Table Rows Split Across Pages in a Document
A table row breaks in half at the page bottom, with the top of the row on one page and the rest on the next. The allow row to break setting is on, and one checkbox keeps each row whole.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Quick fix: select the table, open the table properties, and turn off allow row to break across pages. Then check the table again, and confirm each row now sits whole on one page and confirm each row now sits whole on one page.
Follow these steps
- Select the whole table. Click inside the table and select it fully. The row setting applies to selected rows, so select them all to fix the table at once.
- Open table properties. Find table properties in the table menu or by right-clicking. The row options live there, not in the main toolbar.
- Turn off allow row to break. Uncheck allow row to break across pages. That single checkbox is what lets a row split in half at the page bottom.
- Check keep with next for header rows. If the table has a header row, set it to repeat on each page. A repeating header keeps long tables readable after the fix.
- Scroll through the whole table. Page through the document and confirm every row sits whole. One unselected row can still split if the selection missed it.
- Adjust row heights if pages look gappy. Keeping rows whole can leave white space at page bottoms. That gap is normal and far more readable than a split row.
What NOT to do
- Do not split rows by hand with page breaks. Manual breaks shatter the moment you edit text above the table.
- Do not shrink the text to dodge the split. Tiny text hurts readability, while the checkbox fixes the real cause.
- Do not leave one row splitting. Select the whole table, since a missed row keeps breaking at the page bottom.
- Do not accept split rows as normal. Whole rows are the readable default, and the setting exists for exactly this.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my table row split across pages?
Because the allow row to break setting is on, which lets a row break in half at the page bottom.
How do I keep table rows whole?
Select the table and turn off allow row to break across pages in the table properties.
Will this leave gaps at page bottoms?
Sometimes, yes. A little white space is the trade-off for rows that stay whole and readable.