Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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: Positioning Headers and Footers.

Positioning Headers and Footers

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 1, 2025)

Several WordTips cover how to insert headers or footers in your document. Besides controlling what appears in the header or footer, Word allows you to also control where the header or footer appears on each page of your document. To position the header or footer, follow these steps:

Position the insertion point in the document section whose headers or footers you want to position.
Make sure the Page Layout or Layout tab of the ribbon is displayed.
Click the small icon at the bottom-right of the Page Setup group. Word displays the Page Setup dialog box.
Make sure the Layout tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Layout tab of the Page Setup dialog box.

In the Header box enter a measurement indicating how far from the top edge of the paper you want the top line of your header to be printed.
In the Footer box enter a measurement indicating how far from the bottom edge of the paper you want the bottom line of your footer to be printed.
Use the Apply To drop-down list to select the part of your document to which your adjustments should apply.
Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9080) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Positioning Headers and Footers.

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. Learn more about Allen...

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