remove a watermark on a Office 365 Word document

Doug Bush 0 Reputation points
2026-08-14T04:11:42.5666667+00:00

I have a word document with a previously inserted watermark, that I wish to remove. however i cannot find a Remove option on opening my watermark Icon.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | iOS

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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-14T04:11:55.6666667+00:00

    In Word, the watermark is usually part of the header, so the Remove Watermark command may not appear or may not remove it.

    Try this:

    1. Double-click near the top of the page to open the header area.
    2. Move the pointer over the watermark until it can be selected.
    3. Select the watermark.
    4. Press Delete.
    5. If the document has multiple sections or different headers, repeat this in each header.

    If the standard command is available in the desktop app:

    • On Windows: Design > Watermark > Remove Watermark
    • On Mac: Design > Watermark > No watermark

    If the watermark still cannot be removed, it may be a picture or WordArt anchored in the header rather than a standard watermark. Opening the header and deleting the object directly is the supported workaround.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Stefan Blom 351.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-08-19T09:52:40.7333333+00:00

    I have a word document with a previously inserted watermark, that I wish to remove. however i cannot find a Remove option on opening my watermark Icon.

    Regarding watermarks, your options are likely limited in Word for iOS. If you are able to activate headers/footers in that version of Word, see if that lets you delete the watermark(s).

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  3. Kai-H 26,385 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-18T09:34:35.8533333+00:00

    Hi, Doug Bush

    The missing option can happen when the document is open in Word for the web, or when the visible mark is actually a background object rather than a standard watermark. Watermarks are best managed in the desktop version of Word.

    Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try:

    If you are using Word in a browser or on a phone/tablet, select Editing > Open in Desktop App, then check the Watermark menu again. Word for the web has limited watermark support.

    In desktop Word, select Home > Select > Selection Pane, or press Alt + F10 on Windows. Look for an item named Picture, Shape, WordArt, or Text Box. Select the eye icon to identify the correct object, then select the object and press Delete. The Selection Pane is useful for objects that sit behind the document text and cannot be selected normally.

    If the mark looks like a full-page color, texture, or image, select Design > Page Color > No Color.

    If the document was converted from a scanned PDF, the watermark may be part of the page image itself and cannot be removed separately in Word.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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