To delete a page in Google Docs, select its unwanted text and press Backspace or Delete. For a blank page, open View > Show non-printing characters to find extra paragraphs or page breaks before removing them.
The short version
- Remove unwanted text with Backspace or Delete, selecting only what you want gone.
- Reveal formatting marks to find the cause of a blank page.
- For an inserted page break, click below it and press Backspace or Delete.
- Keep needed text by adjusting spacing, margins, tables or images.
- Choose Pageless only when you want a document without page boundaries.
| Method | What it does | Time | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remove content | Deletes unwanted text | Under a minute | You do not need the wording |
| Reveal formatting | Finds surplus paragraphs | A few minutes | A page looks empty |
| Remove a page break | Removes a forced new page | Under a minute | You find an inserted break |
| Use the mobile app | Removes text or breaks | A few minutes | You are using a phone or tablet |
| Adjust text spacing | Reduces space around text | A few minutes | You need to keep the words |
| Adjust page layout | Changes margins or large objects | A few minutes | A table or image needs room |
| Switch to Pageless | Removes page boundaries | Under a minute | You want continuous scrolling |
Delete a page and its contents
In the computer editor, select only the text you want to remove from the unwanted page. Press Backspace or Delete to remove it. Avoid selecting the whole document when you only want to remove one page's contents.
Check the selection before removing it, especially if the last paragraph continues onto another page. To keep a copy on the clipboard instead, press Ctrl + X on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command + X on Mac, to cut it. After removal, look for any remaining empty paragraphs or page breaks using the next fixes.
If you cannot change the text, follow Google's steps to request editing access from the owner. Return to the document once you have permission to edit, then remove only the unwanted content.
Reveal formatting on a blank page
On a computer, open View and choose Show non-printing characters. Blue marks identify paragraph breaks, line breaks, section breaks, page breaks and other formatting. Look at the unwanted page and the end of the preceding page before changing anything.
Select surplus empty paragraph or line-break marks, then press Backspace or Delete to remove them. Keep the breaks that separate paragraphs you still need. If you find a page-break marker instead, use the next method so you remove the break without selecting nearby text.
Section breaks can have different margins or page numbers. Choose View > Show section breaks to identify those boundaries before changing the page layout.
When you finish inspecting the layout, choose View > Show non-printing characters again to hide the marks. Hiding the marks does not delete anything; only removing the extra marks gets rid of the page.
Remove an inserted page break
In Pages format, locate the inserted page break with the formatting marks visible. Click immediately below the break, then press Backspace or Delete until it is removed.
Use this fix when you can identify an inserted break. If there is no break to remove, keep the text and work through the spacing and layout settings below instead of repeatedly deleting at the page boundary.
Delete a page on your phone or tablet
Open the document in the Google Docs app on Android, iPhone or iPad and tap Edit. Double-tap a word, then move the blue selection markers to cover the unwanted text.
On Android, tap your keyboard's Delete (Backspace) key to remove the selected text. On iPhone or iPad, tap the selection and choose Cut from the editing options. For more control over a stubborn blank page, open the document on a computer and reveal its formatting marks.
To remove an inserted page break in the app, tap below the break and delete it with the keyboard. If a paragraph has a forced page start, open More and turn on Print layout. Double-tap that paragraph, open Format > Paragraph, and turn off Add page break before.
Keep the wording and reduce text spacing
On a computer, select the affected paragraphs. Line spacing is set in Format > Line & paragraph spacing, the same menu used to set double spacing in Google Docs; choose Single instead. For extra space between paragraphs, choose Custom spacing, reduce the before or after spacing, and click Apply.
In Pages format, inspect the same spacing menu for enabled Keep with next or Keep lines together settings, or an enabled Prevent single lines setting. Turn off an enabled option only if you are comfortable changing how those paragraphs split. Also check Add page break before, which forces the paragraph onto a new page; click it to turn it off if enabled. Review the result before changing another setting.
You can also select the affected text and choose a smaller Font size in the toolbar. Keep the text easy to read, and avoid changing the entire document to squeeze in a small amount of overflow.
Make more room in the page layout
On a computer, open File > Page setup and select Pages. Reduce the relevant Margins values and click OK. If you need help choosing which values to change, follow the steps to change margins in Google Docs.
For a table you no longer need, right-click a cell and choose Delete table. To remove just an unwanted row, right-click a cell in that row and choose Delete row.
To keep a table but let a row split across pages, select that row and right-click to open Table options. Under Row, check Allow row to overflow across pages and click Okay. This option applies to documents in Pages format.
For a large image, select it and open Image options > All image options. Choose Size & Rotation and reduce its dimensions. Inspect the layout after each adjustment so you can stop when the document looks right.
Use Pageless without deleting content
On a computer, open File > Page setup, select Pageless and click OK. The document scrolls continuously without page breaks. Choose this format when you want to keep the content and read it without separate pages.
Use Pages when you need page numbers, headers or footers. Those features are unavailable in Pageless, and existing headers, footers and watermarks are hidden until you switch back. Decide which format suits the document before using this as a solution to an extra page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reset the formatting on text that won't fit?
Yes, select the affected text and press Ctrl + \ on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command + \ on Mac. This clears text formatting. Inspect the result, then use the separate page-break fix if an inserted break remains.
Can I cut a page's contents instead of deleting them?
Yes. Cutting removes the selection and keeps a copy on the clipboard, so you can paste it elsewhere.
What happens to headers and footers when I switch to Pageless?
Existing headers, footers and watermarks are hidden in Pageless. They become visible again when you switch the document back to Pages, so use the format that supports the elements you need.
Does deleting a document tab delete just one page?
No. A tab is a section of the document, not a page, and deleting a tab removes everything in it. Keep the tab and edit only the unwanted content inside it.
How do I undo removing the wrong text?
On a computer, press Ctrl + Z on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command + Z on Mac. In the mobile app, tap Undo, then adjust your selection before trying again.
Why are there blue marks on my blank page?
These are non-printing characters that identify formatting, including paragraph and page breaks. On a computer, choose View > Show non-printing characters again to hide them after you finish inspecting the page.