Headings are an essential a part of many Microsoft Phrase paperwork. As soon as the whole lot is in place, you may defend the header so nobody can unintentionally mess it up, particularly when you’re collaborating with others in your group.

You possibly can defend a doc, however there isn’t a setting that lets you defend solely the header and footer whereas persevering with to permit customers to edit the physique of the doc. Fortuitously, you may defend the header and unprotect the physique when wanted, however the course of is not intuitive.

SEE: 5 methods to delete a web page in Phrase (TechRepublic)

On this tutorial, I’ll present you a three-step course of to guard the header or footer space with out defending the physique of the Phrase doc. I’ll work within the header, however this system protects each the header and the footer.

I am utilizing Microsoft 365 on a Home windows 10 64-bit system, however you should use earlier variations of Phrase. This text is just not appropriate for Phrase for the net. Sadly, this resolution is just not a great one for on-line collaboration, as a result of Phrase for the net won’t open a doc with safety enabled in any part. You possibly can obtain the Microsoft Phrase demo file for this tutorial.

The first step: The right way to Insert a Web page Break in Phrase

As soon as a doc is in fine condition and you have added header content material, you might need to stop others from modifying that part. It is simple to do, however there is no quick-click resolution. Step one is so as to add a web page break, like this:

1. Press Ctrl + House to maneuver the cursor to the primary place on web page one of many doc. The break should be the very first thing within the doc.
2. Click on Present/Cover within the Paragraph group on the House tab. This step is not technically obligatory, however exhibiting the web page break image will make issues simpler.
3. Click on the Format tab.
4. Within the Web page Setup group, click on the Dropdown menu and choose Steady.

As you may see within the picture above, the part break is the very first thing on the doc’s first web page as a result of the cursor was originally of that web page once we inserted the break. The place of this break permits us to format the header in a different way than the physique of the doc.

For those who’re not acquainted with part breaks, they apply to the content material earlier than the break and the one factor earlier than this break is the header space. The following step will assist clarify why this issues.

Chances are you’ll be questioning how this resolution also can apply to the footer if the break applies to the content material earlier than the break. Phrase does assist you to enter totally different header and footer content material, however internally Phrase sees the header and footer as the identical space.

SEE: 6 Finest Free Options to Microsoft Phrase (TechRepublic)

Step Two: The right way to Defend the Doc in Phrase

Our second step could appear a little bit counterproductive, however it is going to all come collectively ultimately. Now we have to defend all the doc together with the header, footer and physique.

To guard all the doc, do the next:

1. Click on the File tab, after which click on Data within the left pane.
2. Click on Defend Doc and choose Prohibit Enhancing from the drop-down menu. Phrase will return to the doc and show the modifying choices within the Prohibit Enhancing panel.
3. Verify the second choice and choose No adjustments (read-only) from the drop-down record.

At this level, you have got protected all the doc: For those who stopped now, nobody would be capable to edit something. This isn’t what we wish. We have to unprotect the physique of the doc.

SEE: The right way to Use Part Breaks to Management Formatting in Phrase (TechRepublic)

Step three: The right way to unprotect the physique of the doc in Phrase

For those who’re not acquainted with Phrase safety, you could be questioning the place we’re going, as a result of defending the whole lot within the doc wasn’t what we supposed once we set out. We need to defend the doc’s header, however nonetheless be capable to edit the physique of the Phrase doc.

This is tips on how to unprotect the physique of the doc:

1. Choose the whole lot within the doc besides the part heading. To do that, place the cursor originally of the primary line within the doc by urgent Ctrl + House. Then press Ctrl + Shift + Finish to pick out the whole lot besides part break.
2. Within the Prohibit Enhancing panel, test the Everybody choice within the Exceptions part.
3. In part three, click on Sure, begin implementing safety.
4. When Phrase prompts you for a password, as proven within the second picture under, enter “pw” twice and click on OK. When making use of this to your individual work, you will need to use a safer password. For demonstration functions, we need to maintain the whole lot easy.

Discover the opening and shutting brackets originally and finish, respectively, of the unprotected space. Because the writer, you’ll know the password for the Phrase doc so you can also make adjustments to the header and footer space. Others can edit the physique of the doc, however not the header and footer space.

This resolution is just not intuitive, and surprisingly Phrase doesn’t provide an choice to guard solely the header and footer. Nonetheless, you may nonetheless do it utilizing this straightforward approach.

This text was initially revealed in September 2022. It was up to date in January 2025 by Antony Peyton.