How to use, format, and customize footnotes and endnotes in Microsoft Word

The difference between a footnote and an endnote

The difference between a footnote and endnote is simply where their respective definitions appear.

• Footnotes are defined at the bottom of the page as they appear throughout the document. If a reference is on page 3, the footnote will appear at the bottom of page 3.
• Endnotes are defined at the end of the document, regardless of where the reference is. If a reference is on page 3 but the document is 12 pages, the endnote will be found on page 12.

Whether you should be using one or the other depends on the type of reference you are providing. Endnotes are typically collected throughout the document to provide detailed explanations or collect references, whereas footnotes are typically used to provide shorter context, citations, or quote sources.

Using Word's built-in footnotes and endnotes feature

Microsoft Word has a built-in feature specifically designed to manage footnotes and endnotes, and there are several usability and accessibility advantages to using it versus manually writing in and tracking your own references.

• It does automated numbering: You don't need to manually track reference numbers or update them when adding or removing entries. Word handles it automatically, preventing numbering errors and keeping references properly ordered.
• It provides dynamic tooltips: Hovering over a footnote or endnote reference number instantly displays its description in a tooltip, allowing users to preview the note's contents without having to scroll back and forth.
• It's accessible and usable: Screen readers can navigate footnotes more efficiently compared to manually inserted references because the Reference numbers are automatically linked. This allows users to jump back and forth between the citations and back to their corresponding notes.

Managing footnotes and endnotes

Adding a new footnote or endnote

Adding a footnote or endote to a Microsoft Word document is simple. The following process outlines how to insert a footnote, but the process is the same for an endote.

1. Place the cursor where you'd like the reference number to appear, typically at the end of a word or sentence.
2. Navigate to the References tab.
3. In the Footnotes section, press the Insert Footnote button.

Validating definitions

Hovering the cursor over a note's reference number should spawn a tooltip with its definition. Double-clicking the number should skip you to, and from, the definition as well.

Note that tooltips may not appear in older versions of Word, or when certain accessibility settings like high contrast mode are enabled.

Removing a footnote or endnote

To remove an entry, delete the reference number from the text. The definition will be deleted alongside it and the numbering scheme will update automatically.

Styles and features

Modifying footnote and endnote text styles

You can easily customize the style and layout of footnotes to fit your document's design.

1. Place the cursor in the footnote.
2. Navigate to the Home tab.
3. In the Styles section, press the small arrow button in the bottom right corner to open the panel, or press Alt + Ctrl + Shift + S.
4. Press the Style Inspector button, illustrated by a magnifying glass icon.
5. In the Paragraph Formatting section, expand the Footnote Text option.
6. Select Modify from the dropdown menu.

Modifying reference number styles

Footnote reference numbers have their own style definition and can be modified easily. You can find the Footnote Reference style in the Styles panel, or inspect the element:

This setting works best in simple documents but it may not behave as expected in multi-section or multi-column layouts, where having them at the bottom of the page may be the preferred approach.

1. Highlight a reference number.
2. Navigate to the Home tab.
3. In the Styles section, press the small arrow button in the bottom right corner to open the panel, or press Alt + Ctrl + Shift + S.
4. Press the Style Inspector button, illustrated by a magnifying glass icon.
5. In the Text Level Formatting section, expand the Footnote Reference option.
6. Select Modify from the dropdown menu.

Moving footnotes below the text

For stylictic reasons, you may prefer your footnotes below the text rathan than at the bottom of the page. The preference can be toggled on and off as desired.

1. Navigate to the References tab.
2. In the Footnotes section, press the Footnote & Endnote button, illustrated as a small arrow at the bottom right corner.
3. In the Footnote and Endnote panel, change the Location option to Below text.
4. Press the Apply button to confirm your change and close the panel.

Modifying the footnote separator line

Modifying the footnote separator line is only possible in Draft view. However, to see the changes, you will need to switch back to Print Layout.

The separator line's colour and spacing is adjusted like text, rather than like a border. Alternatively, the separator line can be removed and replaced with a border if preferred.

1. Navigate to the View tab.
2. In the Views section, select the Draft option.
3. Navigate to the References tab.
4. In the Footnotes section, press the Show Notes button.
5. In the new panel, select Footnote Separator from the dropdown menu.