Try the example, then check the result.
Download the fictional material and follow the steps below. The video uses English illustrative diagrams; it does not present a live app recording. Product controls may vary by version.
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Watch the complete lesson.
The video uses English illustrative diagrams; it does not present a live app recording. English captions. Product menus may differ in your account.
If you remove page numbers from the whole document, you also lose the numbers you wanted on later pages. In Word for the web, use a different first-page header or footer for a cover page. Download the three-page fictional Word file or use its text outline. The expected result is simple: no visible number on page one, 2 on page two, and 3 on page three. The video uses labelled illustrative diagrams; the English Word interface was not captured for this lesson.
1. Make the pages stable
Open a copy of the practice Word file in Word for the web and switch to Editing if needed. The download already has real page breaks and three pages. If you use the text outline instead, put a real page break after the cover block and another after the summary block. A line of blank paragraphs is not a reliable page break.
3. Make the first page different
In the header and footer controls, choose Different First Page. Inspect the cover page. If a number is still visible in its first-page footer, select only that number and delete it. Do not use Remove Page Numbers for the whole document: that removes the numbers you need on later pages.
The exact control position can vary with the Word for the web layout. The important state is that the first page has its own footer while the standard footer remains on pages two and three.
4. Check the result page by page
Return to the document and inspect all three pages, ideally in print layout or a print/PDF preview. For this exercise:
| Page | Expected result |
|---|---|
| Cover | No visible page number |
| Summary | 2 |
| Checklist | 3 |
Swipe or scroll sideways to see every table column →
The hidden cover number still counts in the document. Hiding page one's number is different from restarting page two at 1. Microsoft directs advanced numbering for different sections to desktop Word. If the assignment requires page two to display 1, use Word's desktop numbering controls and verify the entire document afterward.
Download the answer check if the result differs.
Common questions
Why does my second page say 2? Because the cover is still the first page. Different First Page hides its number; it does not change the count.
Why did all my numbers disappear? You likely removed page numbers for the document instead of clearing only the first-page footer. Add them back, then inspect the Different First Page option.
Can I start page two at 1 in Word for the web? This lesson does not use or claim that advanced option in the web app. Microsoft's web guidance points to desktop Word for different section numbering.
Sources and verification
Microsoft's Word for the web page number guidance explains the header/footer route and web limits. Its later-page numbering guide documents Different First Page and the separate restart operation. Reviewed 13 October 2026. The fictional Word file was opened in Word for the web and its three-page layout was visually checked. In a private copy, the footer control, center-page numbering choice, and Different First Page switch produced no footer text on page one, 2 on page two, and 3 on page three. The video uses labelled English illustrative diagrams rather than app captures; a separate print/PDF export was not recorded.
Practice downloads.
The exercise files contain invented information. Save a local copy before editing.