Microsoft Word Table Not Going to Next Page

Microsoft Word / By /
204423 Microsoft Word Table Not Going to Next Page

Microsoft Word tables are a great way to present data and information in an organized way. However, sometimes table rows can split across pages, making the table hard to read. In this article, we’ll cover several methods to keep Word tables together on one page.

Why Tables Break Across Pages

There are a few common reasons why Word tables jump to the next page:

  • The table rows are not allowed to break across pages. By default, Word will try to keep each row on one page.
  • The paragraphs or table cells have the “Keep with next” formatting enabled. This makes the paragraph or cell stay on the same page with the next element.
  • There is a manual page break inserted in the table.
  • The row height is too tall or the table width is too wide to fit on one page.

Solution 1: Allow Rows to Break Across Pages

The easiest solution is to allow table rows to split across page breaks. Here’s how:

  1. Click inside the table and go to the “Layout” tab.
  2. Click “Properties” and select the “Row” tab.
  3. Check the box for “Allow row to break across pages”.
  4. Click “OK”.

Now table rows can split across pages when needed.

Solution 2: Adjust Row Height and Table Width

If allowing row breaks doesn’t fix it, try adjusting the row height and table width:

  1. Right click the table and select “Table Properties”.
  2. On the “Table” tab, adjust the preferred width to fit within the page margins.
  3. On the “Row” tab, make sure the row height isn’t set too tall. Setting a manual row height can prevent splitting.
  4. Uncheck “Repeat as header row at the top of each page” if enabled.

Solution 3: Disable “Keep With Next” Formatting

The “Keep with next” paragraph formatting forces content to stay on the same page with the next paragraph or table. To disable it:

  1. Select all table cells and click the dialog box launcher in the bottom right corner of the “Paragraph” group on the Home tab.
  2. On the Line and Page Breaks tab, uncheck “Keep with next”.

Solution 4: Start the Table on a New Page

As a last resort, you can insert a manual page break before the table to force it onto a new page:

  1. Place your cursor at the end of the paragraph above the table.
  2. Go to the Insert tab and click “Page Break” in the Pages group.

Now the table will start on page 2 or the next page instead of breaking across pages.

Prevent Tables from Breaking Mid-Row

If your table header row keeps repeating on new pages, it means the table rows are splitting in the middle of rows. To prevent this:

  1. Select the entire table and go to the Layout tab > Properties > Row tab.
  2. Uncheck “Allow row to break across pages”.
  3. Select just the first row and check “Repeat as header row at the top of each page”.

This will keep header rows repeating without cutting rows in half.

Conclusion

With these tips, you can keep Word tables together on one page cleanly. Just remember to allow rows to break, check the row height and table width, disable “keep with next”, or insert a page break above the table.

Let us know in the comments if you have any other tricks for preventing table breaks across pages in Word!

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