Normally, the first page, or cover page, of a document does not have a page number or other header or footer text. You can avoid putting a page number on the first page using sections, but there is an easier way to do this.

If you don’t plan to use sections in any other part of your document, you may want to avoid using them completely. We will show you how to easily take the page number off the cover page and start the page numbering at one on the second page of your document by simply using a footer (or a header) and changing one setting.

Click the Page Layout tab.

In the Page Setup section of the Page Layout tab, click the Page Setup dialog box launcher icon in the lower, right corner of the section.

On the Page Setup dialog box, click the Layout tab and select the Different first page check box in the Headers and footers section so there is a check mark in the box. Click OK.

You’ll notice there is no page number on the first page of your document now.

However, you might want the second page to be page one of your document, only to find it is currently page two.

To change the page number on the second page to one, click the Insert tab.

In the Header & Footer section of the Insert tab, click Page Number and select Format Page Numbers from the drop-down menu.

On the Page Number Format dialog box, select Start at in the Page numbering section. Enter 0 in the edit box and click OK.

This allows the second page of your document to be labeled as page one.

You can use the drop-down menu on the Format Page Numbers button in the Header & Footer section of the Insert tab to add page numbers to your document as well. Easily insert formatted page numbers at the top or bottom of the page or in the page margins. Use the same menu to remove page numbers from your document.