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...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Changing Page Orientation

Page orientation controls the way in which information is printed on the page. Here's how you can control the page ...

Discover More

Number of Terms in a Formula

Formulas are made up of operands that separate a series of terms acted upon by the operands. You may want to know, for ...

Discover More

Sudden Increases in Workbook File Size

Workbooks can get rather large rather quickly. If you think your workbook has gotten too big too fast, here are some ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Editing Headers and Footers

Headers and footers are a nice final touch in a document. You can easily edit them by using the methods described in this ...

Discover More

Changing the Link to Previous Default for Headers and Footers

When you insert a new section in your document, Word assumes you want the headers and footers in that section to be the ...

Discover More

Changing Headers and Footers

Editing what is in your page header or footer is fairly easy, and you can use the same editing techniques you already ...

Discover More

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.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is four more than 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

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.