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How to Break Down Sections for Roman and Numerical Page Numbers

When a document contains front matter and a main body, you may need to use Roman numerals for the front matter and Arabic numbers for the main content.

For example, the front matter can use i, ii, iii…, while the main body begins with 1, 2, 3….

Roman Numerals and Arabic Numbers

Document SectionPage Number FormatExample
Front MatterLowercase Roman numeralsi, ii, iii, iv…
Main BodyArabic numbers1, 2, 3, 4…
1 Insert a Section Break

Place your cursor at the end of the page where your Roman numeral section (front matter) ends.

Go to the Layout tab on the top ribbon.

Click Breaks and select Next Page under Section Breaks.

Important: Make sure you select Next Page under Section Breaks, rather than selecting an ordinary page break.
2 Add and Format Roman Numerals

Go to the first section. Double-click the header or footer area.

Select Page Number from the Insert tab.

Choose your preferred location, such as Bottom of Page.

Next, go to Page Number > Format Page Numbers.

In the Number format dropdown, select lowercase Roman numerals: I, II, III…

Click OK.

Result: The pages in the front matter will now display Roman numerals such as I, II, III, IV…
3 Unlink the Sections

Scroll down to the new section where you want the Arabic numbers to begin.

Double-click the header or footer in this new section.

In the ribbon, turn off Link to Previous.

This separates the new section from the previous section so that its page numbering can be formatted independently.

Important: The Link to Previous option must be turned off in the new section before changing its page-number format.
4 Switch to Arabic Numbers

With the cursor in the new section’s header or footer, go to:

Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers

In the Number format dropdown, select standard Arabic numbers: 1, 2, 3…

Under Page numbering, select Start at.

Set the value to 1, then click OK.

Result: The main body of your document will begin with page 1, followed by 2, 3, 4…

Final Page Numbering Structure

SectionNumberingExample
Front MatterRoman numeralsI, II, III, IV, V…
Section BreakNext PageSeparates the two numbering systems
Main BodyArabic numbers1, 2, 3, 4, 5…
Quick Summary: Use a Next Page Section Break between the front matter and main body. Format the first section with lowercase Roman numerals (I, II, III…), turn off Link to Previous in the second section, and set the second section to start with Arabic number 1.