How to Insert and Format Footnotes and Endnotes in Microsoft Word

Add notes from the References tab, then apply the formatting required by your writing style.

Place your cursor where you want a note reference, open References, and select Insert Footnote or Insert Endnote. Type the note in the area Word creates. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page; endnotes appear at the end of the document. For formatting, distinguish Word’s insertion process from your required citation style: the specific presentation rules explained below are APA guidance from Purdue OWL. [2], [1]

In this article

Start with the right kind of note
Insert a footnote or endnote in Word
Position APA footnote numbers correctly
Format APA footnote text for its location
Keep the note useful and check the finished result

Start with the right kind of note

For a note on the same page: choose Insert Footnote. Word places the note at the bottom of the page. [2]
For a note at the end: choose Insert Endnote. Word places the note at the end of the document. [2]
For APA formatting: pay attention to superscript callout placement and distinguish page-bottom footnotes from footnotes collected on a separate page. [1]

Both note types connect a reference mark in your text with a matching number or symbol beside the note. The main difference is where readers find the explanation. As a practical choice, use a footnote when you want the explanation available on the same page, or an endnote when you want it collected at the document’s end. This is a choice based on placement, not a requirement that one kind of content must always use one kind of note. [2]

Feature	Footnote	Endnote
Location	Bottom of the page	End of the document [2]
Insertion command	References → Insert Footnote	References → Insert Endnote [2]
Connection to the text	Matching reference number or symbol	Matching reference number or symbol [2]

Insert a footnote or endnote in Word

Microsoft lists these instructions as applying to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016. The documented procedure is the same for inserting either type of note; you select the command for the location you want. [2]

1. Position the cursor. Click or tap in the document text where you want the footnote or endnote reference to appear. [2]
2. Insert the note. Open the References tab and select Insert Footnote or Insert Endnote. [2]
3. Enter the note text. Word creates the note at the bottom of the current page or at the end of the document. Type your explanation there. [2]
4. Return to your main text. Double-click the reference mark at the beginning of the note to return to editing the document. [2]

For a simple hypothetical example, suppose a sentence needs a short explanation directing readers to additional discussion. In an APA-style document, place the cursor immediately after the sentence’s final punctuation, choose Insert Footnote, and type the explanation in the note area. If you instead want that explanation at the end of the document, choose Insert Endnote. Use Word’s note command rather than merely typing a raised number: the documented command creates both the reference and its corresponding note area. [2], [1]

Position APA footnote numbers correctly

For APA-style footnotes, Purdue OWL specifies a superscript reference number, also called a callout. Put the callout after punctuation in the usual case, without a space before it. A dash is the exception: the callout goes before the dash. These are APA conventions for where the reference belongs, separate from the Word command that inserts the note. [1]

Parentheses need particular attention. Place the callout inside parentheses only when the note directly concerns the material within them. Purdue also says not to place a footnote callout in a heading. A useful review is therefore to check what each note refers to—not just whether a number is present—and make sure its position identifies the intended sentence or parenthetical material. [1]

Format APA footnote text for its location

For footnotes at the bottom of the page, Purdue OWL’s APA guidance recommends the word processor’s default footnote formatting, giving 10-point font and single spacing as examples. That is not a statement that every Word installation necessarily starts with those exact settings. The practical distinction is that page-bottom notes have their own formatting guidance; you should not assume they must use the double spacing described for a separate footnotes page. [1]

For footnotes collected on a separate page after the References page, Purdue gives different APA directions: center and bold the heading “Footnotes,” indent the first line of each note one tab or five spaces, leave a space between the note number and its text, and double-space throughout. This is a style requirement for that presentation. It should not be confused with Microsoft’s definition of an endnote simply because both involve material appearing toward the document’s end. [1], [2]

Keep location, callout placement, and note-text formatting as separate decisions. Word’s insertion command determines whether you create a footnote or an endnote. APA guidance determines the callout conventions and the footnote presentation described here. Applying a rule from one of those categories does not settle the others—for example, choosing Insert Endnote does not by itself establish the required font, spacing, or citation wording. [2], [1]

Keep the note useful and check the finished result

For APA content notes, Purdue recommends keeping the explanation brief, focused on one subject, and preferably limited to one small paragraph. Include a note when it strengthens the discussion; it can also direct readers to more detailed information elsewhere. A note is therefore most useful as a focused supplement rather than a place to move an extended digression out of the main text. [1]

Before finishing, check three things: the note appears in the intended location, its reference mark points to the right text, and its presentation follows the required style. For APA footnotes, that includes checking punctuation placement and the distinction between page-bottom defaults and a double-spaced separate footnotes page. This review brings together Word’s placement mechanism and the style rules without treating either as a substitute for the other. [2], [1]

Frequently asked questions

Should I type the footnote number myself?

Use References → Insert Footnote or Insert Endnote instead. Microsoft’s procedure creates the note area and its corresponding reference mark, so it handles both parts of the note rather than just its visual number. You then enter the note text in the location Word creates. [2]

Does an APA footnote number go before or after a period?

After the period, with no space before the superscript callout. Purdue’s APA guidance says callouts follow punctuation except for a dash, which the callout precedes. A callout goes inside parentheses only when it directly concerns the parenthetical material, and it should not appear in a heading. [1]

Should all footnotes be double-spaced?

Not under the APA guidance described here. Purdue recommends the word processor’s default formatting for page-bottom footnotes, giving single spacing and 10-point font as examples. Its double-spacing instruction applies to footnotes collected on a separate page, along with a centered, bold “Footnotes” heading and first-line indentation. [1]

Conclusion

The essential workflow is position the cursor → References → Insert Footnote or Insert Endnote → type the note. Choose the command based on whether the note should appear at the bottom of the page or at the end of the document. Then apply your required writing style separately. For APA footnotes, check superscript placement, keep content notes focused, and distinguish page-bottom formatting from the rules for a separate footnotes page. [2], [1]

Source notes

The Microsoft instructions cited here do not establish platform-specific steps for Word for Mac, Word for the web, or mobile apps.

Detailed Word controls for changing note fonts and styles, number formats, numbering restarts, or converting footnotes to endnotes are not documented in the available material. Exact steps require documentation for your Word version and platform.

The formatting rules described here are APA-specific footnote guidance, not universal rules for every citation style or a complete endnote-formatting specification.

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