Where to find the footnote button and what it does

A footnote is a note that appears at the bottom of the page you are reading. When you add one in Word, the program automatically numbers it, places the matching number in your text, and puts the note itself at the page bottom. You do not have to manage the numbering yourself — Word handles it as you add, delete, or move footnotes around.

The footnote button lives in the References tab at the top of Word. Click References, then look for a button labeled Footnote (or Insert Footnote). The exact location varies slightly between Word on Windows, Word on Mac, and Word in your web browser, but the References tab is the same place in all three.

When you click the button, Word does three things at once: it places a small number in your text where your cursor was, it jumps you to the bottom of the page, and it puts your cursor there ready for you to type the note. Once you finish typing the note and click back into your main text, the footnote stays anchored to that spot on the page.

Key Takeaways

  • Footnotes appear at the bottom of the same page where you reference them, and Word numbers them automatically.
  • To add a footnote, click the References tab, then click Footnote, type your note, and click back into your main text.
  • If you delete a footnote from your text, Word automatically renumbers all the footnotes that come after it.
  • Endnotes work the same way as footnotes but appear at the end of the entire document instead of at the page bottom.
  • You can change the numbering style (Roman numerals, letters, symbols) by right-clicking a footnote number and selecting Note Options.

Step-by-step: Adding your first footnote

Place your cursor at the end of the sentence or word you want to reference. This is usually after a period, though some styles put it before. Click the References tab at the top of the Word window. On Windows, you will see a button that says Footnote or Insert Footnote. On Mac, it may say Insert Footnote. Click it.

Word will jump you to the bottom of the page and show you a small number (usually 1) with your cursor blinking next to it. Type your note here — it can be a single word or several sentences. When you are done, click anywhere back in your main text to return to where you were writing. The footnote number stays in your text, and the note stays at the page bottom.

If you add a second footnote later on the same page or the next page, Word automatically numbers it 2, and if you add a third, it becomes 3. You never type the numbers yourself.

What happens when you delete or move a footnote

If you delete the number in your main text (the small superscript number), Word deletes the entire footnote at the bottom. All the footnotes after it automatically renumber themselves. So if you had footnotes 1, 2, and 3, and you delete footnote 2, the old footnote 3 becomes footnote 2.

If you cut and paste a sentence that contains a footnote to a different page, the footnote moves with it. The numbering updates to match its new position in the document. This is one of the main reasons people use footnotes instead of typing notes manually — Word keeps everything in sync as your document changes.

Endnotes: Footnotes that appear at the end instead

Word also offers endnotes, which work exactly like footnotes except they appear at the very end of your document instead of at the bottom of each page. Some academic styles require endnotes, while others require footnotes. Check your assignment or style guide to see which one you need.

To insert an endnote instead of a footnote, click References, then look for a button that says Endnote or Insert Endnote. It is usually right next to the Footnote button. The process is identical — you click it, type your note, and click back into your text. Word numbers endnotes the same way it numbers footnotes, and they renumber automatically if you delete one.

Changing the numbering style

By default, Word numbers footnotes 1, 2, 3, and so on. Some documents use Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) or letters (a, b, c) instead. To change this, right-click on any footnote number at the bottom of the page. A menu will appear. Click Note Options (or Footnote and Endnote Options on some versions).

A dialog box will open. Look for a dropdown menu that says Number Format. Click it and choose the style you want — Roman numerals, letters, or symbols. Click explore, and Word will renumber all your footnotes in the new style. This change affects all footnotes in the document at once.

Troubleshooting: Footnotes not appearing where you expect

If a footnote appears on the wrong page, it is usually because Word moved it to keep it with the text it references. If you have a footnote on page 3 but the note itself appears on page 4, this is normal behavior — Word tries to keep the note on the same page as the reference number, but if the page is too full, it moves the note to the next page.

If you cannot see the footnote at all, check that you are looking at the right page. Scroll to the bottom of the page where you added the reference number. If the note still does not appear, click the References tab and look for a button that says Show Notes or View Footnotes. Clicking this will jump you directly to the footnote.

If you accidentally deleted a footnote and want it back, use Ctrl+Z (or Command+Z on Mac) to undo the deletion when ready. Word will restore the footnote and its number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change where footnotes appear, like putting them at the end of each section instead of the end of the page?

Yes. Right-click any footnote number and select Note Options. In the dialog box, look for a dropdown that says explore Changes To. Choose This Section if you want different footnote settings for different parts of your document. You can also change where footnotes appear — at the bottom of the page, at the end of the section, or at the end of the document.

What if I want to delete all footnotes at once?

There is no single button to delete all footnotes. You must delete them one at a time by clicking the footnote number in your main text and pressing Delete. However, you can use Find and Replace to find all footnote marks and delete them together. Press Ctrl+H (or Command+H on Mac), click More Options, check the box for Find All Footnotes, and then delete the results.

Can I use both footnotes and endnotes in the same document?

Word allows you to convert all footnotes to endnotes or vice versa, but you cannot mix them in a single document — they will all be one type or the other. If you need both, you would have to manually type some notes into your text instead of using the footnote feature.

Do footnotes print when I print the document?

Yes. Footnotes and endnotes print exactly as they appear on screen. If a footnote is at the bottom of page 3, it will print at the bottom of page 3. If you do not want footnotes to print, you must delete them from the document first.

Why did my footnote numbers restart at 1 on a new page?

By default, Word continues numbering footnotes throughout the entire document (1, 2, 3, and so on). If your numbers restarted, someone may have changed the settings. Right-click a footnote number, select Note Options, and look for a dropdown that says Numbering. Make sure it is set to Continuous, not Restart Each Page.