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.
If you want to delete the headers or footers defined in your document, follow these steps:
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.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
Headers and footers add a finishing touch to documents, but sometimes they can be bothersome. You may need to remove them all ...
Discover MoreIf you are creating a macro that, in the course of processing your document, needs to update all the fields in the document, ...
Discover MoreHeaders and footers are a nice final touch in a document. You can easily edit them by using the methods described in this ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
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
JD
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
J
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.
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2017 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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: 
Comments