page layout problem in docs with footnotes

Question

Can you MS 365 Word experts help with this problem?

In MS 365 Word, in documents with footnotes (draft book chapters), there are problems with extra space at bottom of a page above the footnote separator, and sometimes also on pages with no footnotes.  In the attached screenshots:

#1 shows the problem  on a page with footnotes.

#2 shows the problem on page without footnotes.

 #3 shows a later page with no extra space at the bottom.

   ChatGPT suggests that the problem is with page layout settings, and not with footnote settings.  (Although the problem occurs only in docs with footnotes.)

     I tried all the suggested fixes on footnote settings anyway.  did not help.

     Here are things suggested by ChatGPT that I tried concerning page layout:

 1  Disable “Keep” settings that force big gaps

These are a very common cause of blank space.

Select your main document text (or modify the Normal style)

Open Paragraph → Line and Page Breaks   Uncheck:

Keep with next

keep lines together (use sparingly)

These settings can force Word to push text to the next page, leaving empty space—especially noticeable when footnotes are involved.

   Result:  These were unchecked.  Only widow/orphan control was checked.  (Unchecking widow/orphan had no effect

 2 Check page vertical alignment

This one is easy to miss:

Go to Layout → Page Setup (dialog launcher)

On the Layout tab

Make sure Vertical alignment = Top (not Justified)

“Justified” can stretch pages vertically and create odd gaps, especially on pages without footnotes.

               The setting was correct

 3  Review section breaks and page breaks

Hidden breaks can exaggerate spacing problems.

Turn on ¶ Show/Hide

Look for:

Manual Page Breaks

Section Breaks (Next Page / Odd Page)

Delete or adjust if unnecessary.

        Don’t see anything odd

 4  Footnote layout settings

Go to References → Footnotes (dialog launcher)

Ensure:

Location = Bottom of page (not “Below text” unless intentional) 

Numbering = Continuous

“Below text” can create large empty regions above footnotes.

               These settings were correct

 5  If it still misbehaves…

Word sometimes gets “layout corruption,” especially in long docs.

Try:

Copy all content except the final paragraph mark into a new document

Or save as .docx again

Or toggle between Draft and Print Layout views

               Tried all these.  Did not solve the problem

 6  other 

I checked whether the problem occurs more often on pages with long paragraphs.

   I tested by temporarily splitting long paragraphs (insert “return”) on pages with extra space before the footnotes separator.  This did change the amount of extra space, but did not eliminate it.

Answer 1

See MVP Suzanne Barnhill's page on Improving the Bottom Line. http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com/BottomLine.htm

You may have to copy the URL into your browser's address bar.

Answer 2

In Word, extra white space at the bottom of pages in documents that use footnotes is usually caused by how Word lays out footnotes relative to sections and pagination, not by the basic footnote options themselves.

From the provided information, one specific behavior is documented:

• When a Continuous section break is on the same page as a footnote, and the section break is after the footnote, Word may insert an unexpected page break. This is done to prevent footnotes (or endnotes) from two different sections from appearing on the same page. The result is extra white space or an extra page where it looks like Word is “wasting” space.

This can show up as:

• Extra space above the footnote separator on pages that have footnotes.
• Unexpected page breaks or large gaps even on pages that appear not to have footnotes, if sectioning and footnotes interact.

To address this specific, known behavior:

1. Check for continuous section breaks on pages with footnotes
   • Turn on ¶ Show/Hide.
   • Look for Continuous section breaks on pages where the extra space appears.
   • If a continuous section break is after a paragraph that has a footnote, Word may force layout changes that create gaps.
   • If possible, move or remove the continuous section break so that the footnote and the next section are not competing on the same page.
2. Use the compatibility option that changes how footnotes are laid out (older Word versions)
   • In Word 2003/2002: use Tools → Options → Compatibility and enable “Lay out footnotes like Word 6.x/95/97”.
   • In Word 2007: use Office Button → Word Options → Advanced → Layout Options (under Compatibility) and enable “Lay out footnotes the way Word 6.x/95/97 does”.
   • This option changes how Word handles footnotes relative to sections and can reduce unexpected page breaks and extra space in single‑column sections.
   • Note: this fix is documented to work for single‑column sections; it does not apply to multi‑column layouts.
3. If the document uses multiple columns
   • The documented workaround does not apply to multi‑column sections. In that case, the only reliable approach is to adjust where section breaks and footnotes occur (for example, avoid placing a continuous section break after a paragraph with a footnote on the same page, or change the layout so the multi‑column section starts on a new page).

Because this is a known, confirmed behavior in Word, the most effective steps are:

• Inspect and adjust continuous section breaks around paragraphs with footnotes.
• For single‑column layouts, enable the “Lay out footnotes like Word 6.x/95/97” compatibility option.

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References:

• Section break causes an unexpected page break in Word