A running header repeats identifying information near the top of Google Docs pages. It is useful for a report title or a short reference label, provided the document uses Pages rather than Pageless.
Insert the header
- Open the document on a computer.
- Choose Insert > Page elements > Header.
- Enter the short text that should repeat.
- Click back into the body and inspect several pages.
Keep the header concise. A long report title that wraps onto several lines can consume valuable page space and distract from the body. Use the full title on the title page and a shorter meaningful label in the running header when appropriate.
Check section and first-page behavior
A document can use a different first-page header and separate headers for sections. If the text does not appear everywhere you expect, inspect those settings before duplicating the header manually.
When the file has section breaks, a header may be linked to the previous section. Determine whether the repeated text should apply throughout the report or only to the current section.
Verify mode and final output
Headers are unavailable in Pageless. An existing header becomes hidden when you switch to Pageless and appears again when you return to Pages. Its temporary absence is not proof that the content was deleted.
Review the first page, a middle page, and the last page in print layout or the exported PDF. Check that the header does not collide with body text or an image. Keep important instructions in the body too; a running header should identify the document, not carry essential information that readers might miss when using another view.
References
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 3, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.