An unwanted header leaves the same text repeating at the top of your Google Doc. The quickest way to remove it on a computer is through the header’s Options menu. For more control, you can leave the first page blank, clear selected sections, or delete header text on your phone.
Remove the header on a computer
Repeating text at the top of your pages comes from header content when it sits inside the document’s header. Open your document in Google Docs on a computer. Header removal applies to documents in Pages format.
Double-click the header, then click Options > Remove header. This deletes the header itself, including its content. Check the document’s other sections and any separate first-page or odd/even headers for content you also want to remove.
Switching to Pageless hides existing headers without deleting them. Use the removal command when you want the header gone.
Use the keyboard instead
With a header in your document, menu search gives you a keyboard route to the same removal command. Open your document in Google Docs on a computer in Pages format. Press Alt+/ on Windows or ChromeOS, or Option+/ on Mac.
Type header into menu search. Press the Down arrow to select Remove header, then press Enter.
Clear header text on your phone or tablet
Open your document in the Google Docs app on Android, iPhone, or iPad. Tap Edit, open More, and turn on Print Layout.
Tap the header and select the unwanted text. Press your keyboard’s Delete or Backspace key on Android, or its Delete key on iPhone or iPad. Use Google Docs on a computer for complete header removal; these mobile steps clear the text and keep the header itself.
If only the first page needs a blank header
A different first-page header leaves your opening page blank while keeping header content on later pages. The setting applies to the first page of a document or section in Pages format.
Click the header on the first page and enable Different first page. Select any unwanted content in that first-page header and delete the selection. If the header is already empty, leave it that way.
Keep headers off selected pages
Put the selected pages in their own section so you can clear their header without changing the surrounding headers.
- 1.Place the cursor at the start of the pages you want to isolate, then choose Insert > Break > Section break (next page).
- 2.Insert another Section break (next page) at the end of those pages to separate the following content.
- 3.Open the target section’s header and uncheck Link to previous.
- 4.In the following section’s header, also uncheck Link to previous if you want to preserve its content. Do this before clearing the target header.
- 5.Select and delete the content in the target section’s header.
Adjust the space above your text
A blank header retains spacing because deleting its content leaves the header container in place. Click the header, then choose Format > Headers & footers > More options.
Select the scope under Apply to, set the header margin to 0, and click Apply. This changes header spacing only; it does not delete header content.
Hide headers without deleting them
These options hide headers while you edit and keep their content intact. For a desktop view change, open View and turn off Show print layout. This changes your editing view without changing your collaborators’ views.
On Android, iPhone, or iPad, tap Edit, then open More. Turn off Print Layout to hide headers in the mobile editing view.
To change the document’s format on a computer, open File > Page setup. Select Pageless, then click OK. Existing headers stay in the document and reappear when you switch back to Pages.
To remove a header from printed output, use Remove header on a computer. Previously added headers can still print while hidden in a pageless document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete the header text but keep the header?
Yes. On a computer, choose Insert > Page elements > Header. Select the unwanted content, then press Delete. Press Escape to return to the document body. This keeps the header container.
Can I remove header content from only odd or even pages?
Yes. Click the header, then Options. Under Apply to, choose Whole document. Enable Different odd and even, then click Apply. Select and delete the unwanted content in the odd-page or even-page header.
Can new Google Docs start without visible headers?
Yes. On a computer, choose File > Page setup > Pageless, then click Set as default. Newly created documents will use Pageless format. This does not remove headers from existing documents.
Is a paragraph heading the same as a page header?
No. Paragraph headings, table header rows, and browser-added print headers are distinct from Google Docs page headers. The Remove header command removes the document’s page header.