FOOTNOTE FAIL

Question

• I am revising a manuscript (co-authored).
• Some footnotes need revision. I've been trying to add new ones which not only appear as 1 (rather than inserting into sequence eg as 3 after 2 and renumbered original 3 as 4) but continue as this number (not ascending).
• These new inserts appear below the original footnotes which I've noticed have now lost their dynamic nature - ie they are clearly no longer footnotes linking number in text to note at bottom of page.
• Any suggestions for resolution beyond individual deletion and reinsertion?

Answer 1

Hi, Paul Long

This can happen if Word is still holding old footnote references in the document, especially in a co-authored file with Track Changes, section breaks, or copied text from another document. The notes may look like normal footnotes, but Word may be treating part of the numbering as manual or unresolved markup.

Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try:

First, save a copy of the document. Then go to Review and check whether Track Changes or unresolved changes are present. If there are deleted footnotes or edited footnote references, accept or reject those specific changes first, then check whether the numbering updates.

Next, select a problem area and open the Footnote and Endnote settings from the References tab. Make sure numbering is set to Continuous, not Restart each section or Restart each page, and set Apply changes to Whole document if that option appears.

It is also suggested that you switch to Draft view, then use References > Show Notes. This can make hidden or “stuck” footnote references easier to spot. If you find an old deleted reference in the main text, remove or accept that change there, not just at the bottom of the page.

If the numbering still looks stuck, try pressing Ctrl+A, then F9 to refresh fields. If only footnote cross-references are affected, select the footnote area and press F9 there as well.

If the document came from several authors, also try copying everything except the final paragraph mark into a new blank Word document, then test adding a footnote there. This often clears document-level corruption without manually rebuilding every note.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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Answer 2

The behavior indicates that the affected notes are no longer true Word footnotes but have become ordinary text, so they no longer participate in automatic numbering and renumbering.

To restore proper, dynamic footnotes, use the built‑in footnote feature and reinsert the notes so Word can manage the sequence:

1. Place the cursor in the main text where each broken note reference should appear.
2. On the References tab, select Insert Footnote.
3. Word will insert a correctly numbered footnote at the bottom of the page.
4. Copy the text from the non‑dynamic “footnote” and paste it into the new, real footnote.
5. Delete the old, non‑dynamic note text from the bottom of the page.

After all notes are converted back to real footnotes, Word will automatically renumber them in sequence and keep them dynamic when new notes are inserted or existing ones are moved.

If using Word for Mac, the same steps apply; the References > Insert Footnote command is available and will create properly linked, renumbering notes.

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References:

• Add footnotes and endnotes in Word for Mac
• Insert footnotes and endnotes in Word