Use a screen reader to create headers or footers in Word

Use Word with your keyboard and a screen reader to create a header or footer that contains standard information on all pages in your document, such as page numbers, document title, company name, author, and date. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

In this topic

• Create a header or footer

• Edit a header or footer

  • Add a page number to a header or footer
  • Add a date to the header or footer
  • Access the Header & Footer ribbon

• Remove a header or footer

Create a header or footer

You can add any text you want to a header or footer, such as page numbers, a date, or a page number. You can also add an image, such as a company logo.

1. Do one of the following:

   • To create a header in your document, press Alt+N, H. With Narrator, you hear "Built-in, blank," followed by the number of available header types. With JAWS and NVDA, you hear: "Header list box, built-in." 
   • To create a footer, press Alt+N, O. With Narrator, you hear "Built-in, blank," followed by the number of available footer types. With JAWS and NVDA, you hear: "Footer list box, built-in."

   The focus changes to the menu, which lists header or footer layouts.

2. Use the Tab key or the Down arrow key to move through the list of layouts. Press Enter to select the one that you want.
   The layout you chose opens in the header and footer space in your document. The focus moves to the first editable text in the layout that you selected. You won't be able to edit the body of your document again until you close the Header & Footer ribbon.

3. Press the Right arrow key to move the focus on to the editable text area. You'll hear the placeholder text read aloud, such as "Document title" or "Type here."

4. Type the text you want.

5. To move to the next editable text area, if any, press the Right arrow key.

6. To exit the header or footer and return to the document body, press Alt+J, H, C.

Edit a header or footer

1. Do one of the following:

   • To open and edit a header, press Alt+N, H, E.
   • To open and edit a footer, press Alt+N, O, E.

   The focus moves to the header or footer, and the Header & Footer ribbon opens.

2. Make the changes that you want.

3. To exit the header or footer and return to the document body, press Alt+J, H, C.

Add a page number to a header or footer

1. To insert a page number, press Alt+N, N, U. The Page Number menu opens.
2. Use the Down arrow key to move through the list of possible page locations (top of page, bottom of page, and so on) for the page number. Press Enter or Spacebar to select the location you want.
   Each page location item opens an additional menu that offers options at that location. Use the Down arrow key to browse through these options and press Enter to select the one you want.
3. To exit the header or footer and return to the document body, press Alt+J, H, C.

Add a date to the header or footer

1. Do one of the following:

   • To open and edit a header, press Alt+N, H, E.
   • To open and edit a footer, press Alt+N, O, E.

   The focus moves to the header or footer, and the Header & Footer ribbon opens.

2. To insert a date, press Alt+N, D. The Date and Time dialog box opens.

3. Use the Down arrow key to move through the list of available date and time formats for the header or footer. When you find the format that you want, press the Tab key to select it and move to the other options in the dialog box.

4. In the language menu, press the Down arrow key to review the installed languages if necessary. Press the Tab key to select a language and move to the next option.

5. You hear: "Update automatically checkbox unchecked." If you want the date and time to be automatically updated, press Spacebar.

6. Press the Tab key. You hear: "Set as default." If you want to use the current date and time setting as default, press Spacebar. In the confirmation dialog box, press the Tab key until you hear "Yes," and then press Enter.

7. Press the Tab key until you reach the OK button, and then press Enter.

8. To exit the header or footer and return to the document body, press Alt+J, H, C.

Access the Header & Footer ribbon

From the Header & Footer ribbon you can, for example, add a header or footer image or adjust the header or footer position in the document.

1. To open the Header & Footer ribbon, press Alt+N, H, E.
2. To move to the ribbon, press Alt+J, H.
3. Press the Tab key to move through the buttons in the Header & Footer ribbon.
4. Press Enter to select a button, or press Spacebar to select a checkbox.
5. To exit the Header & Footer ribbon and return to the document body, press Alt+J, H, C.

Remove a header or footer

1. Do one of the following:

   • To remove a header, press Alt+N, H, R.
   • To remove a footer, press Alt+N, O, R.

   The header or footer is removed. The focus returns to the document body.

See also

Use a screen reader to add, read, and delete comments in Word

Use a screen reader to align text and paragraphs in Word

Keyboard shortcuts in Word

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word

Use Word for the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to create a header or footer that contains standard information on all pages in your document, such as page numbers, document title, company name, author, and date. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

In this topic

• Add a header or footer
• Add a page number to a header or footer

Add a header or footer

1. Press Alt+Windows logo key, N, H. The header and footer editing area opens.

2. Do one of the following:

   • To create a left-aligned header, start typing.
   • To create a centered header, press the Tab key once and type your text.
   • To create a right-aligned header, press the Tab key until you hear "Column three," and then type your text.
   • To access header options, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear: “Header toolbar, Options button.” To browse the available options, press Spacebar, and then use the arrow keys. To apply an option, press Enter.
   • To add a footer, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear “Editing default footer,” and then type the footer text.

3. To exit the header and footer area and return to the document body, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear “Close header and footer button,” and then press Enter.

Add a page number to a header or footer

1. Press Alt+Windows logo key, N, N, U. The Page numbers menu opens.
2. Use the arrow keys to move through the list of possible page locations for the page number. Press Enter or Spacebar to select the location you want. Word opens the header or footer in the location you selected.
3. To exit the header and footer area and return to the document body, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Close header and footer button," and then press Enter.

See also

Use a screen reader to align text and paragraphs in Word

Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word

Keyboard shortcuts in Word

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word