It is often helpful to number the pages in your Word document. But what should you do if the first page is a cover page, and the second contains the list of contents?
In that case, you would want to start the numbering from the third page onwards.
MS Word is highly flexible with page numbering. But you must divide your document into sections. This will allow you to number each section independently.
We will show you how to start page numbering from a specific page. We will use simple, step-by-step instructions.
Let us start.
Step #1: Open a Word Document
Open the Word document you want to start numbering.
Step #2: Create sections
Navigate to the last page after which you want to start the numbering.
(This will be page 2 or the list of contents in our example).
Click on the Layout tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.
In the section Page Setup, click on the Breaks icon.
This will open a menu for Page Breaks and Section Breaks.
Under Section Breaks, click on Next Page.
Word will insert a section break and start a new section on the next page.
The cursor will be on the starting page of the new section.
Step #3: De-link current section from previous sections
Double click within the footer section at the bottom of the page.
A new tab Header & Footer Tools will appear in the top menu bar.
The new tab will have a secondary tab Design under it.
Click on the Design tab.
In the section Navigation, click on the Link to Previous icon to deselect it.
Word has now de-linked the current section from the previous.
Step #4: Format page numbers
Click on the Insert tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.
In the section Header & Footer, click on the icon Page Number.
In the menu that opens, click on Format Page Numbers.
This opens a dialog box for Page Number Format.
On the right side of Number Format, you can select the type of page numbering you want.
If you have chapters in your document, you may click to select Include chapter numbers.
As we are starting to number a new section, Under Page numbering, click on Start at:, and type 1 in the box on the right. (This will deselect Continue from previous section).
Click on the OK tab at the bottom to exit the dialog box.
Step #5: Start page numbering
Click on the Insert tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.
In the section Header & Footer, click on the Page Number icon.
In the menu that opens, hover on Bottom of Page.
This opens a list of built-in Simple page numbers.
- Select Page Number 1 for page numbers to appear on the left side of the page.
- Select Page Number 2 for page numbers to appear in the center of the page.
- Select Page Number 3 for page numbers to appear on the right side of the page.
Let us select Page Number 1.
Word introduces the page numbering on the left side of the page.
At the top of your document, you will see a ‘Close’ option, which allows you to exit the Header and Footer setting and return to your document.
Conclusion
We have shown you how to start page numbering from a specific page in MS Word, in simple steps.
Follow these steps to number your pages as you want in your preferred format and sequence.
Excellent instructions