Last updated on November 5th, 2025
Ever had a Microsoft Word document just go wonky on you? Maybe the formatting is behaving in an unexpected way, or the document keeps crashing. You might need to do a Maggie.
Who Was Maggie?
Maggie Secara was primarily a technical writer and novelist, but she was also an editor. Because of her work, Maggie was a superuser of Microsoft Word. If she couldn’t solve the problem, she could find the solution. One day while reading a forum, Maggie learned of a trick that could solve many a problem in Word documents by simply omitting the last pilcrow in a document. She shared this trick everywhere she could. Eventually, this game-changing Microsoft Word trick took on her name.
Though Maggie passed away in July 2019, many writers and editors still thank her for popularizing this trick.
What Is a Maggie?
When it comes to Microsoft Word documents, a Maggie is a technique to manually try to recover a Word document that seems to have some corruption. A Maggie is typically a fairly simple trick and should be used as a first step toward problem-solving whenever a Word document is acting unusual.
The process involves selecting the entire content of the document except for the final paragraph mark (the pilcrow ¶ symbol), copying the content, and pasting it into a new blank Word document. (See the video and step-by-step instructions below.)
Once your file is in a new document, be sure to save the file.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Press Ctrl + A for Windows or Cmd + A for Mac to Select All.
- Press Shift + Left Arrow so that the last pilcrow is deselected.
- Press Ctrl + C for Windows or Cmd + C for Mac to Copy.
- In a new document, press Ctrl + V for Windows or Cmd + V for Mac to Paste.
- Save your new document.
- You’ve successfully completed a Maggie!
Editors: How to Do a Maggie While Using Track Changes
As an editor, I sometimes need to Maggie a document and retain all Track Changes and comments. Word can be a little tricky when it comes to that. The steps are almost identical to the steps above.
However, you will need to ensure both files have Track Changes turned off. When copying the text from the corrupted document to the new document, both the original file and the new file into which the text is being pasted must have the Track Changes tool turned off; otherwise, none of the Track Changes will transfer.
I recommend opening the Reviewing Pane in both documents (if possible) and verifying that the number of changes matches.
Why Does Doing a Maggie Work?
That simple pilcrow symbol (¶) at the end of a document or section can carry a lot of information. If the document contains internal data or hidden codes tied to the formatting and structure that have become corrupted, that’s usually where the information is stored. By eliminating the final pilcrow in your new document, you can leave behind the damaged data.
Are Maggies Always Simple?
In straightforward documents without multiple sections, typically yes. You may lose your header and footer, styles, and formatting, but that’s a small price to pay to regain a functioning Word document.
However, if your document has multiple sections with Page Breaks and Section Breaks, a Maggie may need to be performed for each section, excluding the last pilcrow in each section. This is a bit more time intensive.
I suggest starting with the method outlined above to see if your problems are resolved before trying to go section by section. In a more complex document, you’re more likely to need to redo aspects of your document like tables and custom footers and headers, but again, if the document is truly that complex, you probably want it in working form.
Has a Maggie Ever Helped You?
A Maggie has saved me more than once while editing documents with heavy Track Changes. Has a Maggie ever helped you? Let me know in the comments below or leave me a message on social media. I would love to hear from you!
Happy writing,
Rita