Many documents, such as reports, theses, and proposals, open with a title page and a table of contents or abstract. Those first two pages usually should not show a page number, and the main content should begin with page 1 on what is actually the third sheet of the document. Microsoft Word can do this, but not through a single checkbox. The trick is to split the document into sections, disconnect the footer of the new section from the one before it, and then tell Word where to start counting.
This guide walks through the process step by step in Word for Windows and Mac (Microsoft 365, Word 2021, 2019, and 2016 work the same way). It also covers how to make page 3 show “3” instead of “1,” and how to fix the most common problems.
Quick Answer
Put your cursor at the end of page 2, go to Layout > Breaks > Next Page, double-click the footer on page 3, turn off Link to Previous, insert page numbers, then use Format Page Numbers to start at 1. Finally, delete any page numbers left on pages 1 and 2.
How Sections Make This Work
By default, a Word document is one section, and every page in a section shares the same header and footer settings. If you add page numbers, they appear on every page. A section break divides the document so that each part can have its own headers, footers, and numbering. When the new section’s footer is “linked to previous,” it copies the earlier section. Unlinking it is what lets pages 1 and 2 stay blank while page 3 shows a number.
How to Start Page Numbers from Page 3 in Word
Step 1: Show formatting marks (optional but helpful)
On the Home tab, click the paragraph mark button (ΒΆ) to show formatting marks. This lets you see section breaks and page breaks, which makes it much easier to spot mistakes.
Step 2: Place your cursor at the end of page 2
Click at the very end of the last line of text on page 2. If page 2 ends with a manual page break, delete that break first, because you will replace it with a section break.
Step 3: Insert a Next Page section break
Go to the Layout tab (called Page Layout in some older versions), click Breaks, and under Section Breaks choose Next Page. Word starts a new section on the following page, which is your page 3.
Step 4: Open the footer on page 3
Scroll to page 3 and double-click in the footer area (or the header, if you want numbers at the top). The Header & Footer tab appears on the ribbon, and the footer label should read “Footer -Section 2-.”
Step 5: Turn off Link to Previous
On the Header & Footer tab, click Link to Previous so it is no longer highlighted. The “Same as Previous” tag on the right side of the footer disappears. Section 2’s footer is now independent from section 1. If you are numbering in the header, unlink the header instead (or both, to be safe).
Step 6: Insert page numbers
With your cursor still in the page 3 footer, click Page Number on the Header & Footer tab (or on the Insert tab), choose a location such as Bottom of Page, and pick a style.
Step 7: Set the numbering to start at 1
Click Page Number > Format Page Numbers. Under Page numbering, select Start at and enter 1, then click OK. Page 3 now shows 1, page 4 shows 2, and so on.
Step 8: Remove numbers from pages 1 and 2
Scroll up to the footer on page 1 or 2. If a page number appears there, select it and press Delete. Because the sections are no longer linked, this removes the numbers only from section 1. Double-click in the document body or click Close Header and Footer when you are done.
How to Make Page 3 Show “3” Instead of “1”
Some style guides want the cover and contents pages counted even though their numbers are hidden. In that case, follow the steps above but skip Step 7, or in Format Page Numbers choose Continue from previous section. Page 3 will display 3 while pages 1 and 2 stay blank.
Using Roman Numerals on the First Pages
Academic documents often number the front matter with lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii) and the body with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). To do that, click in the section 1 footer, insert page numbers, open Format Page Numbers, and choose the i, ii, iii number format. Because section 2 is unlinked and set to start at 1, the two sections number independently.
Troubleshooting
- Numbers disappeared from every page. Link to Previous was probably still on when you deleted the numbers from page 1. Press Ctrl+Z (Command+Z on Mac), unlink section 2, then delete again.
- Page 3 still says 3. Open Format Page Numbers in section 2 and set Start at to 1.
- A blank page appeared. You likely have both a page break and a section break. Turn on formatting marks and delete the extra page break.
- The section break is in the wrong place. Delete it (select the “Section Break (Next Page)” mark and press Delete) and insert a new one at the end of page 2. Be aware that deleting a section break can change the formatting of the section before it.
- Different first page is checked. If this option is on for section 2, its first page (page 3) will have a separate, empty footer. Uncheck it on the Header & Footer tab.
Tips
- Set up the section break before you add lots of content, so page 2 stays where you expect.
- Use Print Preview or Read Mode to check numbering across the whole document.
- If you just want to hide the number on the cover only, you can use the simpler Different First Page option instead of sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start numbering on page 3 without section breaks?
Not reliably. Different First Page only affects one page, so hiding numbers on two pages requires a section break.
Does this work in Word for the web?
Word for the web has more limited header and footer controls, so section-based numbering is easiest to set up in the desktop app.
Will the table of contents use the new numbers?
Yes. After changing numbering, right-click the table of contents and choose Update Field so it reflects the new page numbers.
Summary
To start page numbers on page 3 in Word, insert a Next Page section break at the end of page 2, unlink the section 2 footer with Link to Previous, add page numbers, set them to start at 1, and delete the numbers from the first two pages.
More Word page-number help: how to show page numbers in Word and how to skip the first page number in Word.
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.