To duplicate a page in Microsoft Word, manually select all content on the page, copy it, and paste it into a new blank page you insert.
There isn’t a button that says “duplicate this page,” and Microsoft hasn’t hidden one inside a menu. The fix is manual. The fastest route is pressing Ctrl + A to select everything, Ctrl + C to copy, Ctrl + Enter to make a new page, and Ctrl + V to paste. This works in Word 2021, 2019, 2016, and Microsoft 365.
Can You Just Click a ‘Duplicate Page’ Button?
No. Searching for a “Duplicate Page” button in the Word ribbon is the most common reason people get stuck. The command exists only in Microsoft Publisher. In Word, the manual copy-paste routine is the official workaround. It takes about ten seconds once you know the sequence.
The Easiest Way to Duplicate a Page in Word
The exact steps depend on whether your document is one page or more. The table below summarizes the best method for each situation. For a single-page document, Ctrl + A selects everything, Ctrl + C copies it, Ctrl + Enter creates a fresh page, and Ctrl + V pastes the content. For a page inside a longer document, click at the very start of the page and drag your cursor to the end of the page. Copy, go to Insert > Blank Page, and paste on the new blank page.
| Method | Best For | Key Command / Path |
|---|---|---|
| Select All (Ctrl + A) | One-page documents | Ctrl + A > Ctrl + C > Ctrl + Enter > Ctrl + V |
| Manual Highlight | Multi-page documents | Click-drag from top to bottom of page > Ctrl + C > Insert > Blank Page > Ctrl + V |
| Show/Hide Markers | Pages with complex layout | Home > Show/Hide ¶ > Select between markers > Ctrl + C > Paste |
| Navigation Pane | Selecting content by heading | View > Navigation Pane > Right-click heading > Select Heading and Content > Copy |
| PDF Workflow | Duplicating many pages at once | Save as PDF > Open in Acrobat > Organize Pages > Copy page > Re-save as Word doc |
| Publisher’s Built-In Button | Users who also own Publisher | Insert > Page > Insert duplicate page |
| Paste Special (Keep Formatting) | After any of the above methods | Ctrl + V > Click paste icon > Select Keep Source Formatting |
How to Keep Headers, Footers, and Formatting Intact
The number one complaint about manually duplicating a page is formatting loss. The fix is one step. After pasting, click the paste icon that appears and select Keep Source Formatting. If the page uses section breaks, go to the header or footer on the new page and turn off Link to Previous (or Same as Previous) before you paste. Microsoft’s official guidance on copying a page covers the exact button sequence for removing the link to the previous section. Once the link is off, paste the original header text. The effect is instant.
What About Duplicating a Whole Section?
A section break is tied to its headers and footers. If you need to duplicate an entire section, start by inserting a Next Page Section Break (go to Layout > Breaks > Next Page). On the new blank section, unlink the headers from the previous section. Then paste the copied content. The section will carry the original headers instead of inheriting the old section’s ones.
Fixing Common Duplication Mistakes
The manual method always works, but small slip-ups cause big headaches. A rogue page break, a missing header, or a misaligned table can make the new page look wrong. Most problems trace back to one of five causes. The fixes are quick.
| Problem | Why It Happens | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Headers and footers lost | The new page uses a different section | Unlink the new section’s headers from the previous section |
| Extra blank page appeared | Extra paragraph marks or page breaks were copied | Enable Show/Hide ¶ and delete the extra marks |
| Text formatting changed | The target page’s styles overrode the paste | Undo, then use Paste Special > Keep Source Formatting |
| Table is broken | The new page has different margins or orientation | Adjust the page layout or resize the table columns |
| Content is duplicated | The selection included content from the next page | Use Show/Hide ¶ to select exactly between the two page breaks |
| Images are missing | Images were anchored to a different page | Re-insert the images manually or use Paste Special |
Final Checklist for a Clean Page Duplicate
- Formatting. Click the paste icon and confirm Keep Source Formatting is selected.
- Headers & Footers. If the page lives in a new section, the headers won’t follow automatically. Unlink them and paste the original.
- Page Break. Switch to Home > Show/Hide ¶ and make sure the page break is exactly where it needs to be.
- Content. Scan the pages for orphaned lines or images that may have been anchored to a different page.
References & Sources
- Microsoft Support. “Copy a page in Word” Official steps for manually duplicating a page in Word 2016–365.
- Adobe Acrobat. “How to duplicate a page in Word documents” Confirms the missing feature and suggests a PDF workflow.