w:br (Break)

Inserts a line break, page break, or column break at the current position within a run.

Parent elements

Description

w:br inserts a break character into a run. It is defined in ECMA-376 Part 1 §17.3.3.1.

Three break types are supported: a line break within the paragraph (soft return), a column break, and a page break. A text-wrapping break can additionally specify how text resumes after a floating object.

Attributes

Attribute	Type	Possible Values	Description
`w:type`	`ST_BrType`	`textWrapping` (default — soft line break within paragraph), `page` (page break), `column` (column break)	The kind of break inserted.
`w:clear`	`ST_BrClear`	`none` (default), `left`, `right`, `all`	For `textWrapping` breaks only: specifies which side of a floating object the text must clear before resuming.

Examples

Soft line break (Shift+Enter)

<w:r>
  <w:br/>
</w:r>

new Run(new Break());

Page break

<w:r>
  <w:br w:type="page"/>
</w:r>

new Run(new Break { Type = BreakValues.Page });

Column break (in multi-column layout)

<w:r>
  <w:br w:type="column"/>
</w:r>

new Run(new Break { Type = BreakValues.Column });

Break Types

Type	Attribute Value	Behavior	Use Case
Line (soft)	`textWrapping` or omitted	Moves text to next line within paragraph	Shift+Enter; poetry line breaks
Page	`page`	Moves text to next page	Chapter breaks; section separators
Column	`column`	Moves text to next column (if in multi-column section)	Newsletter/magazine layouts

Text Wrapping Clear Options

Value	Behavior	Use Case
`none` (default)	Text resumes beside float normally	Standard wrapping
`left`	Text moves below floating objects on left	Ensure clearance from left float
`right`	Text moves below floating objects on right	Ensure clearance from right float
`all`	Text moves below all floating objects	Ensure full clearance

Notes

Page vs. Paragraph Break: w:br w:type="page" is semantic break within a run; w:pageBreakBefore (in w:pPr) triggers break before paragraph. Use w:br when break is mid-paragraph conceptually.
Empty Paragraphs: Use empty <w:p/> for page breaks, not soft line breaks inside paragraph.
Column Breaks: Only effective when section contains w:cols with num >= 2; ignored in single-column sections.
Text Wrapping: w:clear attributes apply only to textWrapping breaks; ignored for page/column breaks.
Floating Objects: Text wrapping clears around pictures, shapes, text boxes with <wp:anchor> positioning.
Page Break Tracking: Page breaks via w:br are revision-tracked with the run’s w:rsidR; useful for tracking content addition.
Section Breaks: Use <w:sectPr> in <w:pPr> for section boundaries (different page layout); not w:br.
Soft Return Semantics: Line breaks preserve paragraph properties; suitable for poetry, addresses, line-separated content.
Performance: Excessive manual breaks may impact document rendering; use paragraph spacing or page breaks automatically via styles.
Accessibility: Semantic breaks (page/column) should use proper section/page structure; screen readers use break type for navigation.