How to prevent orphaned table headers in Microsoft Word?

Question

I'm using MS Word 2010 to write a document. I have a table with a header row (indicated as such, 'Header Rows Repeat').

The table starts pretty low on the page and Word decides to break it exactly after the header row. It really shouldn't... I don't want to prevent tables from breaking across pages, just to prevent the situation in which I have an orphaned header row at the bottom. Can this be done?

I'm also interested in an answer applicable to Word 2003 and 2007.

score 21 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 26 '14 at 23:07

Highlight all the content inside the header row and the second row and go to Paragraph properties and check Keep with next. This should stop the header row and the second row from being on separate pages, while it still allows the rest of the table to freely break across pages.

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 26 '17 at 03:02

Per @Adam's answer, the "Keep With Next" option needs to be set on the header paragraphs.

I would recommend setting up a "Row Header" style that encompasses this paragraph option, as well as any other visual formatting, that can be easily applied to the top row of all your tables.

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited May 22 '19 at 07:28

1

Had this same issue on word for OSX. The top solution didn't work for me, but managed to resolve it by selecting a cell in the table, going to the "Layout" tab (for the table rather than the identically labeled "Layout" for the document) and then toggling on and off the "Repeat Header Rows" option.

If on OSX, try this as well.

Here's what i'm talking about:

edited May 22 '19 at 07:28

fixer1234

28,064

answered May 21 '19 at 20:36

Jason Graham

11

How to prevent orphaned table headers in Microsoft Word?

3 Answers3