How can I delete empty end pages in Apple Pages?

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Level 1

6 points

How can I delete empty end pages in Apple Pages?

Has anybody found a way to delete the extra pages at the end of a Pages document? I've read and tried all of the ideas I've found on the forum, including switching to page layout (it deletes the text and leaves the images), show invisibles (there are 3 extra pages and none of them show anything!), and watched YouTube videos which only try to convince you there is something there that must be deleted (that I can't find or see). Does anybody have something that works? Right now as a solution, I convert the document to PDF, delete the extra pages, and then reconvert to a Pages doc. Any ideas that are easier?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15

Posted on May 12, 2025 07:44 PM

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Answer 1

VikingOSX

Level 10

122,064 points

May 13, 2025 05:51 AM in response to jimjumper

Only if the current document is in page layout mode (Document panel with Document body not selected) can you right-click on the blank page thumbnails and select delete to remove them.

In the customary word processing layout document, do enable show invisibles and Page thumbnails. Click on the last thumbnail, and then click once on that blank page. You will only see the insertion beam where you press back space to remove that current page. Repeat this process for the two preceding blank pages and they will also be removed.

I just tested with with Pages v14.4 on Sequoia v15.5 and do not have macOS Catalina 10.15.7 or Pages v11.1 to test here.

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Answer 2

jimjumper Author

Level 1

6 points

May 17, 2025 12:08 PM in response to VikingOSX

Nope. If I convert to page layout all the text disappears leaving the images. I can delete the page, however, when i convert back to word processing all the text has been removed leaving only the images.

If I am in word processing layout, and I enable invisibles, when I click on the page thumbnails, and delete/backspace, I get a pop-up that tells me the entire document will be deleted. And when I tried it anyway, it did indeed, delete the entire document leaving me a single blank page. Maybe its just my version?

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

122,064 points

May 17, 2025 12:33 PM in response to jimjumper

I tested what I wrote, not by converting a word processing document to page layout. I started fresh with a word processing document with a blank template and inserted a page of text and three blank pages. What I described definitely removed the last three pages.

I also tested starting with a page layout (e.g. blank layout template) with the same text in a text box and three additional blank pages. Those I could remove via the thumbnails.

I just tested converting a page layout document to word processing layout which preserved the originating text box as body text. I clicked on the last blank page and pressed backspace and got a warning dialog. I canceled the dialog and then proceeded to back space each of the last three blank pages to remove them, none with a subsequent warning. It's Pages so go figure…

Personally, I do not recommend converting from word processing layout to page layout, or the converse.

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How can I delete empty end pages in Apple Pages?

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