Intro to word-processing and page layout documents in Pages on Mac
You can use Pages to create word-processing and page layout documents. You can add any type of content (text, graphics, charts, and so on) to either, but there are differences in how you work with each type of document.
Word-processing: Used primarily to create documents that include mainly text, like reports or letters. These documents have a body text area where you type, and the text flows from one page to the next, with new pages created automatically as needed.
When you open a word-processing document (or template), you can just start typing. If you want to add text that’s separate from the main body text, you can add a text box. You can also add images, charts, and other objects.
Page layout: Used primarily to create documents with a more custom design, like newsletters, books, or posters. A page layout document is like a canvas to which you add text boxes, images, and other objects, then arrange the objects on the page however you want.
When you open a page layout document (or template), there is no body text area; to add text you need to add a text box and type in it. New pages must be added manually.
Pages templates are designed either for word processing or for page layout. For example, the Essay and School Newsletter templates, and book templates in portrait orientation, are for word processing. The Tab Flyer and Museum Brochure templates, and book templates in landscape orientation, are for page layout.
How to tell which kind of document you’re viewing:
To see whether a template (or document) is set up for word processing or page layout, open it. Click 
in the toolbar, then click the Document tab. If the Document Body checkbox is selected, it’s a word-processing document.
Once you open a template, you can convert the document to the other type. For example, if you like the text styles, colors, and layout of the School Newsletter template but you want the design flexibility of a page layout document, you can convert the document to page layout. See Use templates.