How to Add a Header in Word, Including a Different First Page

The header is the strip at the very top of every page, and it's where a report starts to look finished: your business name, a document title, a client's name, the word Confidential. Type those into the body of the page and they drift down the moment you add a paragraph. Put them in the header and Word repeats them on every page for you.

Here's how it works according to Microsoft's support pages, including the bit that catches people out, which is getting a different header on a cover page.

Adding a header in Word on Windows

1. Open the document you want to add the header to.
2. Go to the Insert tab and select Header (or Footer if you want the bottom strip).
3. Pick a header style from the list. Microsoft notes that some designs include page numbers.
4. Type your text into the header area that opens.
5. Select Close Header and Footer, or press Esc, to go back to the body of the document.

The header you choose appears on every page, so write it once and move on.

Adding a header in Word for Mac

Microsoft's Mac steps are slightly different in wording. Go to Insert, select Header & Footer, then add your header text. The Options in the ribbon take care of other changes you might want. When you're done, select Close Header and Footer or press Esc.

Menus vary by version of Word for Mac, so if your Insert tab looks different from the description, use the search box in the ribbon and type header.

Header options in Word for the web

Microsoft's insert-a-header page doesn't give separate steps for the browser version, so I won't invent any. What I can say from Microsoft's pages is that Word for the web doesn't support a different header on the first page, which matters if you were planning a clean cover. For that you'll need the desktop app, covered below.

If you only need a simple header in the browser, menus vary by version, so check Microsoft's support site for the current layout, or open the file in the desktop app where the steps above apply.

Editing or removing a Word header you've already added

• To edit: double-click the header at the top of any page, then change the text.
• To remove: go to Insert, select Header (or Footer), then choose Remove Header (or Remove Footer).
• To get out of the header without changing anything: select Close Header and Footer or press Esc.

Double-clicking the header is the move people forget. It's the quickest way in, and you don't have to hunt through the ribbon.

Giving the first page of a Word document a different header

A cover page with a running header across it looks awkward. Microsoft's help covers this with a switch called Different First Page:

1. Double-click the header area on page 1.
2. On the Header & Footer tab (some versions call it a menu), turn on Different First Page.
3. Leave the first-page header empty, or type something special there.
4. Select Close Header and Footer or press Esc.

Two details from Microsoft's page save a lot of confusion. First, edits you make to the header on page 1 apply only to that page. Second, to change the header on page 2 or later, double-click the header there instead. The two headers are now independent.

And one limit: Word for the web can't set a different first page. Microsoft's route is to select Editing at the top of the ribbon, choose Open in Desktop and make the change in the desktop app.

Headers on a client report, proposal or handout

Small businesses get a lot out of a plain, consistent header. A few ideas that suit most documents:

• Your business name on the left and the document title on the right, so a printed page is never anonymous.
• The client's name on a proposal, so loose pages find their way back.
• A short status word such as Draft while you're still editing.
• Nothing at all on the cover, then a tidy header from page 2 onwards.

Keep an eye on the margins too, because the header sits inside the top margin area. If you change page edges later, my walkthrough on changing margins in Google Docs shows the same idea for the browser, and if your team works in Google instead, there's a matching guide to adding a header in Google Docs.

Word header or footer: which one should hold what

The header and the footer are twins, and you reach both from the same place on the Insert tab. A simple split that works for most business documents is to keep identifying details at the top and practical details at the bottom. Your business name and the document title suit the header, because that's what a reader glances at first. The footer suits things people look for second, such as a page number or a short line of contact details.

Microsoft points out that some header designs already include page numbers, so before you type your own, have a look at the styles in the gallery. Choosing one of those can save you a step. If you pick a style and don't like how it looks, you can go back to Insert, choose Header, and remove it with Remove Header, then start again with a plainer one.

A last tip: write the wording in a normal paragraph first, read it aloud, and only then paste it into the header. Short beats clever here, because the same few words will sit at the top of every page of the document.

When your Word header won't behave

1. Header text appears on the cover page: double-click page 1's header and turn on Different First Page.
2. You changed page 1 and nothing happened on page 2: that's by design. Edit the header on page 2 separately.
3. You can't edit the header: double-click it first. If it's still locked, check whether the document is in a reading or protected view.
4. There's no Different First Page option in the browser: open the file in the desktop app.
5. The header looks different in print than on screen: check the margins before blaming the header.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a header in Word?

Go to Insert, select Header, choose a style and type your text. Select Close Header and Footer or press Esc when you're done.

How do I edit a header in Word?

Double-click the header at the top of the page, change the text, then press Esc or select Close Header and Footer.

How do I remove a header in Word?

Go to Insert, select Header, then choose Remove Header.

How do I make the first page header different?

Double-click the header on page 1 and turn on Different First Page. Changes you make to page 1's header apply only to that page.

Can I set a different first page header in Word for the web?

Microsoft says no. Select Editing, choose Open in Desktop and make the change there.