Why Are My Page Numbers Starting on the Wrong Page? (And How to Fix It!)
The absolute agony of broken page numbers 📄
Ever spent hours perfecting a document, essay, or eBook, only to realize the page numbers are completely messed up?
You’ve got a killer piece of writing ready to go. But page "1" is proudly sitting on your cover page, or your introduction starts on page 3 but claims it’s page 1. It’s a minor technical glitch, but it instantly ruins the vibe of an otherwise perfect document.
If you are currently fighting with Microsoft Word or Google Docs, here is why it’s happening and exactly how to fix it:
🔍 The 3 Main Culprits
Missing Section Breaks: Word processors treat your entire document as one single continuous block by default. To make page 3 special, you have to isolate it.
The "Link to Previous" Setting: By default, footers are linked. If you change page 3, it automatically changes pages 1 and 2 unless you cut the umbilical cord.
The "Different First Page" Toggle: If you have a cover page, you have to explicitly tell the software to ignore it.
🛠️ The Quick Fix (Microsoft Word)
If you want page numbering to start as "Page 1" on a later page (like Page 3):
Go to the very bottom of the page before your numbering should start (e.g., the bottom of page 2).
Click Layout > Breaks > Next Page (under Section Breaks).
Double-click the footer on the page where you want page 1 to start (page 3).
In the top toolbar, uncheck "Link to Previous" to disconnect it from the cover pages.
Go to Page Number > Format Page Numbers, select Start at, and type 1.
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If you’d rather focus on your writing and leave the formatting headaches to an expert, I’ve got you covered. I specialize in polishing, aligning, and fixing messy documents so they look completely flawless.
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What’s your biggest formatting pet peeve? Let me know in the replies!
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