Microsoft Word - Managing Footnotes and Endnotes

This article explains how to insert, convert, and format footnotes and endnotes in Microsoft Word. Learn how to add citations, convert between footnotes and endnotes, and customize their appearance using paragraph formatting options.

Inserting Footnotes and Endnotes

To insert a footnote or endnote in your document:

  1. Place your cursor where you want the reference mark to appear
  2. Navigate to References > Footnotes
  3. Click Insert Footnote or Insert Endnote
  4. Type your citation text in the footer or end section

You can also use keyboard shortcuts:

  • Press Alt + Ctrl + F to insert a footnote
  • Press Alt + Ctrl + E to insert an endnote

Converting Between Footnotes and Endnotes

To convert all footnotes to endnotes (or vice versa):

  1. Go to References > Footnotes
  2. Click the small arrow icon in the bottom-right corner of the Footnotes group to open the Footnote and Endnote dialog
  3. Select Convert...
  4. Choose your conversion option:
    • Convert all footnotes to endnotes
    • Convert all endnotes to footnotes
  5. Click OK to apply the conversion

Formatting Footnotes and Endnotes

Paragraph Formatting

To modify the paragraph formatting of footnotes or endnotes:

  1. Double-click any footnote or endnote reference number in the document
  2. Select all footnote/endnote text using Ctrl + A
  3. Right-click and select Paragraph
  4. Adjust the following settings as needed:
    • First line indent
    • Hanging indent
    • Line spacing
    • Spacing before/after paragraphs

Creating a Hanging Indent

For citations with hanging indents:

  1. Select the footnote/endnote text
  2. Open the Paragraph dialog
  3. Under "Special," select Hanging
  4. Set the indent measurement (typically 0.5")
  5. Click OK to apply

Reordering Footnotes

You can easily reorder footnotes in your document using cut and paste:

  1. Select the footnote reference number in your main text
  2. Use Ctrl + X to cut or right-click and select Cut
  3. Place your cursor where you want the footnote to appear
  4. Use Ctrl + V to paste or right-click and select Paste

Word automatically renumbers all footnotes to maintain the correct sequence.

Additional Tips

  • To navigate between footnotes, use the Next Footnote button in the References tab
  • Right-click a footnote reference number to access quick formatting options
  • Use the Show Notes button to view all footnotes/endnotes in a separate pane

Keywords:
Microsoft Word, footnotes, endnotes, citations, formatting, document references, hanging indent, first line indent, paragraph formatting, reference conversion 
Doc ID:
147407
Owned by:
Aaron W. in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Created:
2025-01-09
Updated:
2025-01-09
Sites:
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville