank page at the end of a document is often caused by the paragraph mark Word always keeps after a table. Select that last ¶ mark and set its font size to 1, or reduce the spacing after the table. Our guide on removing all page breaks in Word helps if you have many breaks to clear.
Word for the web and Mac
- Word for the web: Go to Insert > Page Break, or press Ctrl + Enter. Insert it twice for a blank page.
- Word for Mac: Insert > Blank Page works the same as on Windows.
Tips
- Use a section break (Layout > Breaks > Next Page) instead of a page break if the new page needs different margins, orientation, or headers.
- To bring in pages from another file, see inserting a page from another document.
- Using Google Docs? See adding a page in Google Docs.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Blank Page split my paragraph?
The cursor was in the middle of the paragraph. Undo with Ctrl + Z, move the cursor to the end of the paragraph, and try again.
How do I add a page in landscape orientation?
Insert a Next Page section break before and after the page, then change only that section’s orientation in Layout > Orientation.
Summary
- Click where the page should go.
- Click Insert > Blank Page, or press Ctrl + Enter.
- Use Show/Hide to find and delete unwanted breaks.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.