The fastest way to add a footnote

Open your Google Docs document and click at the end of the word or sentence where you want the footnote to appear. Go to the menu bar, click Insert, then select Footnote. Google Docs will automatically number the footnote, jump your cursor to the bottom of the page, and let you type your note right there. When you're done typing the note, click back into your main text to keep writing.

That's the complete process. The footnote number appears in your text as a small superscript (raised) number, and the matching number appears at the bottom of the page with your note beside it. If you add or delete footnotes later, Google Docs renumbers everything automatically.

Key Takeaways

  • Click at the end of the word needing a footnote, then go to Insert > Footnote to create one when ready.
  • Google Docs numbers footnotes automatically and keeps them in order even if you add or remove notes later.
  • You can switch between footnotes and endnotes (which appear at the end of the document instead of the page) in the same menu.
  • Clicking a footnote number in your text jumps you to that note at the bottom of the page, and clicking the note number jumps you back.

Where the footnote appears on the page

By default, footnotes appear at the bottom of the same page where you placed them. If your document is short or your footnote is near the end of a page, the note might push down to the next page, but it stays attached to the page where you inserted it.

If you prefer all your notes at the very end of the document instead, you can change this. Click Insert, then Footnote, then look for the small arrow or settings icon. Select Endnote instead of Footnote, and those notes will collect at the end of your entire document. You can mix footnotes and endnotes in the same document if you need to.

Editing and deleting footnotes

To edit a footnote, click on the note text at the bottom of the page and type your changes directly. You can also click the small footnote number in your main text, and it will highlight the matching note at the bottom so you can find it quickly.

To delete a footnote, select and delete the footnote number in your main text — not the note itself at the bottom. When you delete the number in your text, the entire note disappears, and Google Docs automatically renumbers all the remaining footnotes. If you try to delete just the note text at the bottom, the number stays in your document and the note becomes blank.

Formatting your footnotes

Footnote text uses the same font and size as your main document by default. You can make individual words bold, italic, or underlined within a footnote by selecting them and using the toolbar buttons, just as you would in regular text.

If you want to change the font or size for all your footnotes at once, you'll need to use styles. Click Format, then Styles, then find Footnote text in the list. Click the three dots next to it and select Update 'Footnote text' to match. This changes every footnote in your document to match whatever formatting you've applied to one of them.

Footnotes in shared documents

When you share a Google Docs document with others, footnotes stay visible to everyone. If a collaborator adds a footnote, you'll see it appear in real time, and Google Docs will renumber all footnotes across the entire document to keep them in order.

If two people try to add footnotes at the exact same moment, Google Docs handles the conflict automatically by renumbering. You can see who added each footnote by hovering over the footnote number — it will show the contributor's name and the date it was added.

Moving footnotes between documents

If you copy text containing a footnote from one Google Docs document and paste it into another, the footnote comes along with it. However, the footnote number may change to fit the numbering sequence in the new document. For example, if you paste text with footnote 3 into a document that already has 5 footnotes, that note might become footnote 6.

If you copy and paste into a document that already uses endnotes instead of footnotes, your pasted footnotes will convert to endnotes automatically. The content of the note stays the same — only its location changes.

Troubleshooting common footnote problems

If the Insert menu doesn't show a Footnote option, you may be in a document type that doesn't support footnotes — Google Docs supports them, but some other Google document types do not. Make sure you're working in a regular Google Docs document, not a form or presentation.

If footnote numbers appear in the wrong order or skip numbers, try refreshing the page. Google Docs sometimes needs a moment to sync numbering across all devices if you're working on the document from multiple tabs or computers. If the problem persists after a refresh, try clicking File > Version history to see if a recent change caused the issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change where footnotes start numbering?

Google Docs always starts footnotes at 1 and numbers them sequentially. You cannot change the starting number or use letters or Roman numerals instead. If you need custom numbering, you would have to type the numbers manually in your text and notes, which defeats the purpose of using the automatic footnote feature.

What happens to footnotes when I read my document as a Word file?

Footnotes transfer to Microsoft Word format (.docx) without losing their content or numbering. When you open the file in Word, the footnotes will appear in the same locations and with the same numbers. Endnotes also transfer correctly.

Can I have different footnote styles in the same document?

All footnotes in a single document use the same style and numbering system. You cannot have some footnotes numbered 1, 2, 3 and others lettered a, b, c in the same document. If you need multiple footnote styles, you would need to create separate documents.

Do footnotes show up when someone views my document in a web browser?

Yes. Anyone with access to your document can see footnotes whether they open it in Google Docs, read it, or view a shared link. The footnote numbers and text are part of the document itself and will display on any device or process that opens the file.