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: Changing the Way Footnotes Are Numbered.

Changing the Way Footnotes Are Numbered

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 6, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


In Word, footnotes can be automatically numbered from 1 through the number of footnotes in the document. Thus, if your document contains 14 footnotes, they will be numbered 1 through 14. You can change the way footnotes are numbered, however. Word allows you to specify both a starting footnote number and whether the numbering starts over with each new section in your document.

Word allows you to change how it handles footnote numbering. The method you use to make the change depends on the version of Word you are using. If you are using Word 97 or Word 2000, follow these steps:

  1. Select Footnote from the Insert menu. Word displays the Footnote and Endnote dialog box.
  2. Make sure the Footnote radio button is selected in the Insert area of the dialog box.
  3. Click on Options. Word displays the Note Options dialog box.
  4. Change the Start At value to reflect where you want Word to start numbering.
  5. Change the Numbering area to reflect how you want Word to count your footnotes.
  6. Click on OK to close the Note Options dialog box.
  7. Click on Close; otherwise click on OK to insert a footnote mark at the current location.

If you are using Word 2002 or Word 2003, follow these steps:

  1. Select Reference from the Insert menu, then choose Footnote. Word displays the Footnote and Endnote dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  2. Figure 1. The Footnote and Endnote dialog box.

  3. Make sure the Footnotes radio button is selected.
  4. Change the Start At value to reflect where you want Word to start numbering.
  5. Change the Numbering area to reflect how you want Word to count your footnotes.
  6. Click on Close; otherwise click on OK to insert a footnote mark at the current location.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3348) 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: Changing the Way Footnotes Are Numbered.

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

Displaying the Ruler

The ubiquitous ruler appears at the top of every Word document. It is so common place, that you may forget that it is ...

Discover More

Understanding R1C1 References

Referring to cells is typically done using a letter and a number, which represent the column and row. That's not the only ...

Discover More

Making the Paste Options Button Option Persistent

It is nice when you change settings in Word and the program remembers your settings from session to session. In this tip ...

Discover More

Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Putting Your Index after Your Endnotes

Endnotes are supposed to be at the end of your document, right? Not necessarily. You may want something else at the end, ...

Discover More

Jumping to an Endnote

Endnotes are often used in documents to document citations and sources. You can jump from endnote to endnote using the ...

Discover More

Where Do You Want Your Endnotes?

Endnotes can be placed in a couple of different places in your document, not just at the very end. Here's how you can ...

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 minus 1?

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.