Do you think about the structure of a document when you write it? Google Docs, like Microsoft Word, supports page and section breaks. By inserting pages and creating sections, these tools assist you in spacing out your content.
If you’re new to using page and section breaks in Google Docs, we’ll go over the fundamentals. We’ll show you how to add them, hide or show section breaks, and remove ones you don’t need.
In Google Docs, create a page or section break.
It’s easier than you think to insert a break in Google Docs. Open your document and position your cursor where you want the break to appear. Then, from the menu, select Insert > Break. From the pop-up menu, select “Page Break” or “Section Break.”
- Page Break: Moves the text following your cursor to a new page.
- Section Break (Next Page): Begin a new section on the following page.
- (Continuous) Section Break: Begin a new section on the same (current) page.
If you have a heading or are starting a new paragraph at the bottom of a page, or if you want a separate page for each topic or category in your document, page breaks are ideal.
Section breaks are useful for spacing out images and other content or inserting columns in a small area of the document.
Section Breaks can be displayed or hidden.
- There is no way to show or hide page breaks because they do not display any type of indicator in your document. As previously stated, a page break simply begins a new page.
- Section breaks, on the other hand, have a blue dotted line to indicate where the section begins.
- While this section indicator is useful, you may find it distracting. Fortunately, you can conceal it. In the menu, select View > Show Section Breaks.
- This deselects it by removing the checkmark and the blue dotted line disappears.
- To re-enable the section breaks, return to the same location in the menu and check the box next to Show Section Breaks. The dotted lines for your section breaks should then appear again.
Remove Page and Section Breaks
If you insert a page or section break that you don’t want anymore, you can remove it. The way you do this differs between Windows and Mac because you’ll use different keys on your keyboard.
Remove a Windows Break
- Place your cursor in front of the text at the top of the page to remove a page break in Google Docs on Windows. Then, press the Backspace key. This advances the content to the previous page.
- On Windows, place your cursor on the line directly above the section break to remove it. If you have Show Section Breaks enabled, this is the simplest way to do it. Then, press the Delete key.
How to Remove a Break on a Mac
- Place your cursor in front of the text at the top of the page to remove a page break in Google Docs on Mac. Then, press the Delete key. This advances the content to the previous page.
- Place your cursor at the beginning of the line with the section break to remove it on Mac. Again, you can make this easier by enabling Show Section Breaks. Then, either Fn+Delete or Control+D will be pressed.
Take a look at how to create multiple columns in Google Docs for another way to structure your document, especially if it’s a brochure or pamphlet.