Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 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: Keep with Previous.

Keep with Previous

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 9, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


Do you ever wish Word had a "keep with previous" setting for paragraphs? Such a setting would come in handy for paragraphs that need to always fall at the end of a section, and cannot appear at the top of a page by themselves. Word, however, has no such setting; it only has a "keep with following" setting.

The way that most people get around this problem is to make special "end of sequence" paragraph styles that have the requisite "keep with next" setting. For instance, let's say that your regular paragraphs are formatted with a style called Policy, and that the final paragraph at the end of the section is called "Effective Date." It is this last paragraph that you want to always be kept with the previous paragraph.

The workaround is to create a new style called "Policy Last" that is based on the Policy style. The only difference is that "Policy Last" has the "keep with following" setting turned on. This style would then be applied to the paragraph just before the "Effective Date" paragraph. Thus, you would have several paragraphs formatted as Policy, one formatted as "Policy Last," and then the final formatted as "Effective Date." The result is that the effective date always stays with the previous paragraph. (Well, vice versa, but the effect is the same.)

If you have many documents that you need to format in this manner, you might consider creating a macro to do the formatting for you. All the macro needs to do is to step through the document, checking the style of each paragraph. When it finds a paragraph formatted with "Effective Date," it backs up a paragraph and, if that paragraph is formatted with the Policy style, changes it to "Policy Last."

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (12602) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Keep with Previous.

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

Changing Cell Colors

If you need to change the color with which a particular cell is filled, the easier method is to use the Fill Color tool, ...

Discover More

Finding and Replacing in Headers and Footers

If you need to make replacements in your document, the Find and Replace tool is the go-to option. If you want to replace ...

Discover More

Ensuring Standard Units During Data Entry

Need to make sure that information entered in a worksheet is always in a given unit of measurement? It's not as easy of a ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Centering a Paragraph with the Keyboard

Need a quick shortcut that you can use to center your paragraph between the margins? The answer is here.

Discover More

Forcing a Page Break Before a Paragraph

There are times that you just want to begin a paragraph (perhaps a heading) at the top of a new page. Word allows you to ...

Discover More

Indenting a Paragraph to the Next Tab Stop

Need to indent an entire paragraph from the left margin? It's easy to do using the tool described in this tip, easily ...

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 nine minus 1?

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.

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.