How to remove Google docs page numbers

In this docs tutorial, we will discuss how to remove page numbers in Google docs. Let us check out how easily how to remove google docs page numbers.

Google Docs has traveled a mile from just being a standard documenting tool. It comes packed with lots of super flexible features that could potentially drift your business needs to the next level. No matter, whether you’re documenting for a school project, your personal blog (or) something for a company certain parameters matters irrespective of the medium.

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To name a few headers, footer, page numbers, cite information, and so on. Think of creating a document without such parameters, it might sound a hell of confusing to organize and maintain. At least a proper page number setup is crucial to keep you operating at a good pace.

Page numbers come in extremely handy if the pages of that document become separated. But, in the end, it’s upon you, and your personal preferences matter.

Google knows it well and thus Google Docs comes with a lot of flexibility to handle it aligned with your personal preferences seamlessly.

Often you will in a situation to remove page numbers on Google Docs, add page numbers if not already placed, remove page numbers only on a particular page (say just the front page or the last page of the document), use a different kind of page number hierarchy in the same document.

Let’s explore how one can efficiently handle such use cases in this article briefly. 

Where page numbers can be added in Google Docs?

Headers and footers in Google docs have become an integral part of any form of document. A typical header/footer configuration would include the author details, page number, document title, date, and anything you wish.

Such things would definitely play a vital role in adding an extra professional touch in your works. However, it’s purely in the party’s interest. Adding a header or footer usually take up more page space, but on the other hand help, the reader understands the document better.

Google docs page header usually appears at the top of the page and would typically include the document title and perhaps the document author. The footer lies at the bottom, of the page, and will likely have a page number and sometimes a website or author hyperlink.

Remove page numbers on Google Docs from a browser

Let us check out how to remove page numbers on Google docs from a browser.

The below steps are performed in the Google Chrome web browser but feel to follow the same steps in any other browser of your choice. It would work the same way.

Steps to be followed to remove page number on Google Docs:

Step 1: Sign in to your Google Drive at Google Drive in the desktop version of the browser of your choice. 

Step 2: Open the document for which you wish to remove the page number.

Step 3: Then double-click on the page number in the header or footer area. 

Note: Google Docs provides you with various options to add page numbers at header/footer areas. Feel free to check the steps to add page numbers below in the coming sections.

Step 4: Make sure the page number is selected and then delete it by pressing the backspace key or delete it from your keyboard.

Note: Deleting page numbers from a page deletes page numbers in all the pages automatically since Google Docs treats those as combined objects added via the insert tab instead of separate entities. 

Thus you’ll notice the page number got removed from all the subsequent pages as well. However, we’ll explore how to add page numbers to one part of your document alone in later sections of this article. 

How to Remove Page Numbers from the First Page in Google Docs?

Think of a case where you’ll have a title page in your document or say it’s a couple of index pages which doesn’t require to be counted as the main content. 

However, Google doesn’t mind which one is a title page and will add page numbers to all the pages irrespective of your constraints by default. 

Fortunately, you can always do it the other way too. You can easily change a page number setting. And skip the first page of a document alone. 

Hide the Number on the First Page In Google Docs

Steps to remove page numbers from the first page in Google Docs:

Step 1: Sign in to your Google Drive on a browser like Google Chrome or Mozilla. 

Step 2: Open your Google docs document for which you want to remove the page number.

Step 3: Double click on the Google docs page number in the header or footer area. 

Step 4: You’ll notice a checkbox and an options dropdown below the header margin. 

Step 5: Now, check the box to the left of the Different first page. 

This will completely remove everything from the first page including the page number. However, the numbering will still exist on all the other pages just like before. 

Remove page number on Google Docs from a mobile app

Now, let us see how to remove page number on Google docs from a mobile app?

The steps are quite similar to that of the web, but there are a few actions to be noticed. 

Step 1: Open Google Docs android/iPhone app on your mobile phone. 

Step 2: Open the document for which you need to remove page numbers

Step 3: Click on the pencil icon to start editing the document 

Step 4: Then select the three-dot menu icon. Also, toggle Print Layout.

Step 5: Select the header box in the document by tapping on the upper part of the document’s page and entering the number from which you need the page to start.

Step 6: Tap outside of the box to save it

Step 7: To remove the added header, just select all text and choose the Cut option to delete. This will remove the entire header box from the document. 

Add header/footer to only one part of your document in Google Docs

1. First, remove the current page numbers and section break by following the same steps explained previously.
2. Now place your cursor at the end of the contents on the Google Docs page that precedes the earlier page that actually needs the footer and/or page number. 
3. Click on Insert > Break > section break (next page).
4. Similarly, place your cursor in the footer area of the Google Docs page where you want to insert the footer/page numbers. Now UN-check the box for “Link to previous.”
5. Then click on Options > Footer format. Now select “Apply to this section (Section 2).” 
6. Choose Apply to save all your changes.
7. Then, click on Options > Page numbers and make sure you select all of the following: 

• “Apply to this section (Section 2),” “Footer,” “Show on the first page,” “Numbering: Start at 1” 
• Click on the Apply button to save your changes. You can also format the page numbers as needed.

8. You can now add the additional content into the footer area if any. 

Add Page Numbers in Google Docs

If you are an amateur writer, you might have fallen into a situation where you struggle to find the page numbers in the document. Since Google does not add those header/footer information by default. Thus it’s good to know how to add page numbers in Google Docs as well. 

How to Add Page Numbers in Google Docs

Steps to the number of pages in Google Docs automatically:

When your document requires page numbers on every page, you can use a simple trick. You can just insert page numbers for one page and set them to automatically update when pages are added or deleted from the particular Google Docs document.

Step 1: Open the Google Docs web app in any browser of your choice

Step 2: Open the document for which you need to add page numbers

Step 3: Select Insert > Page numbers.

Step 4: You can choose the page number to be displayed at any part as per your document preference. Google provides you with a few alignments and flexible settings to set up further configurations.

How to move page numbers to the center of your document?

By default Google Docs, adds page numbers to the right top of your document. However, you are absolutely free to move it to a different alignment of your choice.

Step 1: First, Double click on the header or footer, depending on where the page number is added.

Step 2: Go to the toolbar and select the alignment of your choice, preferred would be Left Align or Center Align.

Step 3: Now you’ll notice the page number moved to the position you’ve chosen.

How Do I Start Page Numbers On Page 2 In Google Docs?

Well, most of the time, you will have the requirement to start the page number from the second page, leaving the first page or the cover page empty. So here we will discuss how to start page numbering on Page 2 in Google Docs?. Follow the below easy steps to start page numbering in Google Docs.

1. Navigate to Google Docs where you have multiple pages.
2. Click on the Insert menu –> Select Page numbers –> Now you can choose to add page numbers to the header of every page except the first page as highlighted below or you can also choose to add page numbers to the footer of every page except the first page.

Now, you can able to see that the page numbering has been started from the second page as shown below.

This is how do I start page numbers on page 2 in Google Docs.

Number All Pages in Google Docs Automatically

Well, here we will discuss how to number all pages in Google docs automatically using the below quick steps.

1. Navigate to Google Docs where you have multiple pages.
2. Then, click on the Insert Menu –> select Page Numbers –> Now, Choose the below-highlighted option to add page numbers to the header of every page or you can also add page numbers to the footer of every page based on your requirement.

Now, you can able to see below, that the page numbers have been added to each page automatically.

This is how to number all pages in Google Docs automatically.

How to Move a Page Number In Google Docs?

By default, the page number on the header or footer is right-aligned. If you wish to change the position of the page number, you can easily move the page number using the below steps.

1. Double click on the Page number which is present on the header or footer in Google Docs.
2. Now select the Left align or Center align option as highlighted below based on your requirement.

Now, you can able to see below, that the page number is left aligned.

This is how to move a page number in Google Docs.

Delete Page Numbers in Google Docs

Finally, let’s discuss how to delete page numbers in Google Docs in case you don’t want the page numbers and want to delete those page numbers.

To delete the page numbers, you need to double click on any of the page numbers and then press the Delete key on your keyboard which will completely delete all the page numbers from all the pages in Google Docs.

How To Insert Roman Numeral Page Numbers In Google Docs

There is no direct option to insert roman numeral page numbers in Google Docs as of now. But there is a workaround you can try out to insert roman numeral page numbers in Google docs.

1. Navigate to Google Docs.
2. Then, click on the Insert Menu –> select Page Numbers –> Now, Choose the below-highlighted option to add page numbers to the header of every page or you can also add page numbers to the footer of every page based on your requirement.

3. Now you can able to see the Numbers as the page numbers.

4. Click on the Insert menu –> Select the Special characters option as highlighted below.

5. On the Insert special characters window, search for roman numerals and then select or click one by one.

6. Now, it will add one by one on your Google Docs.

7. Now select the earlier page numbers and copy one by one roman numeral and paste one by one manually on each page.

How To Add Page Numbers In Google Docs iPad

Well, we will discuss here, the steps to add page numbers in Google Docs iPad or iPhone. Follow the below steps on your iPhone or iPad.

1. On your iPhone or iPad, Navigate to the Google docs app and try opening a document.
2. Tap on the Edit icon.
3. Then, tap on the insert (+) option and then the Page Number.
4. Finally, choose where you want your page number i.e headers or footers and you can also set if you want the first page to be skipped and you want the page numbers to start from the second page onwards.

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