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: Moving Section Breaks.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 10, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
As you work with Word, you will undoubtedly have a need to move a section break at one time or another. Section breaks in Word are treated the same as any other character. If you are using Draft view, section breaks appear as a thin double line from one side of your document to the other. If you are not working in Draft view, you may want to consider changing to Draft view, as editing special characters (such as the section break) is easier in that view.
To move a section break, follow these steps:
If you are working in Print Layout view, then section breaks are not normally visible. You can make them visible (along with all the other non-printing characters) by pressing Ctrl+* (that's the asterisk). This is the same as displaying the Home tab of the ribbon and clicking the Show/Hide tool in the Paragraph group. (The Show/Hide tool looks like a backwards P, a symbol technically called a pilcrow.) You can then move the section breaks by following the four steps just mentioned.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9229) 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: Moving Section Breaks.
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!
Got a document layout that requires a portion of the page to be in one layout and another portion to be in a different ...
Discover MoreNeed to select an entire sentence at once? You can do so by creating a short macro that does the task for you, or you can ...
Discover MoreBreaks in a document can be easily moved from one place to another using familiar editing techniques. The trick is to ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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:
Comments