What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

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Use sections breaks to divide and format documents of all sizes. For example, you can break down sections into chapters, and add formatting such as columns, headers and footers, page borders, to each.

Add a section break

  1. Select where you want a new section to begin.

  2. Go to Layout > Breaks.

    What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

  3. Choose the type of section break you want:

    • Next Page    Section break starts the new section on the following page.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

    • Continuous    Section break starts the new section on the same page. This type of section break is often used to change the number of columns without starting a new page.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

    • Even Page    Section break starts a new section on the next even-numbered page.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

    • Odd Page    Section break starts a new section on the next odd-numbered page.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

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Insert a section break

  1. Select where you want a new section to begin.

  2. Go to Page Layout > Breaks.

    What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

  3. Section break that you want to add:

    • A Next Page section break starts the new section on the next page

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

    • A Continuous section break starts the new section on the same page.

      Tip: You can use Continuous section breaks to create pages with different number of columns.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

    • An Even Page or an Odd Page section break starts the new section on the next even-numbered or odd-numbered page.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

Insert a section break

  1. Select where you want a new section to begin.

  2. Go to Layout > Breaks, and then choose the type of section break you want.

    What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

    • Next Page    Starts the new section on the following page.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

    • Continuous    Starts the new section on the same page. This section break is particularly useful for documents that have columns. You can use it to change the number of columns without starting a new page.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

    • Even Page    Starts the new section on the next even-numbered page. For example, if you insert an Even Page Break at the end of page 3, the next section will start on page 4.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

    • Odd Page    Starts the new section on the next odd-numbered page. For example, if you insert an Odd Page Section Break at the end of page 3, the next section will start on page 5.

      What can you insert into a document to change the layout or format of a specific portion of the document?

You can add page breaks, but Word for the web can’t add section breaks yet.

If you have the Word desktop application, use the Open in Word command to open the document and add section breaks there. When you’re done and you save the document, it will continue to be stored where you opened it in Word for the web.

See also

Use section breaks to change the layout or formatting in a section of your document

Insert a page break

Need more help?

How do I change the Layout of a document?

Change the default layout Open the template or a document based on the template whose default settings you want to change. On the Format menu, click Document, and then click the Layout tab. Make any changes that you want, and then click Default.

How do you insert a Word document into another Word document with formatting?

Microsoft Word 2016.
Open the first document..
Place the cursor where you want the second document to be inserted..
From the Insert tab, Text group, click on the down arrow next to Object and choose Text from file..
Select the file to be inserted..
Click on Insert..

How can you use a particular specific template in your document?

To insert a template: The New Document pane appears. Click Sample templates to choose a built-in template, or select an Office.com template category to download a template. Select the desired template, then click Create. A new document will appear using the template you have selected.