Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Adding a Break to Your Document.

Adding a Break to Your Document

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 5, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365


1

As you are typing in Word, you will notice the program automatically keeps track of where you are. When your document no longer fits on a single page, Word automatically inserts a page break (indicated by a thin dashed line when viewing your document in Normal view) and wraps your text to the next page.

There may be times, however, when you want to insert a break in your text manually. Word supports the following types of breaks:

  • Page breaks. Causes the following text to begin at the top of the next page.
  • Column breaks. Causes the following text to begin at the top of the next column. (If there is only one column in your page layout, the column break functions the same as a page break.)
  • Section breaks. Causes the following text to begin a new section of your document. Where the actual break occurs depends on the type of section break you use. There are four different types of section breaks that can be inserted in your document.
  • Text-wrapping breaks. These breaks are closely akin to line breaks (Shift+Enter). A text-wrapping break breaks a line of text and moves the text to the next line. This type of break is intended for use with text that wraps around graphics.

To insert a break in your document, follow these steps:

  1. Position the insertion point at the position where you want to insert the break.
  2. Display the Page Layout tab of the ribbon or Layout tab (Word 2016 or a later version).
  3. Click the Breaks tool, in the Page Setup group. Word displays a list of breaks you can insert.
  4. Click the type of break you want to insert.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6703) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Adding a Break to Your Document.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Heavy-Duty Footnotes

Word allows you to add footnotes to a document, but they are rather straightforward and simple in their application. If ...

Discover More

Error Opening Second Workbook

If you try to open a second workbook and you see an error message, it could be because of the way you are opening the ...

Discover More

Discovering Printer Drift

How accurate is your printer when it comes to placing information on the printed page? The simple technique described in ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Removing Entire Paragraphs from Your Document

If you need to get rid of a lot of paragraphs in a document, it's easy to do as long as the document relies on styles for ...

Discover More

Adding Tabs at the Beginning of a Line

Press a tab at the beginning of a paragraph, and Word normally assumes you want to indent the paragraph. If you don't ...

Discover More

Capitals After Colons

Do you want Word to always capitalize the first letter appearing after a colon? The program won't do it by default, but ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 9 + 5?

2025-07-06 00:09:08

R. A. Williams

An annoying problem I have occasionally encountered is this: I have a Section Break (Next Page) followed, after a couple of lines, by a Section Break (Continuous). I want to get rid of the latter and retain the former. But when I select the Continuous break and delete it, it does disappear, but the Next Page break has changed into a Continuous break! I angrily move, insert, and delete breaks until I finally get my way. (Someday I'll actually write down what I did!)
How does one effectively replace a Continuous with a Next Page Section Break?

Thanks,
Bob Williams


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.