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...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Selecting a Bookmark in a Macro

Bookmarks can be very handy in a document. Word provides a VBA command you can use to easily select any of those bookmarks.

Discover More

Changing Huge Numbers of Hyperlinks

Need to change the various targets of a group of hyperlinks? Getting at the underlying link can seem challenging, but it ...

Discover More

Setting a Transparent Color for an Image

Want to "see through" an image you place on a worksheet? You can do so by using the steps in this tip.

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!

More WordTips (menu)

Monday's Date on Friday's Report

Automatically putting today's date at the top of a report is easy. Putting a different date, automatically, can be more ...

Discover More

Understanding the ADVANCE Field

You can use the Advance field to change where text is positioned in your document. This tip shows how to use it and the ...

Discover More

Displaying Fields

Fields (sometimes called field codes) allow you to insert dynamic information in your documents. If you want to see the ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is two more than 9?

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!

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.