Section Breaks
Section breaks create formatting boundaries inside a document. Word provides Next Page, Continuous, Even Page and Odd Page section breaks and lets sections carry different layout or header/footer behavior; exact controls are software-specific.
Use a section break when a later part of the document needs its own layout or formatting settings—such as headers, footers, columns, orientation or numbering—not merely to force text onto another page.
Key details
Important caveats
Tool Boundary
Section-break behavior and labels are word-processor features, not universal grammar rules; use the equivalent structure provided by the authoring tool and template.
Further guidance
Practical Application
Use a section break when the following material needs independent document settings such as orientation, columns, headers, footers, or numbering. Use a page break when you only need the next content to begin on a new page.
Purpose
Use a section break when formatting needs to change for one portion of the document while neighboring sections retain different settings.
Reader Check
Does the next part require different section-level formatting, or are you only trying to move text to the next page?
Types
In Word, choose among Next Page, Continuous, Even Page and Odd Page section breaks according to where the new section must begin.
Worked Example
Insert a section break before a landscape table that needs a different orientation, then return to portrait in a new section. For a normal chapter starting on a new page with unchanged formatting, use a page break instead.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Use section breaks to change the layout or formatting in one section of your Word document — Microsoft Support (opens in a new tab)Microsoft Support · Section-break types and section-specific layout/formatting behavior