How to Convert Footnotes to Endnotes and Customise Numbering Formats in Microsoft Word

When drafting formal reports, academic papers, books, or legal documentation in Microsoft Word, citations and annotations are essential for supporting references and secondary remarks. Authors often begin writing with footnotes—which appear directly at the bottom of the corresponding page—only to discover that an academic journal, publishing house, or editorial style guide requires endnotes gathered together at the conclusion of each section or the very end of the manuscript. Rather than manually copying, repasting, and renumbering dozens of individual citations, Microsoft Word provides built-in conversion tools that allow you to convert footnotes to endnotes (and vice versa) across an entire document in seconds.

Footnotes vs Endnotes: Key Differences

Understanding the visual layout and editorial purpose of both reference formats ensures you apply the correct option for your readers:

• Footnotes: Positioned at the bottom margin of the exact page where the reference mark appears. They are ideal for brief explanatory comments, translations, or references that readers need to consult immediately without turning pages.
• Endnotes: Positioned at the very end of the document or at the conclusion of individual section breaks. They prevent clutter on page margins and are preferred for comprehensive academic bibliographies and formal research papers.

How to Convert All Footnotes to Endnotes in Microsoft Word

You can execute a global conversion across your entire document using Word’s dedicated Footnote and Endnote dialogue window.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word on Windows or macOS.
2. Click on the References tab on the top Ribbon.
3. Locate the Footnotes group. Click the small Dialogue Box Launcher arrow icon located in the bottom right corner of the group.
4. The Footnote and Endnote configuration window will appear. Click the Convert… button situated in the Location section.
5. In the Convert Notes dialogue box, select the option labelled Convert all footnotes to endnotes.
6. Click OK, and then click Apply (or Close) to return to your document.

All footnote text from the bottom of each page will immediately move to the end of your document, and citation reference numbers will automatically resequence as endnotes.

How to Convert an Individual Footnote into an Endnote

If you wish to keep the majority of your citations as page-level footnotes but want to relocate a lengthy discursive reference to the document appendix, you can convert individual entries independently.

1. Navigate to the page containing the specific footnote you wish to relocate.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and right-click (or Control-click on Mac) directly on the text of the footnote.
3. From the contextual menu that appears, select Convert to Endnote.
4. The selected citation will instantly relocate to the endnote section while leaving surrounding footnotes untouched.

How to Convert Endnotes Back to Footnotes

If your editorial guidelines change or you need to restore bottom-of-page annotations, reverse the process effortlessly:

1. Open References > click the Footnotes Dialogue Box Launcher icon.
2. Click Convert….
3. Select Convert all endnotes to footnotes.
4. Click OK and confirm by clicking Apply. All endnotes will automatically redistribute to their corresponding original pages.

Alternatively, right-click any single endnote entry and select Convert to Footnote to adjust entries one by one.

How to Customise Numbering Formats and Placement

After converting your notes, align their visual presentation with your target style guide (such as Chicago, APA, or MLA):

1. Reopen the Footnote and Endnote dialogue window via the References tab.
2. Under the Format section:
   • Number format: Footnotes typically use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3...), while endnotes frequently employ lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii...) or capital letters (A, B, C...). Select your required format from the dropdown menu.
   • Custom mark: If your publisher requires symbol notation (such as asterisks or daggers *, †), click Symbol… to specify a custom character.
   • Start at: Define the starting number if this file represents a subsequent chapter in a larger volume.
   • Numbering: Choose whether numbering runs continuously (Continuous) or restarts at every page or section break (Restart each section).
3. In the Location section for endnotes, specify whether they appear at the End of document or the End of section. Choosing End of section is invaluable when creating multi-chapter books where each chapter retains its own concluding reference list.
4. Click Apply to commit the formatting changes.