How to Add Multiple Footnotes in Word and Manage Them

To add multiple footnotes in Microsoft Word, place the cursor where a note marker should appear, choose References > Insert Footnote, type the note at the bottom of the page, then repeat at each other citation point. Word numbers the footnotes and updates their order automatically. You will need a Word document open and the text you want to explain or cite; the steps below are for Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows.

What You’ll Need

A document open in the desktop version of Microsoft Word. You can also insert footnotes in Word for the web, though some advanced layout and numbering controls are more limited.
The note text you want to add, such as a source citation, definition, or brief clarification.
A clear idea of where each note belongs. In most styles, the marker goes after the relevant punctuation.

Step-by-Step

Find the first reference point. In the document body, click immediately after the word, sentence, or quotation that needs a note. For a sentence-level citation, place the cursor after its closing punctuation unless your required style guide says otherwise. The cursor position determines where Word places the raised footnote number.
Insert the first footnote. Open the References tab and, in the Footnotes group, select Insert Footnote. Word adds a superscript number at the cursor and moves the insertion point to the footnote area at the bottom of the page. On Windows, you can use Ctrl+Alt+F instead. In Word for Mac, the equivalent shortcut is Command+Option+F; the References tab also has the Insert Footnote command.
Type the note. Enter the source, explanation, or other note beside the number in the footnote area. You can type a full citation or a short comment, depending on the purpose of the document. Use normal text and punctuation; Word has already supplied the marker and the note number, so do not type another number at the start.
Return to the document body. Click the next place in the main text that needs a footnote. You do not need to move the cursor back to the first marker or manually choose the next number. If the footnote area is taking up most of the screen, use the document’s vertical scroll bar or click in the relevant paragraph.
Insert the next footnote. With the cursor at the second reference point, choose References > Insert Footnote again, or use the same keyboard shortcut. Type the second note in its newly created footnote area. Continue in this way for every additional reference. Word assigns each new footnote the next number in the sequence.
Check the placement and sequence. Read the main text and confirm that every superscript marker sits beside the intended passage. Then check the notes at the bottom of each page. Word usually moves a footnote to the page containing its marker, and it recalculates numbering if you insert or remove notes. If two notes are close together, zoom in to make sure both markers are present and in the intended order.
Choose a numbering style if needed. For standard Arabic numerals, Word’s default settings are usually suitable. To change the numbering format or how numbering restarts, open the References tab and select the small dialog box launcher in the Footnotes group. In the Footnote and Endnote dialog, choose the footnote location and number format, then set whether numbering continues through the document, restarts in each section, or restarts on each page. Use Apply to apply the choice as appropriate, then close the dialog.
Save and review the finished document. Save your work, then check the pages where notes appear, especially after adding or deleting text. If you plan to print or export to PDF, use Print Layout or print preview to confirm that footnotes remain legible and are not crowded by the page margins or other content.

You can add a large number of footnotes by repeating the same insertion process; you do not need to create a separate footnote list yourself. If you later add a note earlier in the document, Word adjusts the numbering of subsequent notes. That automatic update is one reason to use the built-in command rather than typing superscript numbers and note text manually.

Common Mistakes

Typing a number instead of inserting a footnote. A manually typed superscript may look right at first, but Word will not link it to a note or update it when the document changes. Use Insert Footnote for each note.
Typing note text in the main paragraph. After inserting a footnote, Word moves the cursor to the footnote area. If you click back into the body before typing, your words may appear in the wrong place. Check that the cursor is beside the footnote number at the bottom of the page.
Deleting only the note text. Removing the words at the bottom can leave an empty footnote marker in the text. To remove a footnote completely, delete its superscript reference number in the main document. Word then removes the associated note and renumbers the others.
Using an endnote by mistake. An endnote appears at the end of a document or section rather than at the bottom of a page. Make sure you choose Insert Footnote, not Insert Endnote.
Changing numbers by hand. Editing a footnote number as ordinary text can cause inconsistent numbering. Change numbering through the Footnote and Endnote dialog instead, and let Word maintain the sequence.
Putting the marker in the wrong position. A marker inserted in the middle of a word or before the wrong punctuation can confuse readers. Place the cursor carefully before inserting, and check the result in the body text.

Tips

Insert notes as you write. Adding each footnote beside the passage it supports reduces the chance of mixing up sources or explanations later.
Keep each note focused. A footnote is easiest to scan when it covers one citation or clarification. If the note becomes a long discussion, consider whether it belongs in the main text or an endnote, according to your assignment or publication rules.
Use styles for consistent appearance. Word applies its built-in footnote formatting. If you need to adjust font or spacing, make a consistent change to the footnote text style rather than formatting each note differently. Check the entire document afterward because a style change can affect every footnote.
Follow the required citation style. Word inserts and numbers notes, but it does not decide what information belongs in a citation or where punctuation should go. Follow your instructor’s, publisher’s, or organization’s rules for citation content and placement.
Use section breaks only when you need different numbering rules. For example, a report with separately numbered chapters may need numbering to restart by section. Set the numbering option in the Footnote and Endnote dialog and verify the result around each section break.
Keep an editable copy. If you share a PDF, retain the Word file as the working version. The Word document preserves the links between markers and notes, making later edits and renumbering much easier.

Troubleshooting

The note appears at the end of the document. You may have inserted an endnote rather than a footnote, or the document may be set to place notes in an unexpected location. Open References, use the Footnotes dialog box launcher, and confirm that the selected note type is Footnotes and that the location is set to the bottom of the page or below the text. Do not convert a document’s notes without checking any formatting requirements first.

The numbering skips, repeats, or restarts. First, check whether the document contains section breaks or whether numbering is set to restart by page or section. Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog and review the numbering option. Also check whether a marker was deleted, copied, or moved during editing. Avoid typing over the numbers; Word updates them when the underlying footnote references are correct. If the sequence still looks wrong, save a copy, close and reopen the document, and inspect the markers and notes again.

I cannot find the footnote area or note text. Switch to View > Print Layout and scroll to the bottom of the page containing the marker. If you are in Draft view, Word may show notes in a separate pane rather than at the page bottom. Click the marker in the text to locate its associated note, or click inside a note and use the navigation between notes if available in your version.

The footnote text is too small or crowded. Select a footnote and adjust the footnote text style or paragraph spacing consistently. Also check page margins and whether a long note is pushing content onto another page. If notes are split or laid out differently than expected, inspect the document in Print Layout and review the footnote separator and layout settings rather than adding blank lines to force a position.

The shortcut does not work. Confirm that the cursor is in the document body, not in a search box, comment, or footnote text field. Shortcuts can also be changed by custom keyboard settings or intercepted by another application. Use References > Insert Footnote to complete the insertion, then check Word’s keyboard shortcut settings if you want to troubleshoot the key combination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add several footnotes on the same page?

Yes. Insert a footnote at each relevant point in the page’s main text. Word places the notes together in the footnote area and numbers them in document order. If there is not enough room, Word may continue the page layout or move text to another page.

Does Word renumber footnotes automatically?

Yes. Word maintains numbering when you insert, delete, or move a footnote reference. Delete a note by removing its reference marker in the main text, not by editing the displayed number or deleting only the note’s words.

Can I put two footnotes after the same sentence?

Word supports multiple footnotes in a document, but two separate notes attached at precisely the same point can be awkward to place and may not match your style guide. If both notes are genuinely needed, insert them at the intended adjacent positions in the text and check the marker order. Combining related information into one note may be clearer.

Can I change footnote numbers to letters or symbols?

Often, yes. Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog from the References tab and choose an available number format. The available options can vary by Word version and document setup. Check that the selected format meets any style requirements and that it is applied to the intended notes.

How are footnotes different from endnotes?

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page where their markers occur. Endnotes appear together at the end of the document or section. Both are inserted and numbered by Word, but choose the type your assignment or publication requests.

Can I insert footnotes in Word for the web or on Mac?

Word for Mac includes the References tab and an Insert Footnote command; the Mac shortcut is Command+Option+F. Word for the web can insert footnotes through its References tools, but some advanced numbering and layout controls may require opening the file in the desktop app.

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