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: Copying and Moving Footnotes and Endnotes.

Copying and Moving Footnotes and Endnotes

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 22, 2017)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


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Word implements a full-featured footnote and endnote system that allows you total control over where and how notes are printed. If you have previously inserted footnotes or endnotes into your document, and you want to duplicate a note or move one, you can use techniques you already know for editing regular text. To copy or move a footnote or endnote, follow these steps:

  1. Select the footnote or endnote reference mark in your document. (This is within the document itself, not within the actual footnote or endnote.)
  2. If you are copying the note, press Ctrl+C. The footnote or endnote reference mark and the associated note are copied to the Clipboard.
  3. If you are moving the note, press Ctrl+X. The reference mark and the associated footnote or endnote are deleted and moved to the Clipboard. If you are using auto-numbered footnotes or endnotes, all the footnotes or endnotes in your document are renumbered.
  4. Position the insertion point at the location where you want to copy the footnote or endnote.
  5. Press Ctrl+V. The footnote or endnote reference mark is inserted in your document, and the associated note is added to the appropriate notes section. If you are using auto-numbered footnotes or endnotes, all the footnotes or endnotes in your document are renumbered.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (503) 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: Copying and Moving Footnotes and Endnotes.

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. ...

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What is three minus 2?

2021-08-26 15:36:39

Herbert Tushabe

This has really made my day, thank you very much! I had a very long table that I had created with endnotes, without thinking that I would have to re-arrange it by splitting it into 7 sections. In the end, the very first reference was endnote number 5, followed by 13 and 7! The whole thing did obviously not make sense. After a lot of searching for a solution, I had almost given up and thinking of recreating it - my .....my.... This ctrl+A and f9 business really does not do it, yet that is what many are referring too. I was even thinking of editing and resorting the hidden bookmarks, I was just wondering how. So, the simple issue of cutting the notes and repositioning them and renumbering just simply did it. Amazing.

Again, thank you very much.


2021-03-05 16:10:18

Steve Brudney

I read your page called, "Copying and Moving Footnotes and Endnotes." My endnotes went to the last page of my book. I want to place them elsewhere: between the end of the text and the Appendices. Whether I copy and paste or cut and paste, I lose the sequential numbering. They all have a 1 in front of them and the number is inactive (I can't double-click it and go anywhere).


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