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: Table Header Rows after a Manual Page Break.

Table Header Rows after a Manual Page Break

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 19, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

Ed had his table set up the way he wanted, with a couple of rows repeated at the top of each page. He ran into a problem, however, when he inserted a manual page break in the middle of the table. When he did, the formerly repeating rows no longer repeated at the top of the table.

The reason for this is rather simple—when you insert a page break into a table you are, in reality, splitting the table into two separate tables. The rows that were repeating are no longer in the new table, but in the original table.

To get around this problem, don't insert a manual page break in the table to force a row to a new page. Instead, use this formatting approach:

Put the insertion point at the beginning of the row that you want on the new page. (Make sure it is at the beginning of the row, at the left side of the first cell in the row.)
Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
Click the small icon at the bottom-right corner of the Paragraph group. Word displays the Paragraph dialog box.
Make sure the Line and Page Breaks tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Line and Page Breaks tab of the Paragraph dialog box.

Select the Page Break Before check box.
Click on OK.

Now the row will always start at the beginning of a new page, your table is not "broken" into two parts, and your desired rows will still repeat at the top of each page.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13094) 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: Table Header Rows after a Manual Page Break.

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

Only Inline Figures Can be Seen and Printed

Insert a graphic into a document and you expect to be able to see it. What do you do if it isn't displayed, however? Here ...

Discover More

Displaying Blanks when Summing to Zero

If you use fields to sum the information in your table columns, you might want to display a blank when the sum is zero. ...

Discover More

Importing a Text File and Inserting after a Bookmark

Word macros are a great way to automate some of the ways in which you create documents. If you have a need to insert the ...

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)

Jumping to the Ends of Table Columns

Need a quick shortcut to jump to the top or bottom of a table column? Here's the two shortcuts you are searching for.

Discover More

Viewing Formulas in Table Cells

Word allows you to insert simple formulas, using fields, in table cells. If you want to see these formulas in their ...

Discover More

Changing Table Cell Text Direction

When creating a table, you can turn the orientation of the text, within a cell, by ninety degrees in either direction ...

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 seven more than 6?

2022-12-20 01:43:06

Michelle

THANK YOU!! I couldn't figure this out for the life of me, then I googled it and this popped up and saved me. It was EXACTLY what I was looking for!!

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.