2026-10-28 · all guides

Word Page Numbers for a KDP Book: Roman Numerals, Then 1, Without Losing Your Mind

Why it keeps breaking

Most people who fight this end up with a section break on almost every page, each one patched by hand. That's what makes it hit and miss: change one footer and the linked sections change with it.

You only need one section per numbering scheme. For most books that's two: front matter and body. The extra sections come later, and only if you want chapter openers without numbers.

The two settings people miss

Link to Previous, in both places. Every new section starts linked to the one before it, so whatever you do to its footer happens to the previous section's footer too. Turn off Link to Previous in the footer and in the header. People usually unlink the footer and forget the header, and then the running head breaks instead.

Format Page Numbers. Where numbering starts is set here, not by deleting numbers. Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers lets you pick the style (i, ii, iii or 1, 2, 3) and choose between "Continue from previous section" and "Start at".

Front matter in Roman, body from 1

1. Click just before the chapter one heading. Layout > Breaks > Odd Page (a section break, not a page break). Odd Page makes chapter one start on a right-hand page, which is where it belongs.
2. Double-click the footer on chapter one's first page. Turn off Link to Previous. Click into the header of the same page and turn it off there too.
3. Still in the chapter one footer, open Format Page Numbers. Choose 1, 2, 3 and Start at 1.
4. Go back to a front-matter page footer. Open Format Page Numbers and choose i, ii, iii.
5. If you don't want numbers on the title page and copyright page, delete the number from that section's footer. It won't touch the body now that the sections are unlinked.

No number on chapter openers

Different First Page applies to the first page of each section. To use it on every chapter opener, each chapter needs its own section:

1. Replace the page break before each chapter with Layout > Breaks > Odd Page.
2. In each new chapter section, set Format Page Numbers to Continue from previous section so the count doesn't restart.
3. Tick Different First Page in the header and footer options for each chapter section.

This part is polish. KDP doesn't require it, and plenty of published books show a number on the chapter opener.

Page 1 is always a right-hand page

The first page of the PDF is a right-hand (recto) page, and odd pages are on the right throughout. Don't add a blank page before your half title or title page to "push it to the right"; it's already there. If something needs to open on the right, like chapter one, the blank goes immediately before it, and the Odd Page break adds it for you.

Check the result in KDP's print previewer, which shows spreads the way the book will print.

Two other settings worth checking

The inside margin has to grow with the page count, from 0.375 in up to 150 pages to 0.5 in for 151 to 300, with Mirror margins on. The free KDP margin calculator gives you the numbers for your trim and page count.

If you're formatting someone else's book, or this has already taken a weekend, our manuscript formatting service does the page numbering, running heads, chapter openers and margins from your Word file.

FAQ