How to Add Advanced Headers and Footers in Word GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > MS Office

How to Add Advanced Headers and Footers in Word

Create different sections to apply different document headers and footers

By Rebecca Johnson Rebecca Johnson Freelance Contributor Rebecca Johnson is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire and a Microsoft Office Certified Master Instructor who specializes in Microsoft Office products. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 4, 2021 Reviewed by Ryan Perian Reviewed by Ryan Perian Western Governors University Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Word Excel Powerpoint Outlook

What to Know

Double-click the top or bottom margin of a section. Anything added to the field appears as a header or footer on subsequent pages.For advanced settings, select Insert. In Header and Footer, choose the Header or Footer drop-down menu and select your options.Headers and footers can be applied per section. To create a new section, go to desired spot in document and choose Insert > Break. Microsoft Word provides advanced header and footer options for lengthy or complicated documents. In this guide, we show you how to add headers and footers, as well as how to add section breaks, page numbers, dates, times, and other information using Microsoft Word for Mac (2012 through 2019) and Microsoft Word Online.

Add Headers and Footers

The easiest way to insert a header or footer is to place the mouse pointer in the top or bottom margin of a section and double-click to open the Header and Footer workspace. Anything you add to this workspace appears on every page of the section. To return to the body of your document, double-click anywhere in it. You can format the header and footer text, for example, with a different font or bold text, and insert an image, such as a logo.

Add a Heading or Footer From the Word Ribbon

You can also use the Microsoft Word ribbon to add a header or footer. The benefit of this method is that the options are preformatted. Microsoft Word provides headers and footers with colored dividing lines, document title placeholders, date placeholders, page number placeholders, and other elements. Using one of these preformatted styles can save time and add a touch of professionalism to your documents. Here's how: Click the Insert tab. In the Header and Footer section, click the Header or Footer drop-down arrow. Select the desired option. Blank creates a blank header or footer, into which you can insert whatever text or graphics you like. The Header & Footer tab appears. Click Close Header and Footer to return to the main body of the document.

Unlink Headers and Footers From Previous Sections

Click anywhere in the header or footer. Go to the Header & Footer tab, then click Link To Previous to turn off the link. Type a new header or footer for this section. Now unlinked, it functions independently of the previous ones.

Add Section Breaks in Microsoft Word

Sections are parts of a document. Use sections to organize content into chapters, topics, or whatever other division helps your reader understand and use the document. Each section in a Word document can have its own formatting, page layouts, columns, headers, and footers. Sections are created using section breaks. To use headers and footers, insert a section break at the beginning of each section for which you want to apply a unique header or footer. The formatting you set up extends to each page of the section until another section break is encountered. To set up a section break: Navigate to the spot where you want to create the break and select Insert > Break. Alternatively, click Layout > Breaks. Select the type of break you want. Section Break (Next Page): The section starts on a new page.Section Break (Continuous): The section continues from the selected spot.Section Break (Odd Page): Starts a new section on the next odd-numbered page.Section Break (Even Page): Starts a new section on the next even-numbered page. Section breaks aren't visible by default. To see section breaks, go to the Home tab and click the section symbol. After your document is divided into sections, you can apply headers and footers on a per-section basis. Use headers and footers without inserting section breaks to use the same headers and footers throughout the document.

Include Page Numbers Dates Times or Other Info

Word offers many options for including information automatically. For example, to insert page numbers: Go to the Header & Footer tab, then click Insert > Page Number. Click Format Page Numbers and select the appropriate settings. For example, select the Include Chapter Number check box if you formatted your document with Styles. To change the starting number, click the up or down arrow. Then, click OK. To add the date or time, go to the Header & Footer tab and select Date & Time. Choose a date format in the dialog box that appears and click Update automatically so that the current date and time always display in the document. Footnotes are not the same as footers. How to Fix Page Numbers in Word Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Insert a Document in Word How to Fix Page Numbers in Word How to Add Line Numbers to a MS Word Document How to Remove Header in Google Docs How to Insert a Page in Word How to Insert a Page Break in Word How to Use APA Format in Google Docs How to Plan and Create WordPerfect Templates How to Remove a Footer in Google Docs How to Hyperlink in Word Documents How to Remove a Page Break in Word How to Modify Page Setup for Printing in Firefox How to Add and Remove a Border From a Word Document How to Add Page Numbers in PowerPoint How to Delete a Blank Page in Word How to Make a Brochure in Microsoft Word Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies