How to add and remove page numbers in Microsoft Word documents

lots of numbers

Page numbers are an important part of many documents that span multiple pages. They help readers navigate through the document and keep track of where they are, as well as communicate clearly with others about references. In this blog post, I’ll cover adding and removing page numbers in a Microsoft Word document.

Let’s begin with adding page numbers in Word documents.

Adding page numbers to Microsoft Word documents

  1. Select the Insert tab in the upper left corner of the window.
  2. Select Page Number in the Header & Footer section.
  3. Choose where you want the page numbers to appear in your document.
Steps to add page numbers to Word documents | Click to enlarge

Notice that once you add page numbers, your ribbon menu shows additional settings for the header or footer (wherever you placed the page number). You could, for instance:

  • Have a cover page without a page number by selecting Different First Page and/or
  • Have odd pages’ numbers aligned left, and even numbered pages aligned right
Header and footer settings that can affect page numbers | Click to enlarge

You might also wish to have your second page start page numbering as page 1 (set Start at to 0 and select Different First Page), or use letters or Roman numbers instead of numbers. You can do this by selecting Page number | Format Page Numbers.

Format page numbers options | Click to enlarge
Video of how to add page numbers to a Word document

Next, let’s take a look at how to remove the page numbers.

Removing page numbers from Microsoft Word documents

  1. Go to Insert | Page Number, then select Remove Page Numbers.
Steps to remove page numbers from a Word document | Click to enlarge
  1. If the Remove Page Numbers option isn’t available or if some page numbers remain, double-click in the header or footer area where the page number is present, select the page number, and press Delete.
Video of how to remove page numbers from a Word document

References

How to add a Version column to modern SharePoint list and library views

Versioning is enabled by default on all modern lists and libraries in Microsoft 365 and saves the last 500 major versions of an item/document . However, you won’t see a column displaying an item’s/document’s version number automatically in list/library views unless you explicitly add it.

Normally in modern lists and libraries you could show/hide columns that already exist by selecting the column header titled “+ Add column” then “Show/hide columns” as seen in the screenshot below.

However, when we do this, Version isn’t an option.

Solution #1: Edit the current view

We visit some classic SharePoint settings to find this column. Simply follow the steps below to add the “Version” column to your list or library view.

1. Go to the list or library and make sure it’s on the view to which you’re adding a column for Version

2. Select the view name (All Items or All Documents is default) then Edit current view

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the list of column names and select the checkbox next to Version.

4. Click OK at the top or bottom of the screen to save.

Note: If you want to rearrange the order of columns as well (perhaps placing Version between other columns) then be sure to change its corresponding number next to its row in the view settings as well.

Solution #2: Edit the view through List/Library settings

Rather than using Edit current view from the view itself, you can also get to the same view settings by going to Settings > List Settings or Settings > Library Settings.

Scroll down to the Views section and select the name of the view for which you’re adding the Version column then proceed with steps 3 and 4 from Solution #1.

And through either method, now we have a column for Version added to our view.

Add a shortcut to a SharePoint document stored in a different document library (classic)

Note: Does not apply to SharePoint Online/O365 modern experiences. Only applies to classic experiences and SharePoint Server/on-prem.

In modern experiences, SharePoint allows convenient addition of links to documents stored outside the current library. However, on-prem and classic experiences are a bit different. Basically, we have to permit the “link to document” content type in the library first.

Allow shortcuts to documents

1. Go to Library > Library Settings


2. Choose Advanced settings

3. Set Allow management of content types to Yes.

4. Click OK to save changes.

5. Under Content Types choose Add from existing site content types

6. Select Link to a Document and Add >.

Click to enlarge

7. Click OK.

Test the new option

Now, back in your document library, your New button will have the Link to a Document option available.

Once selected, you’ll enter a name for the shortcut (can be different from the document’s actual name) and its URL.

Voila! Insta-link to documents stored elsewhere.

Add a shortcut to a SharePoint document stored in a different document library (modern)

Note: Applies to SharePoint Online/O365 and modern experiences only.

In SharePoint Server/on-prem, we have to manage content types and allow links to documents before we can link to documents outside the current document library. But in SharePoint Online/O365, there’s a Link option on the New menu that does all the work for us, and without even needing to adjust the library’s content type settings.

Modern experience in SharePoint Online/O365

In a modern-view document library, simply use New > Link.

Then paste a URL to the file, or select it from recent files which, yes, will include files modified even outside the current library.

This will add a link/shortcut within your document library to the document stored/managed elsewhere.

Click to enlarge

Classic experience

Check out my post on how to accomplish something similar in classic and on-prem experiences.

Solution: SharePoint document library links/shortcuts to other documents go to a blank .aspx page

Today I ran across an issue where someone had created links within a classic document library that redirected users to documents stored in a different library. This is easy to do, but for some reason those links were now leading users to blank .aspx pages instead of the intended document.

Note that users weren’t taken to an “invalid” or “can’t be found” error page, but a completely blank page with a URL ending in .aspx. If you’re being redirected to anything other than a blank page the following solution probably won’t apply to you.

I figured out that, somehow, the library in question no longer had the “Link to a document” content type included. You normally can’t delete a content type that is in use, but with the right permissions and perhaps a migration tool or script, anything is possible. Without the content type on the library, the links that once worked under that content type now could not.

Important: The links are not necessarily broken – do not delete them. Once the content type is added again, they should work unless the original URLs have actually changed.

To re-add the link/shortcut content type to the library, follow these directions (same as if you were adding it for the first time):

1. Go to Library > Library Settings

Click to enlarge


2. Choose Advanced settings

3. Set Allow management of content types to Yes.

4. Click OK to save changes.

5. Under Content Types choose Add from existing site content types

6. Select Link to a Document and Add >.

Click to enlarge

7. Click OK.

Now check your links, and they should work!

The “New item” menu in modern SharePoint document libraries now allows adding templates

I happily stumbled across an update to modern document libraries I hadn’t noticed before. The modern document library “new item” menu now includes an option to “Edit New Menu” which pulls up this pane in-context:

iexplore_2018-11-02_10-54-47.png

And also includes the ability to upload a new template directly from the menu, rather than through content type settings.

2018-11-02_11-01-17.gif

Any new templates added via this method will use the default content type for that library, but provides a way to have multiple templates for a single content type.

10 reasons putting team/department documents in SharePoint is better than shared drives: Part 2

Asset 1mazeThis post is a continuation of 10 reasons putting team/department documents in SharePoint is better than shared drives.

See part one for information about:

  1. Version history
  2. Approvals/Administration
  3. Check-in/Check-out
  4. Co-editing
  5. Archiving & retention

And below for information about:

  1. Sharing and security
  2. Remote access
  3. Metadata and views
  4. Workflows & alerts
  5. Sync & export

Continue reading “10 reasons putting team/department documents in SharePoint is better than shared drives: Part 2”

10 reasons putting team/department documents in SharePoint is better than shared drives: Part 1

Asset 1mazeYou know that one file, right? The one named “Agenda.docx” in the folder called “November” in the “2008” folder in another folder called “DO NOT Delete” in the “Archive” folder of the “Retired Committees” folder?

Me either. And chances are you don’t need it anymore. But managing team/department documents on traditional shared drives has challenges like this all the time, with management, retention, content ownership, etc. SharePoint, however, can greatly assist in keeping your content current, relevant and organized.

Of course making the switch from shared, common network drives to SharePoint can be intimidating. But the benefits of doing so are well worth the effort to make your team work more efficiently. This post will highlight 10 features in SharePoint you can’t necessarily get from shared network drives:

Part One:

  1. Version history
  2. Approvals/Administration
  3. Check-in/Check-out
  4. Co-editing
  5. Archiving & retention

Part Two:

  1. Sharing and security
  2. Remote access
  3. Metadata and views
  4. Workflows & alerts
  5. Sync & export

Continue reading “10 reasons putting team/department documents in SharePoint is better than shared drives: Part 1”

Convert SharePoint documents to PDF using Microsoft Flow

convert.PNG

Edited Dec 10, 2018 to include “for a selected item” function in modern sites.

Can you convert SharePoint documents to PDF without leaving SharePoint? Heck, yeah!

Basically we’ll create this flow:

  1. “When a file is created or modified” in SP -OR- “For a selected item”
  2. Create document in OneDrive for Business -OR- OneDrive
  3. Convert document (OneDrive action in Flow)
  4. Create document in SP

It’s a bit of a hack but we get exactly the result often requested: convert SharePoint docs to PDF automatically. Here’s how to set this up. A video walkthrough using the “created/modified” trigger is available at the bottom of this post.

Continue reading “Convert SharePoint documents to PDF using Microsoft Flow”

Automating item-level permissions in SharePoint document libraries and lists

workflowitemlevelpermissions

Item-level permissions come in handy for a number of situations. Here are some examples and food for thought:

  • Travel plans are submitted to a list, but only those in people columns (supervisor, director, traveler) are allowed to see or find the plan by search.
  • Allow “content owners” to edit documents, and everyone else to view only.
  • Allow non-admin individuals to set editing permissions for documents or list items by populating a people column

Using a SharePoint Designer 2010 Workflow and an impersonation step, we can:

  • Add list item permissions
  • Inherit list item parent permissions
  • Remove list item permissions
  • Replace list item permissions

This tutorial will use the “replace list item permissions” action. Whenever you’re replacing permissions, you must remember to INCLUDE YOURSELF or admin individuals in the replacement permissions or you won’t be able to access the content or help with troubleshooting. Let’s begin!

Continue reading “Automating item-level permissions in SharePoint document libraries and lists”