How to Create Different Headers for Different Pages in Word

The header area in a Word document is practical because it can save users trouble repeating certain information. It’s what’s also called a “running header.”

Your business logo or contact details, for example, are a great use of header space. However, there are times when you don’t want the same header on every page in your document.

Perhaps you need to mark every page slightly differently, and you need to have the option to change the heading. Fortunately, it’s not a complicated process in Word and requires a few straightforward steps.

How to Create Different Headers for Different Pages on a PC

Even though Word is available on mobile devices, most people prefer to use it on their computers since it’s much more convenient.

If you’re on a PC and need a running header in your document, it’s easy to set up. So, before we go over how to create different headers for each page, let’s see how to create a header in the first place:

1. Create a new Word document.
   
2. Go to the Insert tab in the main menu.
   
3. Click on Header in the Header & Footer section.
   

You can choose a blank header or take advantage of the built-in header options in Word. Once you complete these steps, the selected header will appear on every page of the document.

However, if you want a different header on every new page of the Word document, here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to the Layout tab in the main menu.
   
2. Click on the Breaks drop-down menu and select Next Page.
   
3. Your cursor will land on the second page of the document, and you’ll see the same header on that page as well. To undo this, double click on the header to open the Design tab, in the Navigation section, turn off the Link to Previous feature.
   
4. Click on the Close Header and Footer button.
   

The headers are now disconnected, and you can rename the new header or use a different logo.

Basically, all you are doing is breaking the document into multiple sections and unlinking these sections completely. You can do this as many times as you need to create a different header on a page.

How to Create Different Headers for Different Pages on an iPad

Using Word on the iPad can be helpful when you’re on the go and need to work on the document. Microsoft Office apps work exceptionally well on an iPad, but some functionalities are missing.

You can create headers and footers and make basic adjustments, but you don’t have the option to turn off the “Link to Previous” feature as you do in the Word application for desktop. Therefore, you can’t create different headers for different pages in Word on the iPad.

On iPad, you’ll only see Same as Previous on every new page section. However, what you can do is create a different first page. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Open the Word app on an iPad and create a new document or open an existing one.
2. Tap on the menu button in the bottom corner of the screen in the shape of a triangle.
3. On the left side of the screen, tap on the Home button, and when a menu appears, choose Insert.
4. Now, select the Header & Footer option choose the header.
5. Then, change to the Layout option on the main menu.
6. Select Breaks followed by Next Page.
7. Change the header to what you want it to be and then go to Options on the Header & Footer section.
8. Check the Different First Page box.
9. Change the header on the first page tap on the Close Header & Footer button.

How to Create Different Headers for Different Pages on an iPhone

Working on a Word document on your iPhone is less than ideal but sometimes necessary. You can make any edits and adjustments on your iPhone, including inserting headers and footers.

Unfortunately, there is no option to create completely different headers for each page, as they all remain linked to the previous page, and there’s no way to change that.

The only option is to change the header on the first page or create Different Odd & Even Pages.

If you want to apply this setting, here are the steps:

1. Open a Word document on iPhone.
2. Select Insert from the main menu, select Header & Footer, and create the header.
3. Then, switch to the Layout option on the main menu, followed by Breaks.
4. Choose Next Page, then tap on the Header & Footer section and select Options.
5. Finally, check the box next to the Different Odd & Even Pages option.

How to Create Different Headers for Different Pages on an Android

The MS Word mobile app is the same whether you use it on iOS devices or Android. You can do plenty with Word documents on your Android tablet or smartphone. Sadly, just like iOS devices, creating different headers for different pages won’t work on an Android.

However, you can choose to create other headers on different and odd pages or create a different header on the document’s first page.

How to Make a Header That Alternates Pages

If you want to see a different header on alternate pages, you can utilize the Different Odd & Even Pages function. If you’re using a Word desktop application on your Mac or Windows computer, here’s how that process works:

1. Create a new document in Word.
   
2. Go to the Insert tab on the main menu and select Header from the Header & Footer section.
   
3. Choose a blank header or use one of the built-in options.
   
4. In the Header & Footer section, check the Different Odd & Even Pages option.
   
5. Create a header for the primary (odd) page first.
6. Go to the following page and repeat steps 2-3 and create a different header.
7. Finally, click on the Close Header and Footer button.
   
   

You should be able to see the different headers on alternate pages throughout the Word document.

Additional FAQs

Can You Create Different Footers for Different Pages?

Yes, you can. Every page in your Word document can have a different header can also have a different footer. All the steps covered above apply, except you’ll choose Footer instead of Header when appropriate.

Creating the Best Word Document Layout

Word is an incredibly sophisticated text processing app, but it can be overwhelming at times. There are so many features and options that allow users to customize and fine-tune their documents.

The header and footer application seem straightforward in many ways, but it gets a little more complicated when using a Word mobile app. While creating different headers and footers on different pages in Word is simple on a desktop app, it’s impossible to do so on a mobile app.

Still, there is a lot you can do, including changing the header for the first page and creating alternating page headers and footers.

How often do you use the header and footer feature in Word? Let us know in the comments section below.