Want to get your document’s formatting right but don’t know how to delete a page in Google Docs? You’re not alone. Many users on the Internet have complained about extra pages hanging around somewhere inside their well-formatted documents. They, like you, want to know how to delete unwanted pages in Google Docs.
One extra page could make a huge difference in how your document appears to readers. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to do to delete blank pages in Google Docs. So, open Google Docs on the web browser of your Mac or PC, & let’s get started!
Do you have a particular question about deleting a page in Google Docs? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the black arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
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How to Delete Blank Pages in Google Docs: Easy Fixes
Unlike deleting tables or columns, deleting blank pages in Google Docs is very easy. Here are four easy ways to delete extra pages in Google Docs:
Solution #1. Delete All Extra Text
You can reduce your page count by deleting unwanted content & blank spaces. First, find two or three pages that are omittable. Highlight the unwanted text, images, empty line breaks, or blank spaces by clicking & dragging the cursor over them.
Press the “Delete” or the “Backspace” key to erase all unwanted content. Next, check your doc’s formatting. If it looks better than before, save the changes.
Solution #2. Delete Unwanted Page Breaks
Many users want to know how to delete the last page in Google Docs. That’s because they create blank last pages by accidentally adding page breaks to their documents. To get rid of an accidental page break, place the cursor at the end section of the page break (the blank space).
Then, click on the Backspace/Delete button until the page break disappears. You’ll notice the text located next to the cursor jump back up to the previous page, where it belongs.
Solution #3. Change the Settings of Your Docs Margins
Sometimes, docs with extra-large margin settings tend to have extra blank pages at the end. That’s because when a doc’s margins are too large, extra space gets added at the bottom of the doc. This extra space leads to the automatic creation of a separate, hard-to-delete blank page.
How to delete the second page in Google Docs?
Go for the following steps:
- At the top left-hand section of the Google Doc, you’ll notice the Toolbar & an option that says “File”
- Click “File” to open a drop-down menu. On this menu, find an option that says “Page Setup.” If you can’t find it, look carefully at the bottom most section of the drop-down menu.
- Click “Page Setup” to open a pop-up box. You’ll notice the doc’s “Margins” settings on this box.
- Set your doc’s margins to 1 inch or lower.
- The smaller the margin size, the more space you’ll free up on your doc.
Solution #4. Check the Doc’s Custom Spacing Settings
Incorrect spacing settings could lead to extra amounts of space added to your doc after each paragraph of text. These extra spaces build to create one or two new pages at the end of the doc. To alter your doc’s custom spacing settings, take the following steps:
- On the toolbar, click on the option that says “Format”
- Inside the Format section, go to Line & Paragraph spacing
- Enter the option that says “Custom Spacing”
- Find the Paragraph Spacing section
- Here, set the value of the option that says “After” to 0
This solution will ensure that extra space never gets added to your doc after you finish a paragraph or a page. Here’s a helpful video guide that further simplifies this process:
How to Prevent Adding Blank Pages in Google Docs?
Now that you know how to delete unwanted pages in Google Docs, it’s time to learn how to never get additional space or unwanted pages in Google Docs. Here’s how you can prevent such errors from happening:
Solution #1: Use Section Breaks
Using section breaks will help you make your documents well-formatted. To add section breaks to your docs, try the following steps:
- On the Toolbar, click on the option that says “Insert”
- On the Insert menu, click on the option that says “Break”
- From the Break menu, select the type of break you want your document to have
- Your two options are the next page & continuous
Both these page-break options help create new pages. If you select the “section break next page” option, your doc will automatically switch to the next page whenever you add new sections.
Selecting the other option, “section break continuous,” means you’ll be able to start new sections on the same page. Choose either of the two options & stick to this formatting style. Maintaining consistent formatting is the key to making Google docs “well-formatted.”
Solution #2: Use the Clear Formatting Tool
There’s a built-in tool on Google Docs called “Clear Formatting.” It allows users to switch any layout & text preferences within their docs to their default settings. Here’s how you can use the Clear Formatting tool:
- Select Format
- Click Clear formatting
- Or, type this shortcut on your keyboard: Ctrl + \
Check if the Clear Formatting tool has eliminated all unwanted spaces from your doc. You can even clear format certain sections of the doc at a time. Just highlight a specific section & then type the “Ctrl + \”, shortcut on your keyboard.
Re-customize the document’s layout, appearance, formatting characteristics, etc., once the formatting is complete.
How Do I Delete A Page in Google Docs on My Smartphone?
Most Android users use Google Docs regularly because this app comes built-in with Android phones. To delete pages in Google Docs on your smartphone, take the following steps:
- Open up the Google Docs app
- Open the file with the unwanted blank page
- Tap on the “Edit” icon (look for an icon that looks like a pencil)
- An overflow menu will appear; on it, tap on the three vertical dots
- Tap “Print Style”
Clicking on this option will hopefully remove all blank pages from the doc.
Google Docs offers many unique formatting options. While these options are helpful, they can also accidentally break your document’s spacing & organization. Use this guide to keep your docs free from unwanted blank pages & spaces!
Credits: Thanks for the photo to Canva.
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