How to add a header and footer in Pages on Mac: steps for Pages 15.4

Check your Pages version and document type first

The steps on this page follow Apple's Pages User Guide for Mac, which covers Pages 15.4. Apple's Creator Studio edition of Pages launched as version 15.1 in January 2026. Apple's older Pages 8.2 guide uses the same labels for the Document tab and the Section tab, so the basic path is consistent across those releases. Menus can still move between versions, so compare the names on your screen with this guide.

MacRumors reported on January 28, 2026 that the older Mac Pages app moved to version 14.5 and no longer gets new features. The steps here have not been checked against the 14.5 menus. If you still use that app, read each label before you click.

• Document type: word processing and page layout documents handle headers differently. This guide starts with word processing.
• Undo: ⌘Z is the only documented shortcut for the riskiest step, which is turning headers off.
• Version: Apple's guide is labeled Pages 15.4. Check menu names on your screen before you follow them.

Add a header or footer in a word processing document

Start at the top or bottom edge of any page. Hover your pointer there, and Pages shows the header or footer fields. Apple's guide says to click one of the three fields, then type. Anything you type in a header or footer sits in that band, not in the body text.

Use each field for something different, like a short title or a page number. Keep the text short, so it fits the band at the top or bottom of the page. A long line of text can run into the body text and look crowded.

Show the header and footer fields when they are missing

If hovering does nothing, the fields are probably turned off for this document. Apple's fix is to click the Document radio button in the toolbar. Next, open the Document tab in the sidebar. Select the Header and Footer checkboxes, and the fields appear.

One Apple Community user could not see header or footer fields at all. The original poster confirmed that turning on the Header and Footer checkbox in the Document panel let them insert page numbers. That matches the steps in Apple's guide.

Add page numbers to a header or footer

Page numbers are the usual next step once the fields show. Click Insert Page Number in the header or footer. Choose a numbering style from the pop-up that appears. If that pop-up does not show, click Insert in the toolbar and choose Page Number. For a longer walkthrough, read how to add page numbers in Pages on Mac.

The numbering style sets the format of the number. Pick the style your reader expects, such as the one a teacher or editor asked for. Then check two or three pages to see the number change as you scroll.

Set different headers and footers for each section

A section is a group of pages that can share or change a header and footer. In a word processing document, open the Document sidebar and click the Section tab at the top. You get three options there. Hide on first page of section removes the header and footer from the first page of that section. Match previous section keeps the section linked to the one before it. Clear that box to give this section its own header and footer.

• A cover page with no header or footer: turn on Hide on first page of section.
• A chapter that needs its own header: clear Match previous section for that chapter.
• Left and right pages that look different, as in a book layout: turn on Left and right pages are different.

Worked example: a three page report

Say you have a three page report. Page one is a cover. Pages two and three hold the text. You want page numbers on pages two and three, and nothing on the cover. Start by turning on the Header and Footer checkboxes in the Document tab. Click the footer on page two and choose Insert Page Number with a numbering style.

Open the Section tab and select Hide on first page of section. The cover loses its footer, and page two keeps its number. Scroll to page three to confirm the number continues. This example assumes the whole report is one section. If you split it into sections, set Match previous section on each one that should copy the section before.

Turn off a header or footer without losing your work

Turning off the Header and Footer checkbox removes the content from every header and footer in the document. Apple says ⌘Z, pressed right away, is the documented way to undo it. Reselecting the checkbox does not restore the text you lost.

Page layout documents need a different path

Page layout documents treat headers and footers as page settings. Click an empty corner of the page first. Then click the Format radio button. Use Show header and footer to add one to a single page, or Match previous page to link that page to the one before it.

Community members say headers are on by default in word processing documents and off by default in page layout documents. That is a forum claim, not an Apple statement, so check the page itself before you assume anything.

Add page numbers in Pages for iCloud

Pages for iCloud runs in a browser at icloud.com/pages, and the path differs. Click the Insert button in the toolbar and choose Page Number or Page Count. For number format in a word processing document, open the Document sidebar and use the Section tab, where Page Numbering lives.

Apple's iCloud guide lists ⌘Z as the only keyboard shortcut for this task. It also lists no browser requirements. If a menu looks different from the guide, check Apple's Pages support page for the current guide.

Mistakes that cost people time

• Typing in the body of the page. Text there stays in the main text, not the header. Click the header or footer field first.
• Turning off the checkbox to start over. This deletes header and footer content everywhere. Undo right away with ⌘Z.
• Expecting content back after reselecting the box. Apple says reselecting the Header and Footer checkbox does not restore it.
• Editing one section and expecting every section to change. Check Match previous section first.
• Following Pages 15.4 steps in the older app. Apple's guide is labeled 15.4, and MacRumors reports the older app moved to 14.5.

When the section options are greyed out

One Apple Community thread describes greyed out Section options and no header or footer boxes. Someone suggested enabling Header and Footer in the Document tab. The original user then saw a single footer box instead of three. The thread closed without a confirmed fix.

If you hit the same wall, start with the checkboxes in the Document tab. Confirm your document type, then check whether the page layout path applies. If the options stay grey, contact Apple Support through Apple's Pages support page.

What to do next

Scroll through the finished document and check the first page, a middle page, and the last page. Section rules can make those pages look different on purpose. Footnotes have their own steps in how to add a footnote in Pages on Mac.

Pages is included in Apple Creator Studio. Apple lists the price as $12.99 per month or $129 per year after the free trial. New subscribers get one month free, and the student price is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year.