How to Add Footnotes at the End of a Page in Microsoft Word

To add a footnote at the bottom of a page in Microsoft Word, place the cursor after the text you want to reference, choose References > Insert Footnote, then type the note in the footnote area Word opens. Word adds a numbered reference in your text and keeps it linked to the note, moving it automatically if the page layout changes. You will need a document open in Word and the text or source you want to explain or cite.

What You’ll Need

A document in Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365, preferably the desktop app if you need detailed control over footnote placement or numbering.
The citation, explanation, or extra detail you want to put in the footnote. You can add the note first and fill it in later, but having the wording ready helps avoid losing your place.
Permission to edit the document. If it is read-only or protected, you may need to save an editable copy or ask the document owner to change its permissions.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and find the relevant sentence. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, open the file and navigate to the sentence or phrase the footnote relates to. A footnote marker normally belongs immediately after the punctuation at the end of the relevant sentence. For example, type: “The archive opened in 1924.” Put the cursor after the period, not between the last word and the period. Follow a style guide if it specifies a different marker position.
Place the insertion point. Click where the small raised number should appear. You do not need to type a number, superscript character, bracket, or footnote separator yourself. Word inserts and manages the reference marker. If the cursor is in the wrong place, the note will still work, but its marker may appear to refer to the wrong word or sentence.
Insert the footnote from the ribbon. Select the References tab, then in the Footnotes group choose Insert Footnote. Word inserts a superscript number at the cursor and moves the insertion point to the matching footnote area at the bottom of that page. The note area is separated from the main text by a line. The exact ribbon layout can look slightly different if the Word window is narrow, so maximize the window or expand the ribbon if you cannot see the command.
Type the footnote text. Enter the citation or explanation beside the number in the footnote area. Include enough information for the reader to understand the note; for a source, use the citation format required for your document. Word generally applies a footnote style, often smaller than the body text. You can type multiple sentences in one footnote, and Word will wrap them within the available width.
Return to the document text. Click in the main document, or use the navigation command to return to where you were writing. Continue editing normally. You can also select the raised footnote number in the body and press the arrow keys or use Word’s navigation to move between the reference and its note. The footnote is part of the document, not a separate text box.
Add more notes the same way. Put the cursor at the next reference point and choose References > Insert Footnote again. Word numbers footnotes in sequence and updates the numbering when you insert, delete, or move them. Do not reuse a number by typing one manually; a hand-entered number will not stay synchronized with the actual footnote list.
Check that each note is on the intended page. Switch to View > Print Layout if you are not already using it. Scroll to the page containing the reference and confirm that the corresponding footnote appears at its bottom. A footnote may move to a later page if there is not enough room for it and the main text; this is normal pagination, not a broken link.
Choose a different footnote position or numbering style if needed. On Windows, open References and select the small dialog box launcher in the lower-right corner of the Footnotes group. In the Footnote and Endnote dialog, make sure Footnotes is selected. Under Location, choose Bottom of page for the page’s bottom margin area, or Beneath text to place notes directly after the text on that page. Use the format and numbering controls if your assignment or publication requires a particular style, then choose Apply or Insert as shown. Options can vary slightly by Word build.

On Word for Mac, the usual insertion route is also References > Insert Footnote. The Mac shortcut is Command+Option+F; on Windows, the shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+F. The ribbon’s advanced footnote settings and their location can differ by Mac release, so use the Footnotes controls on the References tab when you need to change placement or numbering. In Word for the web, look for References > Insert Footnote; if the command or advanced settings are unavailable in your browser version, open the file in the desktop app.

Common Mistakes

Choosing Insert Endnote instead. A footnote belongs at the bottom of a page. An endnote is collected at the end of a document or section. Both use numbered references, so they can look similar in the body, but they serve different purposes. If you need a note on each page, choose Insert Footnote, not Insert Endnote.
Typing a number rather than inserting a footnote. A manually typed superscript number does not create a linked note. It will not renumber automatically when you add or remove notes, and it will not provide a proper footnote area. Remove the hand-typed marker and add a real footnote with the References command.
Putting the cursor in the wrong location. If you insert the note halfway through a sentence, the marker appears there. Word does not know which claim you intended to support. Position the cursor carefully before inserting, and check the marker’s position against the relevant text afterward.
Trying to move a footnote by dragging it. Footnotes are tied to their reference markers, and Word lays them out according to the page and footnote settings. Dragging a note or adding blank lines to force it onto a particular page can create awkward gaps and may not survive later edits. Change the location setting or adjust the document’s content and layout instead.
Deleting only the note text. Removing the words in the footnote area may leave an empty note or a reference marker behind, depending on what you select. To remove a footnote completely, delete its raised reference number in the main document. Word then removes the linked note and renumbers the remaining footnotes.
Confusing Bottom of page with Beneath text. These are separate placement choices in the footnote settings. “Bottom of page” places the notes at the page bottom; “Beneath text” places them after the main text, which can be higher up when the page is not full.

Tips

Use the automatic numbering. Word can renumber notes when you revise the document. This is especially useful in long reports where additions and deletions are frequent. Check the numbering after major edits, but do not try to maintain it by hand.
Keep each note focused. Use a footnote for a citation or a brief clarification that would interrupt the main discussion. If a note becomes several paragraphs long, consider whether that material belongs in the main text, an appendix, or an endnote section instead.
Apply consistent citation formatting. Word creates the marker and footnote location, but it does not automatically decide whether your source citation follows Chicago, MLA, or another style. Follow the relevant guide for author names, titles, publication details, punctuation, and shortened repeat citations.
Use styles for appearance. Word typically formats footnote text using the Footnote Text style and the marker using a footnote reference style. If the document needs different font size or spacing, modify the relevant style rather than manually changing every note. This makes future footnotes more consistent.
Review in Print Layout or print preview. Footnote pagination depends on page size, margins, text, and note length. Checking a page view helps reveal a footnote that has moved, an unusually large blank area, or a note that has split across pages in an undesirable way.

Troubleshooting

The footnote appears at the end of the document rather than at the page bottom. You may have inserted an endnote, or the document may be configured to use endnotes. Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog from the References tab’s Footnotes group on Windows, select Footnotes, and set Location to Bottom of page. If the note is already an endnote, use Word’s conversion controls in that dialog to convert endnotes to footnotes, then confirm the change. Save a copy first if you are changing a large document’s note structure.

The marker is in the wrong place. Delete the marker in the body text and insert a new footnote at the correct point. Avoid deleting the note’s text alone. If the marker is difficult to spot, use View > Print Layout and zoom in, or click in the footnote text to see its linked reference.

The footnote is missing from the page you expected. A long note or limited page space can make Word move some footnote content to another page. Check the reference number and scroll through the following page. If the page looks crowded, shorten the note where appropriate, review paragraph spacing, or adjust page layout only if your document’s requirements allow it. Do not insert a string of blank paragraphs to force the footnote into place.

The command is unavailable or does nothing. Confirm that the file is editable and that the cursor is in the document body rather than a header, footer, text box, or other restricted area. If the ribbon is collapsed, expand it and select References. In a browser, open the document in desktop Word if the web version does not show the needed command. In a shared file, check whether editing is paused or restricted.

The numbering looks wrong after edits. Click in the document body and allow Word to refresh the layout; then inspect the footnote settings for the selected numbering format and whether numbering restarts by section. If you pasted content from another document, some pasted numbers may be plain text rather than real note markers. Remove those manually entered numbers and recreate the notes with Insert Footnote.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I put a footnote at the bottom of every page in Word?
Insert each note at its reference point with References > Insert Footnote. Word places each footnote on the page containing its marker, subject to available space and the chosen location setting. You do not need to add a separate footnote area to each page.

Can I put footnotes directly below the text instead of at the page bottom?
Yes. In the Windows desktop app, open the Footnote and Endnote dialog from the References tab and select Beneath text under Location. This places the notes after the text on that page rather than at the bottom margin. Availability and dialog access can differ between Word releases.

What is the difference between a footnote and an endnote?
A footnote appears at the bottom of the page containing its reference. An endnote appears in a collected notes section, usually at the end of a document or section. Choose the one required by your style guide or assignment.

Can I change the footnote number format?
Yes. Open the Footnote and Endnote settings and select a format, such as ordinary numerals or another available symbol style. You can also set where numbering begins and whether it continues through the document or restarts by section. Available choices depend on the Word version and document structure.

How do I delete a footnote without leaving its number behind?
Delete the footnote’s raised reference marker in the main text. Word removes its corresponding note and updates the other automatically numbered footnotes. Deleting the note wording alone is not the dependable way to remove the linked footnote.

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