Shortcut to Return to Document Text

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 22, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

1

Paul wondered if, when he finishes typing a footnote or endnote in Word, there a way to get back into the text of the document using the keyboard instead of the mouse. There are actually several ways you can accomplish this task.

As far as I can determine, there is no dedicated keyboard shortcut to return to the main document text once you are in a footnote or endnote. Most people use Shift+F5 (or Ctrl+Alt+Z) for this purpose, however. This shortcut cycles through your last several edit locations. When you are typing in a footnote or endnote, this means that it takes you back to your previous edit location, which is typically where you inserted the footnote or endnote reference. This will not always be the case, as you may have jumped into your footnote or endnote directly from the body text by clicking within the note. In that case, Shift+F5 will take you back to wherever you were previously editing your document text.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3468) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

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

Running a Macro when a Worksheet is Activated

Want to run a macro when you first select a worksheet? You can do so by using one of the event handlers built into Excel, ...

Discover More

Lookup Logic: Harnessing Excel's 17 Most Powerful Functions (Table of Contents)

Unlock the full potential of your data with Excel's most powerful functions. Lookup Logic: Harnessing Excel's 17 Most ...

Discover More

Non-adjusting References in Formulas

Sometimes making sure that a reference in a formula doesn't get changed is not as simple as putting dollar signs in front ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Changing the Footnote Continuation Notice

When a footnote needs to span two printed pages, Word prints a continuation notice at the end of the footnote being ...

Discover More

Adding Information after the Endnotes

Endnotes appear at the end of the document, right? Not always, as Word provides a way that you can actually add as much ...

Discover More

Converting Footnotes to Endnotes

When you spend a lot of time creating footnotes, how can you convert all of them to endnotes without entering them all ...

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.

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

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 5 + 6?

2022-02-23 06:25:45

Sarit P

Great tip, thank you!
It also works in word 365.

Is it possible to teach us also how to return to the main document after writing a comment? Nothing works for me :(
Thank you

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

Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube

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.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.