Long tables in Word often split awkwardly: a single row gets cut in half across two pages, the header row is left behind, or a short table starts at the bottom of one page and finishes on the next. Word has settings to control all of this. This guide shows how to keep rows together, keep an entire table on one page, repeat header rows, and fix tables that still won’t cooperate, in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021/2019/2016 and Word for Mac.
Quick Answer
To stop a row splitting across pages, select the table, right-click and choose Table Properties > Row, and uncheck Allow row to break across pages. To keep a whole short table on one page, select all rows except the last and turn on Keep with next in Paragraph > Line and Page Breaks.
Keep Individual Rows From Splitting
- Click in the table and select all rows (click the move handle at the top-left corner of the table, or use Layout > Select > Select Table).
- Right-click and choose Table Properties (or Layout > Properties).
- Open the Row tab.
- Uncheck Allow row to break across pages.
- Click OK.
Each row now moves to the next page as a whole instead of being split. A single row taller than a page will still have to break.
Keep an Entire Table on One Page
- Select every row of the table except the last one.
- On the Home tab, click the small arrow in the Paragraph group to open the Paragraph dialog.
- Open Line and Page Breaks.
- Check Keep with next and click OK.
Word now moves the whole table to the next page if it doesn’t fit. To keep a title or caption with the table, apply Keep with next to that paragraph too.
Repeat the Header Row on Each Page
- Select the header row (or several top rows).
- Go to Layout (Table Layout) and click Repeat Header Rows, or check Repeat as header row at the top of each page on the Row tab of Table Properties.
Repeated headers only work when the table breaks naturally at the page end, not with manual page breaks.
Still Splitting? Check These
- Text wrapping: in Table Properties > Table, set Text wrapping to None. Floating (wrapped) tables behave unpredictably across pages.
- Manual page breaks inside or above the table: turn on Show/Hide ¶ (Ctrl + Shift + 8) and delete them.
- Exact row height: on the Row tab, change Row height is from Exactly to At least so rows grow instead of cutting off text.
- Page break before or Keep lines together settings in the Paragraph dialog can push content unexpectedly; clear them if not needed.
- Very long tables can’t fit on one page, so Keep with next won’t help. Let them break between rows and repeat the header.
Word for Mac
Select the table, then choose Table Layout > Properties > Row and uncheck Allow row to break across pages. For Keep with next, use Format > Paragraph > Line and Page Breaks.
Related: Fix common table problems in Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I force a table to start on a new page?
Click in the first row, open the Paragraph dialog and check Page break before, or insert a page break (Ctrl + Enter) before the table.
Why does the header row not repeat?
It must be the first row(s) of the table, and the table must break automatically rather than with a manual page break.
Does this work in Word for the web?
Word for the web offers some table properties, but for full control use the desktop app.
Summary
- Table Properties > Row > uncheck Allow row to break across pages.
- Select all but the last row and turn on Keep with next to keep the table together.
- Use Repeat Header Rows for long tables.
- Remove wrapping, manual breaks and exact row heights if problems persist.
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.