To remove all page breaks in Word at once, press Ctrl + H to open Find and Replace. Type ^m in the Find what box, leave Replace with empty, and click Replace All. Word deletes every manual page break in the document. To remove section breaks too, repeat with ^b.
Some “page breaks” aren’t real breaks. They come from paragraph settings like Page break before or Keep with next. Here’s how to find and remove each kind.
How to remove all manual page breaks
- Press Ctrl + H, or click Replace on the Home tab.
- Click in Find what and type ^m. Or click More > Special > Manual Page Break.
- Leave Replace with empty.
- Click Replace All, then OK.
On a Mac, press Command + Shift + H or use Edit > Find > Advanced Find and Replace, then follow the same steps.
How to remove section breaks
- Open Find and Replace with Ctrl + H.
- Type ^b in Find what.
- Leave Replace with empty and click Replace All.
Be careful: removing section breaks can change headers, footers, page numbering, margins, and page orientation, because those settings are stored per section. Check your document afterward.
How to see page breaks before deleting them
Click Show/Hide ¶ on the Home tab, or press Ctrl + Shift + 8. Breaks appear as dotted lines labeled Page Break or Section Break. Click just before one and press Delete to remove it individually.
Remove breaks caused by paragraph settings
If text still jumps to a new page, the paragraph may be set to start a new page.
- Select all text with Ctrl + A, or select just the affected paragraphs.
- On the Home tab, click the small arrow in the Paragraph group corner.
- Click the Line and Page Breaks tab.
- Uncheck Page break before. Also consider unchecking Keep with next and Keep lines together if large gaps appear.
- Click OK.
Headings often use Keep with next on purpose, so a heading doesn’t sit alone at the bottom of a page. You may want to leave it on for headings.
Page break symbols in Find and Replace
| Code | Finds |
|---|---|
| ^m | Manual page breaks |
| ^b | Section breaks |
| ^n | Column breaks |
| ^l | Manual line breaks (Shift + Enter) |
| ^p | Paragraph marks |
To remove empty paragraphs too, see how to delete blank lines.
Related: How to Replace a Word With Another Word in Microsoft Word.
Related: How to add a blank page in Word.
Related: How to move paragraphs in Word.
Related: Show or hide non-printing characters in Word.
Frequently asked questions
Why didn’t Replace All remove every break?
Some breaks come from section breaks or paragraph settings, not manual page breaks. Try ^b and check the Line and Page Breaks settings.
How do I remove a blank page caused by a page break?
Turn on Show/Hide ¶, click before the page break, and press Delete.
Can I undo removing all page breaks?
Yes. Press Ctrl + Z right after Replace All.
How do I insert a page break?
Press Ctrl + Enter, or go to Insert > Page Break.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.