To make a single page landscape in desktop Word, select the text on that page, open Layout > Page Setup, choose Landscape, set Apply to to Selected text, then confirm. Word creates the section boundaries needed to keep the surrounding pages in portrait orientation. You can also insert section breaks around the page and apply landscape to that section.
Choose the method that fits your document
| Method | Best when | Scope to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Select the page’s text | You want the quickest route and can select the content on the page. | Selected text |
| Insert section breaks | The page needs explicit boundaries, or you want to work with an existing section. | This section |
Both methods change orientation through Word’s page setup controls. A section-specific orientation depends on section boundaries; a regular page break alone does not create a separately formatted section. Microsoft’s desktop guidance covers Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, and other listed desktop releases. Menu details can vary by version and operating system.
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Method 1: Apply landscape to the selected page’s text
- Select the text that belongs on the page you want to turn landscape. Select the page’s content, not just a page-break character.
- Open Layout and launch the Page Setup dialog. The dialog launcher and route can differ slightly between Word versions.
- Under Orientation, choose Landscape.
- Set Apply to to Selected text, then confirm.
- Check the result: the intended page should be landscape, while the pages before and after it should remain portrait.
Microsoft lists Selected text, This point forward, and This section as different scopes for an orientation change. If more of the document changes than intended, return to Page Setup and check the scope.
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Use this approach when you want to define the page’s boundaries directly, or when the document already has section formatting to account for. For a one-page section, place a Next Page section break both before and after the target content.
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- Place the cursor at the start of the page’s content. Select Layout > Breaks > Section Breaks > Next Page.
- Place the cursor after the target page’s content and insert a second Next Page section break using the same path. The target content is now bracketed by section boundaries.
- Click within the section containing the page. Open Page Setup or the section’s Margins controls.
- Choose Landscape and set Apply to to This section, then confirm.
- Inspect the target page and the pages around it. If unexpected pages changed, display formatting marks and verify that the breaks sit at the intended boundaries.
Why use Next Page breaks?
A Next Page section break starts a new section on the following page, making it a straightforward way to bracket a full page. A Continuous section break starts a new section on the same page; Microsoft describes it as useful for formatting changes such as columns. Use section breaks for section-specific orientation rather than relying on an ordinary page break.
Show and check section boundaries
If the wrong pages turn landscape, reveal the document’s nonprinting marks with Home > Show/Hide. Inspect where the section breaks appear relative to the page content, then correct their positions if needed. Microsoft recommends displaying formatting marks when changing a section’s orientation.
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After changing orientation, review pagination and content flow. Word’s documentation does not promise identical layout across versions or printers, so confirm that the page and adjacent content still look right in your document.
Word for Mac, the web, and mobile
Microsoft’s orientation guidance includes desktop workflows for Windows and macOS. On Mac, changing orientation for only part of a document requires section breaks; the exact dialog route may differ from Windows.
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Word for the web cannot add section breaks. To use the section-break method, open the document in desktop Word. Some layout features may also be unavailable in web or mobile versions, so use the desktop app if the needed controls are missing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Fix common problems
The whole document turned landscape
Open Page Setup again and check Apply to. Choose Selected text for the selection method or This section for a section-specific change, rather than applying the setting to the whole document.
The wrong pages changed
Turn on Home > Show/Hide and inspect the section breaks. For the explicit section method, the breaks should bracket the target page’s content.
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A page break did not isolate the orientation
A page break starts a new page; it does not create the separately formattable section needed for a section-specific orientation. Insert section breaks instead.
You cannot find the section-break command online
Word for the web does not add section breaks. Open the document in desktop Word to insert them.
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