Why can't I put a usable file path in the footer? I have a suggestion for dealing with this problem.

Question

I too ran into this problem. I thought it was just me, but I see that I'm not alone. I came up with the following work-around. Hopefully the engineers at MS will come up with something more elegant.

To get a line of text that reflects the true file path for your file that’s stored in the OneDrive Documents section of your PC:

1.    Locate the file in File Explorer and right click on it.

2.    Select “Copy as path”.

3.    Paste that into your document to get a line of text showing an accurate FilePath that looks like this:

o   "C:\Users"your username"\OneDrive\Documents\Test Folder\How to generate a FilePath for 'Always keep on this device' files stored in OneDrive section of your PC.docx"

 

To turn that text into an active hyperlink:

1.    Highlight the text string.

2.    Right click on it and select “Insert Link”.

3.    The cursor should be in the Address box at the bottom, if not position it there.

4.    Now hit Ctrl V to paste the hyperlink text and click OK.

 You should now have an active hyperlink with the correct address without all the nonsense text. When you click on the link you’ll get a Microsoft Security Notice.  Ignore it.  The file is your own and it’s located on your own PC. Then you’ll get another dialogue box.  Click on Open, to open your file.

Answer 1

Hello Raymond Isola,

I understand why this feels confusing. It really looks like Word is giving the “wrong” file path, especially when you expect a simple local path like C:\Users...

 What’s actually happening here is related to how Word works with OneDrive. When your file is saved in OneDrive (even if it’s synced to your computer), Word sometimes treats it as a cloud file first. Because of that, when you insert the file path in the footer using built-in fields, it may show a long https:// link instead of the local path on your PC.

So, the behavior you're seeing is expected — Word currently doesn’t have a way to automatically show the local OneDrive path (like C:\Users...\OneDrive...) in a dynamic footer field. What you can do instead:

Option 1: Use a manual workaround (most reliable)

This is actually the best way if you need the exact local path:

Step 1: Copy the file path

• Open File Explorer
• Find your file
• Right-click > choose Copy as path

Step 2: Paste into Word 

• Open your document

Paste the path into the footer (or anywhere you need)

 Step 3: Make it clickable

• Highlight the text
• Right-click > Insert Link
• Paste the same path into the Address box
• Click OK

Now you’ll have a working link that opens the file directly from your computer. Just a small note: this is a fixed (static) link, so if the file is renamed or moved, you’ll need to update it manually.

Option 2: Use Word’s built-in field (automatic but limited)

If you prefer something that updates automatically: 

• Go to the footer
• Insert this field:
• Press Alt + F9 (if needed)
• Add: { FILENAME \p }

This will show the file name and path.

However, if your file is in OneDrive, it may still show the https:// version. Other user also report Word currently works like that: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5292025/why-cant-i-put-a-usable-file-path-in-the-foote. Also, the field may not update right away — it usually refreshes when you open Print Preview or print the document. Similar case, you can check on: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4997075/footers-in-onedrive-office-365

About the security warning when opening the link. When you click the link, you might see a Microsoft security message. This is normal behavior. If the file is your own and stored on your PC, you can safely continue and open it. I know this isn’t the most ideal setup, especially if you were expecting a clean automatic solution. Your workaround is actually a very practical way to handle it for now. 

It may also help to send feedback to Microsoft; this is the kind of scenario they could improve in future updates. Steps:

1. Open any Microsoft 365 app (for example, Word).
2. Go to Help > Feedback. Or go to File > Feedback (some apps show it there instead).
3. In the dialog box, choose the type of feedback (for example “I like something” / “I don’t like something” / suggestion options depending on the app).
4. Write what happened, and attach a screenshot if you can (Microsoft says it makes feedback more actionable).
5. If offered, allow them to contact you and add your email address (recommended in the article).
6. Submit.

 I hope this will help with your situation. Please feel free to reach back if you have further update or more questions.

Best Regards,

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment”.   

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

In Word, the built‑in file path field and OneDrive storage model are the reasons a “usable” local file path in the footer is difficult.

1. Word’s standard way to show the file path in a header or footer is via document properties/fields (for example, using Document Info → File path or the FileName field with the path option). This inserts the path that Word knows for the document.
2. When a document is stored in OneDrive, that path may be cloud‑oriented or not match the “Always keep on this device” local path seen in File Explorer. Word does not automatically expose that specific local sync path as a field value, so the footer cannot dynamically show it.
3. Because of this, the manual workaround described (Copy as path from File Explorer, paste into the document, then convert to a hyperlink) is effectively a custom, static solution. It works, but it is not integrated with Word’s document property system, so it will not auto‑update if the file is moved.

At present, the supported, built‑in method for adding file information to headers/footers is limited to the document properties and field codes described in the Word documentation; there is no documented option to bind the footer directly to the OneDrive “Always keep on this device” local path.

To suggest an enhancement (such as exposing the local OneDrive sync path as a field that can be used in headers/footers), feedback should be submitted through the official Microsoft 365 feedback channels referenced in the documentation.

---

References:

• Add the file name, date, author or other Word document properties to a header or footer