How-to · Google Docs for Mac
How to add a header and footer in Google Docs on Mac: step by step
To add a header or footer in Google Docs on Mac, open the file in Chrome or Edge, then go to Insert > Page elements and choose Header or Footer. Type your text in the box that opens, and it repeats on each page of a document in pages format.
Quick answer
- Google Docs has no Mac app. You work in a browser, usually Chrome or Edge.
- Go to Insert > Page elements > Header or Footer, then type your text in the box.
- Headers and footers disappear in pageless format. Switch with File > Page setup > Pages.
- Use Options at the right of a header for first-page and odd-even settings, and Format > Headers & footers > More options for margins.
What you need
- A Mac with Chrome or Edge installed
- A Google account with editor access to the document
- The document in pages format, not pageless
How to Add a header and footer in Google Docs on Mac in Google Docs on a Mac
Open the document in Chrome or Edge
Google Docs has no Mac app. Open the file at docs.google.com in Chrome or Edge. Google's offline help names those two browsers, so start there.
Tip: Safari and Firefox are not listed on the offline help page, so test them before you rely on one.
Confirm you can edit the file
Look at the top right of the window. If the file opens read only, you have view or comment access. Ask the owner for editor access.
Tip: Comment access lets you leave notes but not change the header.
Switch to pages format
Headers and footers do not exist in pageless format. Open File > Page setup, select Pages at the top, then click OK. The Format menu also has Switch to Pages format.
Tip: Your old headers return when you switch back to pages format.
Open the header
⌃⌘O then H
Click Insert > Page elements, then choose Header. The cursor moves into the header box at the top of the page. You can also hold Control and Command, press O, then H.
Tip: The shortcut comes from Google's list. Check it on your Mac, and use the menu if it fails.
Type the header text
Type your text inside the box. It shows on every page in pages format, unless you set a different first page. Keep it short so it fits on one line.
Tip: Select the text to change its font and size, the same way you would in the body.
Add a footer
⌃⌘O then F
Click into the body text first, then choose Insert > Page elements > Footer. The cursor moves to the bottom of the page. Type the footer text, such as the document name or a date.
Tip: Keep footers short. A long footer can wrap and crowd the body text.
Leave the header or footer
Click in the body text below the header or footer. The cursor returns to the page body. Double-click the header later to edit it again.
Tip: If you cannot find the body text, scroll down and click any paragraph.
Set a different first page
Click the header, click Options at the right, and check Different first page. The first page now has its own header box, which starts empty.
Tip: A blank first-page header usually means this box is checked.
Set odd and even headers
Click a header, click Options at the right, and set Apply to to Whole document. Check Different odd and even, then click Apply. Type one header for odd pages and another for even pages.
Tip: Check the result on a page from each side before you print.
Set header and footer margins
Click into the header or footer. Go to Format > Headers & footers > More options, enter the margin sizes, then click Apply. A margin of zero removes the header or footer space.
Tip: Change margins only when the header crowds the body text.
Give one section its own header
Add a section break where the new section starts. Click the header in that section and uncheck Link to previous. Type the new text. Changes no longer flow back to earlier sections.
Tip: If Link to previous does not appear, the section break is missing.
Remove a header or footer
Double-click the header or footer. Click Options at the right, then click Remove header or Remove footer. Check which section you are in before you click.
Tip: Look at the section you are in first, because a header can run through several sections.
Add page numbers
Click Insert > Page elements > Page number. Choose Page number, Page count, or More options. Google's shortcut page lists no shortcut for page numbers.
Tip: Page count shows the total length, which helps on printed drafts.
Google Docs on Mac runs in your browser
There is no Google Docs app for Mac. You open Google Docs in a browser tab and work in the same window you would use on any computer. Open docs.google.com in Chrome or Edge, then open your file.
Chrome and Edge are the safe choices. Google's offline help page names both browsers for offline editing. It does not list Safari or Firefox as supported for offline use. That is not the same as saying they fail for normal editing. Test them before you rely on one for a deadline.
All of the header and footer controls live inside the Docs window. You do not need an extension, a plugin, or a separate program.
Check the page format before you start
Headers and footers only work in pages format. Pageless format hides them. Boise State University's IT office reported that Google introduced pageless format in June 2022. Google's help says converting to pageless hides headers, footers, columns, page numbers, page breaks, and watermarks.
To switch back, open File > Page setup. Select Pages at the top of the dialog, then click OK. You can also open the Format menu and choose Switch to Pages format. Your hidden headers and footers return once the document is in pages format again.
Check the format first, since it is the easiest thing to miss. Most people look for the header button before they look at the page layout.
Insert a header and footer from the menu or the keyboard
The menu route is Insert > Page elements, then Header or Footer. Choose one and the cursor drops into the box at the top or bottom of the page. Type your text there.
Google's keyboard shortcuts page lists shortcuts for both. Hold Control and Command, press O, then press H for the header or F for the footer. The same page lists Control and Option shortcuts for the menus, such as Insert with Control, Option, and I.
This page did not test those shortcuts in a Mac browser. If a key combination does nothing, use the menu. The menu path is the safer choice when a shortcut fails.
| Task | Menu path | Shortcut from Google's list |
|---|---|---|
| Add a header | Insert > Page elements > Header | Hold ⌃⌘, press O, then H |
| Add a footer | Insert > Page elements > Footer | Hold ⌃⌘, press O, then F |
| Open the Insert menu | Insert | ⌃⌥I |
| Open the Format menu | Format | ⌃⌥O |
Use a different first page for a title page
A report often has a cover page that should stay clean. Google Docs handles this with one checkbox. Click any header, click Options at the right, and check Different first page.
Here is a worked example. Your cover page should show no header, and every page after it should show the report title. Check Different first page, leave the first-page header empty, then type the title into the regular header box. The title appears from the second page on.
The first-page box stays empty until you type in it. A blank box on page one is the expected result, not a bug.
Set different headers for odd and even pages
Printed reports often mirror their margins, so the outside edge changes from one sheet to the next. Google Docs calls this option Different odd and even.
Click a header and open Options at the right. Set Apply to to Whole document. Check Different odd and even, then click Apply. Type one header for odd pages and another for even pages.
The Apply to setting decides how far the change reaches. If you skip Whole document, the change may cover only part of the file. Check the result on a page from each side before you print.
Give one section its own running header
A thesis or a manual often changes its header by chapter. Google Docs needs a section break before this works. Until the section break exists, the Link to previous option stays hidden.
Add the section break where the new section starts. Click the header in that section, uncheck Link to previous, and type the new text. Changes in that section no longer flow back to the earlier pages.
Keep header text short when sections change. Long titles wrap to two lines and push the body text down. That can throw off the layout of a long document, so test a page or two before you finish.
Put page numbers in the footer
Page numbers usually belong in the footer. Choose Insert > Page elements > Page number. The submenu offers Page number, Page count, or More options.
Page count shows the total length of the document. Use it when a printed draft needs the total on each sheet. Page number alone shows only where you are.
Google's keyboard shortcuts page does not list a shortcut for page numbers. Use the menu each time, or set the footer once and reuse the same layout in the next document.
Change header and footer margins
Headers sit inside the top margin. Footers sit inside the bottom margin. If a header crowds the body text, change the header space rather than the page margins.
Click into the header or footer, then go to Format > Headers & footers > More options. Enter the sizes you want and click Apply. A margin of zero removes the header or footer space entirely.
Remove a header or footer you no longer need
Double-click the header or footer to open it. Click Options at the right, then click Remove header or Remove footer. The box and its text go away.
Before you remove anything, check which section you are in. A header can carry through several sections, and you want to know what changes before it does.
Keyboard shortcuts to learn on a Mac
- Open the Insert menu: Control, Option, I (⌃⌥I).
- Open the Format menu: Control, Option, O (⌃⌥O).
- Insert or move to header: hold Control and Command, press O, then H (⌃⌘O, then H).
- Insert or move to footer: hold Control and Command, press O, then F (⌃⌘O, then F).
- Insert footnote: Command, Option, F (⌘⌥F).
- Insert page break: Command, Enter (⌘Enter).
Each menu shortcut uses Control, Option, and one letter. Once you remember Insert with Control, Option, and I, the other menus follow the same pattern.
Common mistakes that cost you time
- Working in pageless format and wondering where the headers went.
- Leaving Different first page checked, then typing into the wrong box.
- Looking for Link to previous before adding a section break.
- Trying to edit a file you only have view or comment access to.
- Typing the header into the body text. Body text stays in the body and does not repeat on each page.
Most of these come down to one setting. Check the format, the first-page box, and your edit permission before you change anything else.
Work offline with headers and footers
If you work offline, check your setup first. Offline access needs Chrome or Edge with the Google Docs Offline extension. Private browsing is not allowed.
To turn it on, open Google Drive, click Settings at the top right, then click Settings again and turn on Offline setting. Only one account per browser profile can have offline access. Admins can turn it off for their users.
When your Google Docs menus look different
Google's help pages do not show version numbers or last-updated dates. Menus can move after an update. If Insert > Page elements looks different, search Google's help for headers and footers and follow the newer steps.
These steps match Google's help pages as they read on November 7, 2026. Use them as a starting point, and check Google's page if a label has changed.
Where to go next
If you write for a living, read the Google Docs guide for writers on Mac. It covers shortcuts, templates, and offline editing.
Students formatting an essay can read the Google Docs guide for students on Mac. It covers shortcuts, citations, templates, and offline work.
Google Docs shortcuts for this on Mac
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Open the Insert menu | ⌃⌥I |
| Open the Format menu | ⌃⌥O |
| Insert or move to header | ⌃⌘O, then H |
| Insert or move to footer | ⌃⌘O, then F |
| Insert footnote | ⌘⌥F |
| Insert page break | ⌘Enter |
If it does not work
- Header is missing from the whole document
- Check for pageless format. Open File > Page setup, select Pages, then click OK. Headers come back in pages format.
- First page has a blank header
- Different first page is probably checked. Click the header, open Options at the right, and uncheck Different first page if you want the same header on every page.
- Link to previous does not appear
- Add a section break where the new section starts. The option shows up only after the section break exists.
- Cannot edit the header
- You probably have view or comment access. Ask the document owner for editor access.
- Header changes on the wrong pages
- Check Different odd and even and the Apply to setting. Set Apply to to Whole document if you want the change across the file.
- Keyboard shortcut does nothing
- The shortcut comes from Google's list and was not tested on a Mac for this page. Use Insert > Page elements > Header or Footer instead.
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Questions people ask
Is there a Google Docs app for Mac?
No. Google Docs has no native macOS app. You use it in a browser such as Chrome or Edge. Google's offline help names Chrome and Edge as the supported browsers for offline work.
Why is my header missing in Google Docs on Mac?
Most often the document is in pageless format. Headers and footers are not available there. They come back when you switch to pages format through File > Page setup.
Why does my first page have a blank header?
Different first page is probably checked. Click the header, open Options at the right, and uncheck Different first page if you want the same header on every page.
Why is Link to previous missing?
The option appears only after the document has a section break. Add a section break where the new section starts, then click the header in that section.
Can I put a different header on only some pages?
Yes. Add a section break, click the header in the section you want to change, uncheck Link to previous, and type the new text. The change applies to that section only.
Does Google Docs have a shortcut for page numbers?
Google's keyboard shortcuts page does not list one. Use Insert > Page elements > Page number instead.
Can I add a header if I only have view access?
No. View or comment access blocks editing. Ask the document owner to give you editor access.
How do I work on headers offline on a Mac?
Turn on Offline setting in Google Drive settings, using Chrome or Edge with the Google Docs Offline extension. Private browsing is not allowed, and only one account per browser profile can use offline access.
Sources
- Use headers, footers, page numbers & footnotes - Computer - Google Docs Editors Help · Google · checked 2026-11-07
- Google Docs keyboard shortcuts - Google Docs Editors Help · Google · checked 2026-11-07
- Change a document's page setup: pages or pageless - Computer - Google Docs Editors Help · Google · checked 2026-11-07
- Use Google Docs offline - Computer - Google Docs Editors Help · Google · checked 2026-11-07
- Google Docs introduces new pageless feature · Boise State University OIT · checked 2026-11-07
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