Page breaks in Microsoft Word are helpful—until they’re not. If your document suddenly jumps to a new page, leaves awkward blank space, or refuses to format properly, a page break is usually the culprit.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to delete a page break in Word on Windows, Mac, MacBook, Word 365, and even iPad—quickly and safely.
What Is a Page Break in Word?
A page break is a formatting marker that forces content to start on a new page. There are two types:
- Manual Page Break – inserted by the user
- Automatic Page Break – added by Word automatically
Manual page breaks are the ones you can delete.
Method 1: Show Formatting Marks (Best Way)
Before deleting a page break, you need to see it.
Steps:
- Open your Word document
- Go to the Home tab
- Click ¶ (Show/Hide)
You’ll now see “Page Break” clearly labeled in your document.
Method 2: How to Delete Page Break in Word (Windows)
This is the most common method.
Steps:
- Turn on Show/Hide ¶
- Click just before the Page Break line
- Press Delete or Backspace
✅ The page break disappears instantly
✅ Formatting returns to normal
Method 3: How to Delete Page Break in Word Shortcut Key
If you like keyboard shortcuts, this is fast and clean.
Shortcut Method:
- Place the cursor before the page break
- Press Delete (or Backspace)
💡 Tip: Page breaks don’t have a special shortcut—selection + delete is the key.
This answers:
how to delete page break in Word shortcut key
Method 4: How to Delete Page Break in Word on Mac / MacBook
Mac users can follow almost the same steps 🍎
Steps:
- Go to Home → ¶ Show/Hide
- Click before Page Break
- Press Delete
✔️ Works on MacBook Air & Pro
✔️ Compatible with latest macOS
This covers:
- how to delete page break in Word on Mac
- how to delete page break in Word MacBook
Method 5: How to Delete Page Break in Word 365
Word 365 behaves the same across platforms.
Steps:
- Enable Show/Hide ¶
- Locate the page break
- Select it and press Delete
⚠️ If it won’t delete, it may be an automatic page break, which Word controls.
This solves:
how to delete page break in Word 365
Method 6: How to Delete Page Break in Word on iPad
Word on iPad has limited formatting tools, but it’s still doable.
Steps:
- Tap inside the document
- Switch to Print Layout
- Tap near the page break
- Use Backspace to remove it
📱 Manual page breaks only—automatic ones can’t be removed on iPad.
This answers:
how to delete page break in Word on iPad
Why You Can’t Delete Some Page Breaks
If a page break won’t go away, it’s likely caused by:
- Section breaks
- Paragraph spacing
- Page layout settings
- Automatic page breaks
💡 Fix by adjusting Layout → Spacing or checking paragraph settings.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ❌ Not enabling Show/Hide ¶
- ❌ Confusing page breaks with section breaks
- ❌ Trying to delete automatic page breaks
- ❌ Editing in Read Mode
Related Guides You’ll Find Useful (Internal Links)
If you work with Word and Excel formatting often, these guides are great companions:
- 🔗 Change text case instantly in Word
https://multicaretechnical.com/how-to-capitalize-all-letters-in-word-windows-mac-mobile-shortcuts - 🔗 Remove duplicate data in Excel
https://multicaretechnical.com/how-to-delete-duplicates-in-excel-easy-step-by-step-guide - 🔗 Move Excel columns safely
https://multicaretechnical.com/how-to-move-columns-in-excel-without-breaking-your-data
Quick FAQ Snippets (AI Overview Friendly)
How do I delete a page break in Word?
Turn on Show/Hide ¶, select the page break, and press Delete.
Why won’t my page break delete?
It may be an automatic page break or caused by paragraph spacing or section settings.
Can I delete a page break in Word on MacBook?
Yes. Enable Show/Hide ¶ and delete the page break manually.
Can I remove page breaks on Word iPad?
Only manual page breaks can be removed on iPad.
Final Thoughts
Once you know where to look, deleting a page break in Word is easy. The key is enabling Show/Hide formatting marks and understanding the difference between manual and automatic breaks.
Fixing page breaks instantly improves layout, saves time, and keeps your document looking professional.