This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by CP Gupta
How to Start Page Numbers from Page 3 in Microsoft Word: Step-by-Step Guide
Many students, educators, and professionals struggle with formatting documents in Microsoft Word. One common challenge is starting page numbers from a specific page (like page 3), while leaving the title page and table of contents unnumbered.
In this tutorial, you'll learn a step-by-step method to achieve this in Word without using any external software or plugins.
For a more detailed guide with screenshots, see:
Gupta, A. (2025). How to Start Page Numbers from Page 3 in Microsoft Word (Step-by-Step Guide). PickupBrain. Retrieved from https://www.pickupbrain.com/ms-word/start-pageno-from-page3/
Step 1: Insert a Section Break
- Place your cursor at the end of page 2 (the page before numbering should start).
- Navigate to the Layout tab → Breaks → Next Page (Section Break).
This creates a separate section, allowing different formatting for headers and footers.
Step 2: Add Page Numbers
- Move to page 3 (where numbering should start).
- Go to Insert → Page Number → select the position (top or bottom of page).
- Choose your preferred numbering style.
Step 3: Unlink from Previous Section
- Double-click the footer on page 3 to open the Header & Footer Tools.
- Click Link to Previous to turn it off.
This ensures page numbers in the new section are independent of the previous pages.
Step 4: Restart Numbering
- Go to Page Number → Format Page Numbers.
- Select Start at: 1.
Page 3 will now display “1,” and numbering continues sequentially for the rest of the document.
Tips & Best Practices
- Use this method for theses, dissertations, research papers, or project reports.
- If your document has multiple chapters with different numbering styles, repeat the section break method at each chapter start.
- Keep your formatting consistent across sections (headers, footers, font, margins).
References
- Gupta, A. (2025). How to Start Page Numbers from Page 3 in Microsoft Word (Step-by-Step Guide). PickupBrain. Retrieved from https://www.pickupbrain.com/ms-word/start-pageno-from-page3/
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by CP Gupta
CP Gupta | Sciencx (2025-09-21T15:16:12+00:00) How to Start Page Numbers from Page 3 in Microsoft Word: Step-by-Step Guide. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/09/21/how-to-start-page-numbers-from-page-3-in-microsoft-word-step-by-step-guide/
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