Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Deleting a Header or Footer.

Deleting a Header or Footer

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated January 5, 2017)

If you want to delete the headers or footers defined in your document, follow these steps:

Position the insertion point in the section that has the header you want to delete.
If you are using Normal or Outline view, choose Header and Footer from the View menu. In Print Layout view, you can simply double-click on the Header or Footer you want to delete. You will see the Header and Footer dialog box, and the header area of the page.
If you want to delete the footer, click on the Switch icon in the Header and Footer dialog box.
Select the contents of the header or footer.
Press the Del key, or press Ctrl+X.
Click on Close.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (259) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Deleting a Header or Footer.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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Comments

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What is eight more than 4?

2017-12-12 03:26:15

MAC

I have lot of headers saved because i updated them over a time. I m using word 2007
If you want to delete the pre-defined headers or footers in your document, follow these steps:
1) Go to insert
2) There are two sections Built In and General
3) Right click on any header then click on Organize and Delete
4) either click on delete or carefully select the header you want to delete and its done.

2017-03-27 22:31:19

Lee

This just left me with a big empty header box. Really didnt help

2017-02-06 15:40:30

Firoz

Thanks David S.
That seems to be the only way, to resize the header and footer heights

2017-01-07 07:24:07

Anyone know how to remove the actual header and footer COMPLETELY? This just removes the text. I am baffled. (Word Starter)

2016-12-15 21:36:31

I could not delete the header/footer either, but instead retyping the all document I opened a new document (ctrl+N) and just page by page highlighted just the body! of the page and copy and paste to the new document. There eas no header or footer.

2016-06-24 13:49:12

Lyn

Thank-you. Just saved my McBook Air from a tour out the window into the flower bed. Treat yourself to an ice cream.

2016-05-24 04:00:09

Espen

Only removes content. As the tip in the Word help files.
Does not help me remove/delete the header.

2016-05-17 11:42:21

Grace

Thank you!! It did the job!!!

2015-12-03 11:50:15

GeordieLad

For Billie Jones:

Maybe it doesn't work for your version (possibly a later one) - but whatever happened to good manners. Please and Thank You still exist in my vocabulary!

Your closing comment would have been better as "Could you please make your instructions clearer?"

2015-12-02 18:20:34

Billie Jones

This doesn't work for my version, and make your instructions more clearer

2015-08-12 09:15:33

san

In header some kind of text is available in my ms word wich is removed but how to add page numbers again.

2015-08-05 01:33:21

sheela

It works thank you Dr Allen!!

2015-08-03 18:35:15

Caryl

Nothing works. PLEASE give me Word 2003; this was SO easy. I'm going to have to retype the entire document and it's 13 pages long.

2015-06-09 22:50:06

David S.

Rather than delete the header, just decrease the header height to zero. This reclaims your header space to use for text etc.

The following applies to word 2010. To adjust the height of your header, first make sure your ruler is displayed. Now click into header and use vertical ruler on your left to drag the header height to whatever suits you. You can actually decrease it to zero if you wish. By clicking and dragging where the white section of the ruler meets the grey section of the ruler you can adjust your header height.

2015-05-22 18:34:21

Florian

Useless tip, removes only text

2015-04-09 17:42:12

Basse

This is not working. Sure, you can remove whats written in footer, but you cannot delete the empty space.

2015-03-23 10:29:22

Pizza dave

my friend knew how to do this anyway!

2015-01-26 07:43:00

awyatt

Aleistar: You delete headers and footers in Word by deleting their content. There is no other way.

-Allen

2015-01-26 07:36:25

Aleistar

You are not explaining how to remove header and footer, but only it's content. This tip is useless!!

2015-01-23 10:25:22

Martyn

I do not want ANY headers or footers, they seem to be generated for no apparent reason...

2014-10-27 07:01:58

Hello

Thank you for this information.

Question: How do I delete all Headers at once?

Peter

2014-10-26 21:31:00

Michael Kraus

This still leaves the stupid header and footer there with an empty return.
This "tip" is worse than useless.

2014-09-20 03:44:09

ali

Ilove you word

2013-06-24 05:01:33

Richard Humphries

If your header or footer is linked to the previous section, you will find that it will be deleted there as well, which may not be what you intended.
I find that I have to check that the header/footer is not linked to the previous section both in this section AND THE NEXT SECTION to make that the deletion (or even any changes you may want to make) is not propagated further than desired.

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