Google Docs is a versatile tool used by professionals, business owners, and students alike. With all your data stored in the cloud, you can create documents on the go and access them anytime, anywhere. But what do you do when you come across unwanted blank pages in your document? In this article, we’ll explore the different methods you can use to delete a page in Google Docs.
Method 1: Using the Delete Button
Step 1: Place your cursor at the end of the previous page and click on the Delete button. If this doesn’t work, move on to the next step.
Step 2: Highlight the blank page and press the Delete button.
Note: This is the easiest method to get rid of unwanted pages in Google Docs, so it’s worth trying first. However, in some cases, the blank page may still remain. If that happens, try the following method.
Method 2: Delete the Text
Step 1: Highlight the unwanted text and images by dragging your cursor over them. Press the Delete button to remove the text and empty page.
How to Remove a Blank Page at the End of Google Docs
If you have a blank page at the end of your Google Docs document, there are a couple of other approaches you can try:
Check for Custom Spacing
Step 1: In the toolbar, select Format, Line spacing, then Custom spacing.
Step 2: Click on “Apply” after setting the “After” value to 0 in paragraph spacing.
Adjust Page Margins
While slightly more advanced, adjusting the page margins is the best option when you only need a few extra lines of text and don’t want to add another page.
Step 1: In the top menu bar, select the File tab, then choose Page setup. A page setup dialog box will appear on your screen.
Step 2: Adjust the page margins of all your pages in the document so that you can fit the desired text on a single page (thus removing the extra page).
NOTE: To keep your text centered, change the right and left margins to the same value.
Troubleshooting Blank Pages in Google Docs
If you’ve tried all the methods mentioned above and the blank page in your Google Docs document still refuses to delete, you can try a few troubleshooting techniques:
Look for Page Breaks
Unwanted page breaks often result in blank pages. However, page breaks are not visible when viewing your document in Print Layout view.
To stop using Print Layout view for your Google Docs document, try the following:
Step 1: To disable it, select View, then Show print layout. Now, each page break in your document will appear as a gray line.
Step 2: Click on Delete after clicking below one of the page breaks. Alternatively, press and hold the Delete key (or Fn+Backspace on a Mac) while clicking above one of the page breaks.
The blank page break should now be gone. To return to Print Layout view, repeat step 1. The blank page should no longer be visible.
Check Tables
The use of hidden tables can also result in unwanted blank pages. For example, Google Docs CV templates use tables with zero-width borders. If part of these tables gets forced onto the next page, you may see an extra blank space.
You should be able to see the table to resolve these issues.
Step 1: Right-click anywhere on the page and click on Table properties.
Step 2: Ensure that the table border color is set to black and the line width is set to 1 pt.
Your table borders, including any sections that would have extended beyond the page, will now be visible. You should now be able to resolve the issue by removing any unwanted lines, columns, or empty spaces from your table.
Look for Section Breaks
Section breaks can also cause blank pages in Google Docs. You can insert these breaks yourself or import a Word document that contains them. Section breaks should be visible by default, but you won’t be able to see them in your document if this setting is turned off.
How to View Section Breaks in a Google Docs Document
Step 1: After selecting View, check the box next to Show section breaks. Click on it if it’s not already selected.
The section breaks in your document should now appear as dotted lines.
Step 2: Press Delete (or Fn+Backspace on Mac) at the very end of the paragraph, above any unwanted section breaks. This should get rid of the blank pages in Google Docs.
Conclusion
While Google Docs may seem like a straightforward web application, its formatting options can sometimes disrupt the organization and spacing of your pages.
After reading this article, you should now know how to delete a page in Google Docs. When you understand how to properly format Google Docs, you can identify why you’re seeing blank pages (and use the formatting tips mentioned above to resolve them).
If this article has piqued your interest in learning how to delete sheets in Google Sheets, you can check out our article on that topic. Wondering how to use Google Sheets offline? We’ve got you covered too!
We hope you found this article helpful. See you soon!
