Using Last-page Headers and Footers

Often it is desirable to insert something in the header or footer that you only want to appear on the last page. Word can be tricked into doing this because the number of pages in a document only equals the page number on the last page of a document! The header or footer can still contain information that you want printed on every page, but this field prints the document name and path on the final page footer only.

{ IF { PAGE } = { NUMPAGES } { FILENAME \p} }

If you want to print one footer on every page, but a different footer on the last page, you can do so by modifying this slightly. For instance, the following will print the filename on the last page, but different text on the other pages:

{ IF { PAGE } = { NUMPAGES } { FILENAME \p} "This is not the last page"}

You can also modify the header or footer so that it only prints on pages except the final page. For example, this allows you to add 'Continued ...' on all pages except the final page:

{ IF { PAGE } < { NUMPAGES } " Continued... " }

As you have learned in other WordTips, you can insert field braces by pressing Ctrl+F9, and you can nest different fields, as this tip requires. To create the header or footer you desire, open your document and follow these steps:

1. If the document has several sections, position the insertion point anywhere in the section where you want the header or footer to appear.
2. Display the Insert tab of the ribbon.
3. In the Header & Footer group, click either Header or Footer, depending on which one you want to change. Word displays a drop-down list of options.
4. Click Edit Header or Edit Footer, depending on which tool you clicked in step 3. Word displays the header or footer along with the Design tab of the ribbon.
5. Enter the compound field you wish to use (as discussed previously in this tip).
6. With the insertion point within the compound field you created, press Shift+F9 to collapse the field.
7. On the Design tab of the ribbon click on Close Header and Footer.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8712) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Using Last-page Headers and Footers.