How to Delete a Section Break in Word (Windows, Mac and Web)

How to delete a section break in Word: turn on formatting marks so the break is visible, place your cursor directly before the "Section Break" line, and press Delete. That works in Word for Windows and Word for Mac. Word for the web can't delete section breaks, so open the file in the desktop app first. Expect the merged text to take the formatting of the section that came after the break.

That last point is why deleting a section break sometimes changes margins, columns, headers or page orientation unexpectedly. Below are the steps for each version of Word, plus how to avoid losing your layout.

What Is a Section Break in Word?

A section break is a hidden marker that splits a document into parts, so each part can have its own page layout. You use one when, for example, a single page needs to be landscape, a section needs two columns, or chapters need different headers and footers.

Word has four types of section break:

Section breaks are different from page breaks. A page break only pushes text onto a new page; a section break also carries layout settings with it.

How to Delete a Section Break in Word on Windows

On Windows, you delete a section break by showing formatting marks, clicking just before the break and pressing Delete. These steps work in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016.

1. Open the document and go to the Home tab.
2. Select Show/Hide ¶ in the Paragraph group, or press Ctrl + Shift + 8. Section breaks appear as a dotted double line labelled, for example, Section Break (Next Page).
3. Click immediately to the left of the section break line, so the cursor sits right before it.
4. Press Delete. The break disappears and the two sections merge.
5. Check the merged area for changed margins, columns or headers, and press Ctrl + Z if the result isn't what you wanted.
6. Select Show/Hide ¶ again to hide the marks.

If a break is hard to click in Print Layout, switch to View → Draft, where section breaks show as full-width lines that are easier to select. You can also double-click the break to highlight it, then press Delete.

How Do You Remove a Section Break in Word for Mac?

Word for Mac works the same way: reveal the hidden characters, select the break and press Delete.

1. Open the document and select the Home tab.
2. Click Show all nonprinting characters (the ¶ button).
3. Click the section break to select it, or place the cursor just before it.
4. Press Delete. On a Mac keyboard without a separate forward-delete key, select the break first and then press the delete key.
5. Check the layout of the merged section, and press Command + Z to undo if needed.

If you buy Office for a Mac, make sure the licence is the Mac edition; our Office for Mac range lists the versions that install on macOS.

Can You Delete a Section Break in Word for the Web?

No. Microsoft's Word for the web guidance states that deleting or modifying section breaks needs the Word desktop application. Word for the web can remove empty paragraphs and page breaks, but not section breaks.

1. Open the document in Word for the web.
2. Use the Open in Word (desktop app) option. Its location varies with the web layout; it is usually under the Editing mode menu or the File menu.
3. Follow the Windows or Mac steps above to delete the break.
4. Save. If the file lives in OneDrive or SharePoint, the change syncs back to the web version.

If you don't have the desktop app, you'll need a Microsoft 365 plan with desktop apps or a one-time Office licence. Our Office vs Microsoft 365 comparison explains the difference between subscribing and buying once.

Why Does My Formatting Change When I Delete a Section Break?

Your formatting changes because each section break stores the layout of the section before it. When you delete the break, the text before it joins the following section and takes on that section's formatting.

That cause and effect explains common surprises: a landscape page flips to portrait, two columns become one, or a header disappears. Microsoft's guide to deleting a section break confirms this behaviour. You have two ways to avoid it.

Option 1: Change the break type instead of deleting it

If you only want to remove an unwanted blank page, change the break type rather than deleting it.

1. Click in the section just after the break.
2. Go to Layout and select the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Page Setup group.
3. In the dialog, open the Layout tab.
4. In Section start, choose Continuous (or another type) and select OK.

Option 2: Keep headers and footers with Link to Previous

If the problem is headers and footers, keep the break and select Link to Previous on the Header & Footer tab so the later section reuses the earlier section's header or footer.

How Do You Remove All Section Breaks in Word at Once?

You can remove every section break at once with Find and Replace, using the special code ^b. Save a copy first, because every section's own layout will be lost.

1. Press Ctrl + H on Windows to open Find and Replace. On Mac, open the advanced Find and Replace option from the Edit → Find menu.
2. Click in Find what, select More (if shown), then Special → Section Break. Word inserts ^b.
3. Leave Replace with empty.
4. Select Replace All.
5. Review the document. The whole file now uses the formatting stored in the final section.

A Common Mistake We See

A frequent pattern is a document where someone deleted a section break to get rid of a blank page, and the whole report turned landscape or lost its page numbering. The blank page was caused by an Odd Page or Next Page break, and changing that break to Continuous would have fixed it without touching the layout. Before deleting any break, ask whether you want to merge two layouts or just change where a section starts. If it's the second, change the type. Also note that a protected or restricted-editing document won't let you delete breaks until editing is enabled.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you delete a section break in Word if Delete doesn't work?

Check that the cursor is directly before the break, not after it, and switch to Draft view to see it clearly. If the document uses Track Changes, the deletion may show as a markup instead of disappearing; accept the change. Restricted editing or a content control can also block deletion.

How to remove a section break in Word without changing formatting?

You can't fully avoid it by deleting, because the merged text takes the next section's formatting. Instead, change the break type to Continuous through Layout → Page Setup → Layout → Section start, or match both sections' settings before you delete the break.

What is the shortcut to show section breaks in Word?

On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + 8 to toggle formatting marks, including section breaks. On both Windows and Mac you can also click the ¶ button on the Home tab. Section breaks then appear as dotted double lines labelled with their type.

How do I delete a section break that creates a blank page?

A blank page usually comes from a Next Page, Even Page or Odd Page break. Rather than deleting it, click in the following section and change Section start to Continuous in the Page Setup dialog. The blank page disappears and each section keeps its layout.

Can I delete a section break in Word on an iPad or phone?

Section break editing is designed for the desktop apps. On a tablet or phone, the most reliable approach is to open the document on a Windows PC or Mac with Word installed, delete or change the break there, and save it back to OneDrive.

Is a section break the same as a page break?

No. A page break only moves text to the next page. A section break also lets the next part of the document use different margins, orientation, columns, headers and footers. Deleting a page break doesn't change layout; deleting a section break can.

Conclusion

How to delete a section break in Word comes down to three moves: show formatting marks, place the cursor before the break and press Delete, using the desktop app on Windows or Mac because Word for the web can't do it. Change the break type instead when you want to keep each section's layout. If you need the full desktop version of Word, see our Microsoft Office collection or the one-time Office 2024 Professional Plus licence.

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