How to Add a Footnote in Google Docs

Adding a footnote takes three clicks

Open your document in Google Docs and click where you want the footnote to appear — at the end of a sentence, after a quote, or anywhere else in the text. Go to the Insert menu at the top, select Footnote, and Google Docs automatically creates a small numbered link in your text and jumps you to the bottom of the page where you type your note. The number appears in both places and updates itself if you add or delete footnotes later.

The footnote stays on the same page as the text that references it. If you move text to a different page, the footnote moves with it. This is different from an endnote, which collects all notes at the end of the document — Google Docs calls that feature Endnote and it lives in the same Insert menu.

You do not need to format the footnote yourself. Google Docs handles the numbering, spacing, and layout automatically. The note appears in a smaller font, separated from the main text by a thin line.

Key Takeaways

Click where you want the footnote to appear in your text, then go to Insert and select Footnote.
Google Docs automatically numbers the footnote and creates a linked reference at the bottom of the page.
Footnotes stay on the same page as the text they reference and move with that text if you rearrange your document.
You can delete a footnote by clicking the number in the main text and pressing Delete, which removes both the reference and the note.
Use Endnote instead of Footnote if you want all your notes collected at the end of the document rather than at the bottom of each page.

Where the footnote appears on the page

Google Docs places the footnote at the bottom of the page where you inserted the reference. A thin horizontal line separates the footnote from the main text. The note itself uses a smaller font size than your body text, and the number in the footnote matches the number in your text.

If your page is crowded, Google Docs adjusts the spacing to fit the footnote. It does not push the note to the next page or hide it — the note always appears on the same page as its reference. This matters if you are working with page limits, because a long footnote takes up space on that page.

When you print or export the document as a PDF, footnotes print exactly as they appear on screen. The layout does not change.

Editing and deleting footnotes

To edit a footnote, click directly on the note text at the bottom of the page and type your changes. You can also click the number in the main text to jump to the footnote, make your edit, and click back to where you were writing.

To delete a footnote, click the small number in your main text and press the Delete key. This removes both the reference number and the entire note at the bottom of the page. All remaining footnotes renumber themselves automatically — if you had footnotes 1, 2, and 3 and you delete footnote 2, the old footnote 3 becomes footnote 2.

You cannot delete a footnote by deleting the text at the bottom of the page. You must delete it from the main text where the reference number appears.

Switching between footnotes and endnotes

If you started with footnotes but want all your notes at the end of the document instead, you can change them. Go to Insert and look for Footnote options (or Endnote options if you are already using endnotes). A small menu appears with a button to convert all footnotes to endnotes or vice versa.

When you convert, Google Docs keeps all your note text and renumbers everything in the new format. The content does not change — only where it appears in the document.

You can also mix footnotes and endnotes in the same document. Insert a footnote normally, and it appears at the bottom of the page. Insert an endnote, and it goes to the end of the document. They number separately — you might have footnote 1 and endnote 1 in the same document.

Formatting footnotes

Google Docs does not let you change the font size, color, or style of the footnote text itself through the normal formatting tools. The footnote automatically uses a smaller version of your document's default font. If you change your document's font, the footnote font changes with it.

You can select text within a footnote and explore bold, italic, or underline formatting just as you would in the main text. You can also paste links into footnotes. These formatting choices stay with the note if you move it or convert it to an endnote.

The number that appears in both the text and the footnote is not separately editable. Google Docs controls the numbering automatically.

Footnotes in shared and collaborative documents

When you share a Google Docs document with others, they can see your footnotes and add their own. Each person's footnotes appear in their own color in the document, and you can see who wrote which note by hovering over it. Comments and footnotes are separate — a footnote is permanent text in the document, while a comment is a conversation that can be resolved and hidden.

If two people add footnotes at the same time, Google Docs renumbers them to avoid conflicts. The document updates in real time, so you see new footnotes appear as others add them.

You can delete only your own footnotes in a shared document. If someone else wrote a footnote, you can see it but cannot remove it — only the original author or a document owner can delete it.

Common reasons footnotes do not appear where you expect

If you inserted a footnote but cannot see it, check that you are not in a table or text box. Google Docs does not support footnotes inside tables. If you need a note that references text in a table, insert the footnote in the main text after the table instead.

Footnotes also do not appear in the header or footer of a document. If you need a note in those areas, use a comment instead or place the note in the main text and reference it from the header.

If a footnote seems to have disappeared, it may have been deleted accidentally. Check the undo history by pressing Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to restore it. You can undo up to 100 actions in Google Docs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the numbering style from 1, 2, 3 to letters or Roman numerals?

Google Docs does not offer a built-in option to change footnote numbering style. Footnotes always use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). If you need a different numbering system, you can manually type letters or Roman numerals in the footnote text itself, though this requires you to manage the numbering yourself.

What happens to footnotes if I move text to a different document?

If you cut and paste text that has a footnote into another Google Docs document, the footnote comes with it. The numbering adjusts to fit the new document's existing footnotes. If you copy text without using cut and paste, the footnote may not transfer — use cut and paste to keep footnotes attached to their text.

Can I have different footnote styles on different pages?

No. All footnotes in a Google Docs document use the same format and numbering system. You cannot have some pages with footnotes and others with endnotes, or change the numbering style partway through the document.

Do footnotes show up in the word count?

Yes. Google Docs includes footnote text in the total word count. If you need to know how many words are in the main text only, you can select just the main text (not the footnotes) and check the word count for that selection.

What if I need a note that is not numbered?

Footnotes and endnotes are always numbered. If you need an unnumbered note, use a comment instead. Comments appear in the margin and can be hidden or resolved, so they work well for temporary notes or feedback that you plan to address.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.