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: Deleting Caption Labels.

Deleting Caption Labels

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 26, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


The captioning feature of Word allows you to define custom labels for use in your captions. After a time, you may not need a particular caption label any more. To remove a caption label, follow these steps:

  1. Display the Caption dialog box. (Choose Insert | Caption or Insert | Reference | Caption, depending on your version of Word.) (See Figure 1.)
  2. Figure 1. The Caption dialog box.

  3. Using the Label drop-down list, choose the label you want to delete.
  4. Click on Delete Label. The label is immediately deleted.
  5. Click on Cancel to dismiss the Caption dialog box.

Remember that these steps allow you to delete custom caption labels—ones you created on your own, previously. You cannot delete any of the built-in caption labels. If you select a built-in caption label in step 2, then Word keeps the Delete Label button grayed out, as shown in the figure.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (894) 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: Deleting Caption Labels.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Understanding Functions

The heart of any formula you put together in Excel is worksheet functions. This tip introduces you to worksheet functions ...

Discover More

Changing How Arrows Look

If you use Excel's graphic capabilities to insert a line or an arrow into a worksheet, you can change how that arrow ...

Discover More

Adding a Full-Width Line in a Macro

The AutoFormat feature in Word allows you to type special character sequences (such as three dashes or three underscores) ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Turning Off Figure Caption Numbering

Ever want to use Word's automatic figure captioning feature, without the numbering? While there isn't a way to make this ...

Discover More

Adding Captions

Need to add a caption after a document element such as a figure or table? You can add and format one manually, or you can ...

Discover More

Adding Caption Labels

When using the captioning capabilities of Word, you aren't limited to the three default caption labels provided in the ...

Discover More
Subscribe

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.

What is two less than 4?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


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.

Videos
Subscribe

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

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.