Where to find and adjust page breaks in Excel
Excel shows you where your spreadsheet will break across pages when you print it. You can see these breaks on screen and move them to fit your data the way you want. The breaks appear as blue dotted lines running horizontally and vertically through your sheet.
To change where these breaks happen, you work in Page Break Preview mode. This is a view built into Excel specifically for moving page breaks around. You switch to it from the View tab at the top of the ribbon, then click the Page Break Preview button. Your sheet will look different — the areas that will print appear in white, and the areas outside the print range appear grayed out.
Once you are in Page Break Preview, you can drag the blue dotted lines to new positions. Dragging a line moves where the page break happens. You can also insert new page breaks or remove ones that are already there, depending on how you want your printed pages to look.
Key Takeaways
- Page breaks in Excel appear as blue dotted lines and show where your spreadsheet will split across printed pages.
- Switch to Page Break Preview mode from the View tab to see and move page breaks on your screen.
- Drag the blue dotted lines to move a page break to a different row or column.
- You can insert a new page break by selecting a row or column and using the Insert Page Break option from the Page Layout tab.
- Remove a page break by selecting it and choosing Delete Page Break from the Page Layout tab.
How to move a page break by dragging
The fastest way to change a page break is to drag it. First, make sure you are in Page Break Preview mode. Look for the blue dotted line that marks where the page will break — it runs either across a row or down a column.
Position your cursor directly on the blue dotted line. Your cursor will change to a resize arrow (it looks like a line with arrows pointing left and right, or up and down, depending on which direction the break runs). Click and hold, then drag the line to the row or column where you want the break to occur. Release the mouse button. The break moves to that new position.
This method works well when you want to move a break just a few rows or columns. If you need to move it a long distance or place it at a very specific location, the insert and delete method below gives you more control.
How to insert a new page break
Sometimes you want to force a page break at a specific spot, even if Excel did not put one there automatically. To do this, select the row or column where you want the break to start. If you want the break to happen before row 10, click on the row number 10 on the left side of the sheet. If you want the break to happen before column D, click on the column letter D at the top.
Once you have selected the row or column, go to the Page Layout tab in the ribbon. Click the Breaks button — it is in the middle section of the ribbon. A small menu will appear. Click Insert Page Break. Excel will place a page break right before the row or column you selected.
If you want to insert both a horizontal and vertical break at the same spot (so the break happens at a specific cell), click on that cell first instead of selecting a whole row or column. Then follow the same steps. Excel will insert breaks both above and to the left of that cell.
How to remove a page break
If you have a page break you no longer want, you can delete it. First, click on the row or column that comes right after the page break you want to remove. For example, if there is a page break before row 15, click on row 15. If there is a page break before column E, click on column E.
Go to the Page Layout tab and click the Breaks button. This time, select Delete Page Break from the menu. The break disappears, and your pages will print differently.
You cannot delete the automatic page breaks that Excel creates based on your paper size and margins — only the ones you inserted yourself. If you want to remove all manual page breaks at once, click the Breaks button and choose Reset All Page Breaks. This takes you back to Excel's automatic layout.
Understanding automatic versus manual page breaks
Excel creates automatic page breaks based on your paper size, margins, and zoom level. These appear as blue dotted lines when you are in Page Break Preview. You can move automatic page breaks by dragging them, but if you reset your print settings, they will recalculate and may move back to where they were.
Manual page breaks are the ones you insert yourself using the Insert Page Break button. These appear as darker blue lines (sometimes shown as solid lines rather than dotted). Manual breaks stay where you put them unless you delete them or reset all page breaks. This makes them useful when you want a specific layout that you plan to use repeatedly.
If you change your paper size, orientation, or margins, automatic breaks will shift to fit the new settings. Manual breaks may no longer line up the way you intended, so you might need to adjust them afterward.
How to return to normal view after adjusting page breaks
Once you have finished moving or inserting page breaks, you can switch back to the regular spreadsheet view. Go to the View tab and click Normal. Your sheet will return to the standard view, and the page breaks will no longer be visible as blue dotted lines.
The page breaks you set are still there — they just are not displayed. When you print the sheet or switch back to Page Break Preview, you will see them again in the same positions you left them. Switching between views does not change the breaks themselves, only whether you can see them on screen.
Common mistakes when changing page breaks
One frequent mistake is trying to drag a page break when you are not in Page Break Preview mode. If you are in Normal view, the blue dotted lines are not visible, so you cannot grab them. Always switch to Page Break Preview first.
Another common error is selecting the wrong row or column when inserting a page break. Remember that the break happens before the row or column you select. If you want a break before row 20, select row 20 — not row 19. This takes practice, and it is straightforward to get backward the first few times.
People also sometimes forget that resetting all page breaks removes every manual break you inserted. If you have spent time setting up a specific layout, do not click Reset All Page Breaks unless you are sure you want to start over. There is no undo for this action once you close the file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I see blue dotted lines in my spreadsheet?
Those are page breaks showing where your data will split across printed pages. They appear in Page Break Preview mode. If you do not want to see them, switch back to Normal view from the View tab. The breaks remain active — you just will not see them displayed on screen.
Can I move a page break to a specific cell instead of guessing?
Yes. Delete the automatic page break first, then select the row or column where you want the new break to be, and insert a manual page break. This gives you exact control. You can also click on a specific cell and insert a page break there, which will place breaks both above and to the left of that cell.
What happens to my page breaks if I change the paper size?
Automatic page breaks will recalculate to fit the new paper size. Manual page breaks you inserted will stay where you put them, but they may no longer align with your data the way you intended. You will likely need to adjust them after changing paper size or orientation.
Is there a way to undo a page break I just deleted?
Yes, use Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) when ready after deleting the break. This will restore it. If you have made other changes since then, undo will step back through those changes too until it reaches the deletion.
Can I see page breaks without switching to Page Break Preview?
Not in the same way. Normal view does not show the blue dotted lines. You must switch to Page Break Preview to see and adjust them. Some people print to PDF or use Print Preview to see where breaks will occur without entering Page Break Preview mode.