Hello -

Having trouble with a header that is on the first page of the document. When I try to add or insert at the bottom of the first page, the header from the first page is automatically brought down into the second even though I have clicked 'Link to previous' in the header of the second page.

Here is what I did:
1) Completed my first page


2) Completed header of the first page
3) Insert continuous break at bottom of first page
4) Completed second page
5) Changed header of second page and clicked 'Link to previous' so the link is broken
6) Trying to insert more on first page - seeing that the header is changing in second page

Is there any way to avoid this?

Thank you

You need a section break that starts a new page: odd, even or new (next). A continuous break doesn't give you sections that can have different headers or footers. It's for setting off portions of the text that have a different number of columns (it may have other uses too).

To have a different header and footer on the first page, you need to select "Different first page" on the Header & Footer Tools Design tab of the ribbon. There is no reason to add a section break.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

I agree with Stefan. You may be overthinking this and may not need a section break at all. Look into the Different First Page checkbox in the header/footer tab.

How can I get a different header/footer on the second page?

Hi - sorry so long getting back. I looked into this and this is what I have:
1) First page - in the header - Different first page is checked
2) Second page - the same - Different first page is checked

I go to delete content at the bottom of page 1 and automatically the header from page 1 is brought onto page 2 (Link to previous is greyed out also.

Thank you

Note that "Different first page" applies to the whole section. If the document contains no section breaks, the setting applies to the whole (single-section) document.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

So I have to apply a section break? There is one below the header on Page 2 but before I have any content. Apply one before the header?

It depends on what you want to achieve. If a different first page is all you want, then no section break is required.

If you want more pages than the first one to be different (that is, have different headers/footers), then you need a section break, yes. See http://wordfaqs.mvps.org/FrontMatterRibbon.htm.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Just the first page with a different header....but cant seem to edit anything on the first page without it affecting the header of the 2nd.

If you already have a section break, you are actually seeing two first page headers, one for each section. These two first page headers are linked, meaning that they have the same content. You will have to go to the second header and click to deselect "Link to previous" on the Header & Footer Tools Design tab. After that you can change the headers independently.

Alternatively, delete the section break—but note that you will lose section formatting in the process (such as header/footer content), and that formatting must be recreated.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

I think I got it! I think I had a continous break in there so I took that out and put in a Section break. Then re-did the header on first page and clicked 'Different first page".

I guess you mean that you replaced the section break with a manual page break? See my reply, posted before I noticed your most recent post...

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

yes - whatever Section Break (Next page) is - I guess its manual. Anyways - thanks for your help

To be specific, the difference is that a page break only forces a new page, while a section break lets you change section formatting (margins, page number restarts, header/footer content, newspaper columns, etc.).

For "everything" on section breaks, including complications, see http://word.mvps.org/faqs/formatting...thsections.htm.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Sections / Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word 2007-2013