References: Notes & Links — Microsoft Word Training

Section 1

Footnotes & Endnotes

Notes add supplementary information without interrupting the main text. A small superscript number in the text links to the full note elsewhere in the document.

Footnote

Appears at the bottom of the same page

The note sits below a separator line at the foot of the page where the reference mark appears. Readers see the explanation immediately.

Academic papers
Legal documents
Technical manuals

Endnote

Appears at the end of the document

All notes are collected at the end of the document or the end of a section. Keeps individual pages clean and uncluttered.

Books and long reports
Research papers (some styles)
Chicago citation style

How a footnote looks on the page

Qatar demonstrated its capacity to host major international events with the highest standards of quality and professionalism.1 The infrastructure built for the tournament has since been repurposed for community and sporting use across the country.2

¹ FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Legacy Report, March 2023, p. 14.
² Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Annual Report 2023.

1

Insert a footnote

Place the cursor after the word or sentence where the note mark should appear → References → Insert Footnote (Ctrl+Alt+F). Word inserts the superscript number and moves the cursor to the note area at the bottom of the page. Type the note text there.

2

Insert an endnote

References → Insert Endnote (Ctrl+Alt+D). Same process — Word moves the cursor to the end of the document. All endnotes are numbered in sequence.

3

Navigate between marks and notes

Double-click a note mark in the text to jump to the note. Double-click the note number in the note area to jump back to the mark in the text.

4

Change format and numbering

References → click the dialog launcher (↘) in the Footnotes group → Footnote and Endnote dialog. Change numbering format (1, 2, 3 or i, ii, iii or a, b, c), starting number, and whether numbering restarts each page or section.

5

Convert footnotes to endnotes (or vice versa)

Footnote and Endnote dialog → click Convert. Choose to convert all footnotes to endnotes, all endnotes to footnotes, or swap them. Word renumbers everything automatically.

Delete a note: Select the superscript mark in the body text and press Delete. Never delete the note text directly — delete the mark in the main text, and the note disappears automatically. All remaining notes renumber.

Section 2

Captions

A caption is a numbered label attached to a figure, table, or equation. Word auto-numbers captions so "Figure 3" stays "Figure 3" even if you insert a new figure before it. Captions are also the source for a Table of Figures.

Caption example

Figure 1: Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor — venue of the 2022 World Cup Opening Match

1

Insert a caption

Select the image, table, or object → References → Insert Caption. Choose the label (Figure, Table, Equation) and position (above or below). Click OK.

2

Create a custom label

In the Caption dialog → click New Label → type a name (e.g., "Chart", "Diagram", "Exhibit"). The new label appears in the Label dropdown for future use.

3

AutoCaption

References → Insert Caption → AutoCaption. Word can automatically insert a caption every time you insert a specific object type (e.g., every Excel spreadsheet or every image).

Update caption numbers: If you add or remove a captioned object, the numbers may go out of order. Select all (Ctrl+A) then press F9 to update all fields — captions renumber automatically.

Section 3

Cross-References

A cross-reference is a pointer inside the document — "see Figure 3 on page 12" or "refer to Section 4.2." Word generates these as live fields that update automatically if the target moves to a different page or gets renumbered.

Can reference…	What Word inserts
Heading	The heading text, its page number, or its section number
Figure / Table caption	The caption label and number (e.g., "Figure 3"), the caption text, or its page number
Footnote / Endnote	The footnote number — useful for "see footnote 4" references
Bookmark	The bookmarked text, its page number, or the bookmark's paragraph number
Numbered item	Items in a numbered list — by number, full context, or page number

1

Insert a cross-reference

Place the cursor where you want the reference → References → Cross-reference. Choose the reference type, what to insert (page number, label, etc.), and pick the specific target from the list. Click Insert.

2

Make it a hyperlink

Check Insert as hyperlink in the Cross-reference dialog. Readers can Ctrl+click the reference to jump directly to the target.

3

Update after changes

Cross-references are fields — press F9 after editing the document to update them. Or right-click a cross-reference → Update Field.

Update all fields at once: Ctrl+A to select all → F9 to update every field in the document (cross-references, captions, page numbers, TOC) in one step.

Section 4

Bookmarks

A bookmark marks a specific location or selection of text with a named tag. You can jump to it instantly using Go To, link to it from a hyperlink or cross-reference, and use it as a target for navigation.

Bookmarks visible in the document (when Show Bookmarks is on)

Infrastructure Overview[InfraSection]
Qatar built eight state-of-the-art stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, all within 75 km of each other — the most compact tournament in history.

Legacy Programs[LegacySection]
Post-tournament, five stadiums were reduced in capacity and converted for use by local clubs and community sports programs.

1

Add a bookmark

Place the cursor (or select text) → Insert → Bookmark → type a name (no spaces — use underscores) → click Add. Bookmark names are case-sensitive.

2

Jump to a bookmark

Insert → Bookmark → select the name → click Go To. Or use Ctrl+G (Go To dialog) → select Bookmark → choose a name from the dropdown.

3

Show bookmark markers

File → Options → Advanced → Show document content → check Show bookmarks. Bookmarks appear as grey brackets [ ] around the bookmarked content.

4

Delete a bookmark

Insert → Bookmark → select the name → click Delete. This removes the bookmark tag only — the content stays unchanged.

Bookmark naming rules: Must start with a letter. Can contain letters, numbers, and underscores — no spaces or special characters. Maximum 40 characters. Examples: Chapter_1, FigureA, ContactInfo.

Section 5

Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks connect text or objects to a destination — a web page, an email address, another file, or a specific location within the same document. Insert via Insert → Link or Ctrl+K.

Web Page

Link to any URL. Paste the address in the URL field. The linked text appears in blue and underlined in the document.

Email Address

Word prefixes the address with mailto: automatically. Clicking the link opens the user's email client with the address pre-filled.

Existing File

Browse to any file on your computer or network. Clicking the link opens that file in its default application.

Place in Document

Link to a heading or bookmark within the same document. Readers jump to that location with a Ctrl+click. Ideal for navigation in long documents.

New Document

Create a link that opens a new blank document when clicked — Word creates the file automatically. You choose to edit it now or later.

ScreenTip

In the Insert Hyperlink dialog → click ScreenTip → add custom text. This tooltip appears when the user hovers over the link — useful for adding context.

Action	How
Insert hyperlink	Select text → `Ctrl+K` → fill in destination → OK
Follow a link	`Ctrl`+click the hyperlink. In Read Mode, a single click is enough.
Edit an existing link	Right-click the link → Edit Hyperlink. Opens the same dialog to change the destination, display text, or ScreenTip.
Remove a hyperlink	Right-click the link → Remove Hyperlink. The display text remains but the link is gone.
Prevent auto-linking	When Word auto-converts a URL or email to a hyperlink, press `Ctrl+Z` immediately to undo just the formatting while keeping the text.

Display text vs destination: The linked text and the URL are independent. "Visit our training page" can link to https://askfarouk.net — the reader sees friendly text, the link goes to the correct URL.