Formatting Footnotes

Question

Ho do I change the numbering of footnotes? I want to break up the numbers by chapter, but the button does not exist under references.

Answer 1

You will have to add one or more section breaks and then you can change the format of footnotes in the new section(s). For example, you can add a section break at the end of each chapter and then have the footnotes restart on each section.

Note that section breaks are not supported in Word on the web (in your web browser). You will need the full version of Word running under Windows or macOS.

Answer 2

To restart or change footnote numbering by chapter (section) in Word, use the Footnote and Endnote settings and section breaks.

For Word on desktop (Windows/Mac):

1. Insert a section break at the end of each chapter:
   • Place the cursor at the end of the chapter.
   • Insert a Next Page (or Odd Page) section break.
2. Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog:
   • Word for Mac: On the Insert menu, click Footnote to open the Footnote and Endnote box.
   • Word for Windows (screen reader path): Press Alt+S to go to References, then press Q to open the footnote and endnote window.
3. In the Footnote and Endnote dialog, set numbering by section:
   • Choose Footnotes (or Endnotes) as needed.
   • In Numbering, select Restart each section (this gives separate numbering for each chapter/section).
   • Adjust other options such as number format or location if needed.
4. Choose where to apply:
   • Select whether to apply the changes to the whole document or just the section (chapter) currently in.
   • Click Insert (Mac) or move to Apply and confirm (Windows).

This setup breaks the footnote numbering so that each chapter (section) starts again at 1, even if a visible button under References is not present.

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References:

• Add footnotes and endnotes in Word for Mac
• Add footnotes and endnotes
• Use a screen reader to read and edit footnotes and endnotes in Word