Adding custom headers and footers is an easy way to enhance your Word documents. They allow you to display useful information like page numbers, titles, author names, or your company logo on every page.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to:
- Insert and edit headers and footers
- Add custom text, images, page numbers and more
- Use different headers and footers on specific pages
- Remove headers and footers
Follow these simple steps to create professional headers and footers in Word.
Insert a Header or Footer
- Open your Word document and select the Insert tab.
- In the Header & Footer section, click Header or Footer.
- Choose one of Word’s built-in designs or select Edit Header or Edit Footer to create a custom one.
The header or footer area will now open for editing.
Insert Header and Footer
Add Custom Text
To add text like a title or author name:
- Click inside the header or footer area and type your text.
- Use the formatting tools on the Design tab to change the font, size or color.
- Click Close Header and Footer when finished.
You can also insert text boxes, tables, images and other objects.
Add Page Numbers
Adding page numbers is easy:
- Click inside the header or footer area.
- Go to the Design tab and click Page Number.
- Select a page number style and alignment.
This will insert page numbers that automatically update based on the number of pages.
Add Page Numbers
Insert Images
To add a logo or icon to the header or footer:
- Click Picture on the Insert tab while editing the header/footer.
- Select your image and adjust its size if needed.
Use Different Headers and Footers
Word allows you to have different headers and footers on specific pages:
- First Page – Unique header/footer on the first page only
- Even and Odd Pages – Different headers/footers on even and odd numbered pages
To enable this, go to Design > Different First Page or Different Odd & Even Pages.
Remove Headers and Footers
Don’t want them anymore? Simply go back to the Header & Footer section on the Insert tab and select Remove Header or Remove Footer.
This will delete the headers/footers from the entire document.
Tips for Great Headers and Footers
- Keep text brief and avoid cluttering the header/footer
- Use a smaller font (e.g. 9 pt) for better visibility
- Align elements left, right or center for easy scanning
- Add borders, lines or background colors for styling
Now you know how to create custom headers and footers in Word! Use them to display titles, branding, contact info or anything else you want readers to see on each page.