Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Sequentially Numbering Elements in Your Document.

Sequentially Numbering Elements in Your Document

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 16, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Word allows you to automatically number items in your document. For instance, you can automatically number figures, tables, or illustrations. If you later reorder these items, Word automatically updates the numbers so they are in order. To sequentially number items in your text, follow these steps:

Position the insertion point where you want the sequential number to appear. For instance, this would be in the caption for the table or figure.
Press Ctrl+F9 to insert field brackets. Make sure the insertion point stays between the brackets.
Type "seq " followed by the name of the element. This name is up to you, but should be the same for each item in this sequence. For instance, you could type "seq figures" or "seq tables" (without the quote marks).
Press F9 to update the field information. Word replaces the field with the next number in the sequence you have specified.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (92) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Sequentially Numbering Elements in Your Document.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is three minus 3?

2024-03-08 09:15:44

andy

Nowhere in this list do you say when or where to type the numbers? You start by saying "Position the insertion point where you want the sequential number to appear." - > Therefore where you want them to appear!!!!!!

So do you type the numbers you want before, or do we add them later?

2021-07-28 19:35:00

Audrey

This is too hard to understand without visual examples. HOW do I insert the seq field and have the numbers start at 130 then continue? Thanks for your help.

2021-07-17 13:30:28

winston

how do i sequence with a starting number such as 2001? when i follow the instructions above, it starts out with the number 1....

2019-11-05 04:29:52

Dope, this helped

2018-12-07 10:54:07

tuenral

Good job!!
Could not find this elsewhere

2018-01-11 13:49:58

katie

Hello! I already have automatic numbering set up (to change paragraph numbers automatically when paragraphs are moved within a document) but I would also like to have automatic lettering within the same document that is independent from the numbering. Example, paragraph 1 references Exhibit A, paragraph 2 references Exhibit B, so on and so forth. Currently using the above referenced method, the auto numbering lettering then follows as if the letters are a representation of the corresponding number (if that makes sense), ex: 1 B 3 C 5 D. How do I have the number sequencing independent from the letter sequence? Thank you in advance!

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