How to Add Footnotes and Endnotes in Microsoft Word

To add a footnote or endnote in Word, place your cursor where its reference number should appear, then choose References > Insert Footnote or References > Insert Endnote. Type your note in the area Word opens; Word numbers the reference and note automatically. You can change where notes appear and how they are numbered from the Footnote and Endnote settings.

What You’ll Need

A Word document open in the desktop version of Microsoft Word, Microsoft 365 edition. The steps below use Word for Windows; the References tab is also available in Word for Mac, though the ribbon layout can differ slightly.
The text for each note, such as a source citation, a brief explanation, or a related detail. Decide whether readers should see it at the bottom of the page or together with other notes at the end of a section or document.
If you are following a style guide, its rules for note placement, numbering, and citation format. Word inserts and numbers notes, but it does not automatically ensure that a citation follows a particular style.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and choose the insertion point. Click in the main body text exactly where you want the small reference number to appear. It is usually placed beside the text supported by the note. Follow your instructor, publisher, or style guide on whether the marker belongs before or after punctuation; Word uses the cursor position you choose.
Open the References tab. On the Windows ribbon, select References. Find the Footnotes group. If the ribbon is collapsed or the Word window is narrow, expand the ribbon or widen the window to see the commands. The two main commands are Insert Footnote and Insert Endnote.
Insert a footnote or endnote. Select Insert Footnote to place a note at the bottom of the current page, or select Insert Endnote to place it at the end of the document or section, depending on your settings. Word adds a superscript reference number at your cursor and moves the insertion point to the corresponding note area.
Enter the note text. Type the citation or explanation next to the number in the note area. Keep the note connected to the claim or passage it supports. For a source citation, enter the details required by your chosen style, such as author, title, publication information, and page number. Word handles the marker and numbering, not the citation wording.
Return to the document text. Click back into the main document, or use the navigation command to return to the text if available in your Word layout. Continue writing and insert further notes where needed. Word assigns the next number automatically and adjusts the sequence if notes are added, removed, or moved.
Set the note location and numbering if needed. In the Windows desktop app, open References and select the small dialog box launcher at the lower-right of the Footnotes group. In the Footnote and Endnote dialog, choose Footnotes or Endnotes, then set the location and number format. Depending on the note type, options include positioning notes at the bottom of the page or below text, placing endnotes at the end of a section or document, and choosing continuous or section-based numbering. Select Apply to use the settings.
Choose a numbering style when required. In the same dialog, choose a format such as 1, 2, 3; i, ii, iii; or a, b, c, if your document requirements call for it. You can also set a starting number and, where available, whether numbering continues or restarts by section. Check the preview or current settings before applying changes, especially in a long document with multiple sections.
Change existing footnotes to endnotes, or the reverse. Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog and select Convert. Choose whether to convert all footnotes to endnotes, all endnotes to footnotes, or convert selected notes if that option is available in your Word build. Confirm the conversion. The note text remains in the document, but its location changes; review the result before saving or sharing.
Review notes in the finished document. Scroll through several pages and check that the markers sit beside the correct passages, the note text is complete, and numbering runs in the order you expect. If you use section-specific numbering or endnotes, inspect each section boundary and the final pages. Save the document after checking the layout.

Keyboard option on Windows: place the cursor in the body text and press Ctrl+Alt+F to insert a footnote or Ctrl+Alt+D to insert an endnote. On Mac, use the corresponding commands on the References tab; keyboard shortcuts can differ by Word version and macOS keyboard settings. If a shortcut is intercepted by the operating system or another app, use the ribbon command instead.

Common Mistakes

Typing a number instead of inserting a note. Manually entered superscript numbers do not stay synchronized when you insert, delete, or move notes. Use Word’s Insert Footnote or Insert Endnote command so numbering is managed automatically.
Deleting only the note text. If you want to remove a note, delete its reference marker in the main body text. Word then removes the associated note and updates the remaining numbering. Deleting only the words in the note area can leave an empty note marker behind.
Putting the cursor in the wrong place. Word inserts the marker exactly where the cursor is. If it appears in the middle of a word or on the wrong side of punctuation, undo immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows, reposition the cursor, and insert the note again.
Confusing endnotes with a bibliography. Endnotes are notes linked to reference markers in the text. A bibliography or works-cited list is a separate list of sources and may be required in addition to notes. Follow the document’s style instructions.
Changing note format by hand. Avoid renumbering notes manually or applying inconsistent formatting to individual markers. Use the Footnote and Endnote dialog for document-wide numbering and placement, and use your style guide for citation content.
Ignoring section boundaries. A document with section breaks can use separate endnote placement or numbering rules. Before changing settings, check which sections are affected and whether you intended numbering to restart or continue.

Tips

Use footnotes for short clarifications or citations readers may want to check while reading the page. Use endnotes when a single notes section at the back is preferred or required. This is a readability choice unless a style guide specifies one.
Keep each note focused. If a note has become a long discussion, consider whether the material belongs in the main text, an appendix, or a separate source list instead.
When moving a passage that contains a note, move the text and its marker together. Word will keep the note associated with its marker and update numbering as needed.
For a long document, use section breaks only when you need different layout or numbering behavior. A page break starts a new page; a section break can provide separate section-level formatting and note settings.
Use Print Layout or print preview to check where footnotes fall on pages. A note may shift when you edit nearby text because Word repaginates the document automatically.
Save a copy before making large-scale conversions or changing note settings in a complex document. This gives you a clean version to return to if the resulting layout does not meet your requirements.

Troubleshooting

The Insert Footnote or Insert Endnote command is missing. Confirm that you are on the References tab and that the ribbon is expanded. If you are using Word in a browser, the available commands and advanced settings can vary; open the document in the desktop app for the full Footnote and Endnote dialog if you cannot find a needed option.

The note appears in an unexpected location. Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog and check whether you selected footnotes or endnotes, and whether the location is set to the page, section, or document. If the document has section breaks, confirm which section’s settings you changed. In Word for Mac, look on the References tab for the footnote and endnote controls; their arrangement may differ from Windows.

The numbering looks wrong or restarts unexpectedly. Check the number format, starting number, and whether numbering is continuous or set to restart by page or section. Review section breaks as well: a section-specific setting can create a restart that is intentional. Apply the desired setting and inspect the notes around each boundary.

A note marker is visible but its text is missing. Use Print Layout and scroll to the bottom of the page for a footnote, or to the configured endnote location. If you clicked in the body and cannot locate the note, click the reference marker to jump to the linked note. Make sure the note text was not accidentally deleted.

Deleting a note leaves numbering gaps or an empty entry. Delete the reference marker in the main text rather than only the note contents, then review the sequence. Word normally renumbers automatically. If numbering seems stale, save the document, close and reopen it, and check the note settings; avoid typing replacement numbers manually.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a footnote and an endnote?
A footnote appears at the bottom of the page containing its reference marker. An endnote appears together with other endnotes at the end of a section or document, depending on your settings.

Can I have both footnotes and endnotes in one Word document?
Yes. You can insert both types in the same document. Use the Footnote and Endnote dialog to set their locations and numbering, then check that the arrangement matches your document’s requirements.

How do I delete a footnote or endnote?
Delete its superscript reference marker from the main document text. Word removes the corresponding note and updates the numbering. Do not rely on deleting only the note’s text at the bottom or end of the document.

Can I change a footnote into an endnote after writing it?
Yes. Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog from the References tab, choose Convert, select the conversion you want, and confirm. Check the note placement and numbering afterward.

Can footnote numbering restart in each section?
Word’s desktop settings can control numbering behavior, including section-based numbering for supported note types. Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog and review its numbering options; section breaks determine where a new section begins.

Do footnotes update when I add or remove notes?
Yes. Word manages note markers and numbering as you insert or delete notes. It may repaginate the document after edits, so review page breaks and footnote placement before finalizing the file.

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