Adding Endnotes in Text Boxes

Summary: Text boxes and endnotes are both great tools you can use within a document. Problem is, you cannot use them together—Word doesn't allow you to add endnotes within a text box. This tip looks at how you can get round this problem. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003, and Word 2007.)

Gayle edits scientific reports and proposals at her company. Due to page count issues, she often inserts figure captions into text boxes to place them next to the figure (to save space). She is not able to insert endnote references into the text boxes, but would like to.

Word does not allow the insertion of either footnotes or endnotes into text boxes. You can, however, insert them into frames. A frame is a document object that has been around since the very earliest days of Word, but they received less and less attention since the introduction of text boxes. In many ways they are very similar to text boxes, but there are some differences (such as how they handle endnotes).

To convert a text box to a frame, simply

Right-click the text box and choose Format Text Box from the resulting Context menu. Word displays the Format Text Box dialog box.
Make sure that the Text Box tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
Click on the Convert to Frame button. Word asks if you are sure you want to convert.
Click on OK.

Now you can insert your desired endnotes into the frame with no problem.

Tip #3416 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Step Up and Take Control! Subscribers to WordTips know just how valuable a resource it is. WordTips Premium provides twice the number of exceptional, easy-to-understand tips every week in an ad-free newsletter, as well as substantial discounts on WordTips archives and e-books.

Check out WordTips Premium today!