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How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes in Microsoft Word (and Individual Endnotes to Footnotes)

By Erin Wright Leave a Comment

Here’s the scenario: You’ve just completed a twenty-page report with seventy-five footnotes when you realize that several of those footnotes should be endnotes. Rather than deleting those footnotes and manually creating new endnotes, follow the steps below to convert individual footnotes to endnotes in Microsoft Word. These steps can also be used to convert individual endnotes to footnotes.

The steps for converting all footnotes to endnotes and vice versa also appear at the bottom of this tutorial.

This information only applies to notes created with Word’s footnote and endnote tool. For easy-to-follow instructions on using that tool, visit “How to Insert Footnotes and Endnotes in Microsoft Word.”

This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than fifty other videos about Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat on my YouTube channel.

Please note that these steps are for Word for Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), Word 2019, and Word 2016. The steps are similar for Word 2013 and Word 2010.

Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes (or Convert Individual Endnotes to Footnotes)

1. Ensure that your document is in Print Layout view.

Microsoft Word Screen Views | How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes

Shortcut Alert: Step 2 through Step 6 explain how to move to individual notes. If your document is short, you can scroll directly to the note you want to convert and skip to Step 5.

2. Select the References tab in the Ribbon.

Image of Microsoft Word References TAb | How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes

3. Select Show Notes in the Footnotes group.

Image of Microsoft Word Show Notes Option | How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes

4. Select View footnote area or View Endnote area from the Show Notes dialog box. (You won’t see this dialog box if your document has only footnotes or only endnotes.)

Image of Show Notes Dialog Box | How to Convert Footnotes to Endnotes in Microsoft Word

5. Select the OK button.

Image of Show Notes Dialog Box OK Button | How to Convert Footnotes to Endnotes in Microsoft Word

6. Select Next Footnote repeatedly until you arrive at the note you want to convert. Or, select the Next Footnote down arrow and choose an option from the drop-down menu: Next Footnote, Previous Footnote, Next Endnote, or Previous Endnote.

Image of Microsoft Word 2016 Next Footnote Options | How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes

7. Right click on the individual note and select Convert to Endnote or Convert to Footnote from the shortcut menu.

Image of Microsoft Word Convert to Endnote Option | How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes

Convert All Footnotes to Endnotes (or Convert All Endnotes to Footnotes)

1. Select the References tab in the Ribbon.

2. Select the Footnote and Endnote dialog box launcher in the Footnotes group.

Image of Microsoft Word Footnotes and Endnotes Dialog Box Launcher | How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes

3. Select the Convert button in the Footnote and Endnote dialog box.

Image of Microsoft Word Convert Button | How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes

4. Select the option you want from the Convert Notes dialog box:

  • Convert all footnotes to endnotes
  • Convert all endnotes to footnotes
  • Swap footnotes and endnotes

Image of Microsoft Word 2016 Convert Notes Dialog Box | How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes

5. Select the OK button.

Image of Microsoft Word Convert Notes Dialog Box OK Button | How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes

6. Select the X to close the Footnote and Endnote dialog box.

Image of Microsoft Word Footnote and Endnote Dialog Box Closure X | How to Convert Individual Footnotes and Endnotes

Related Resources

What Are Footnotes and How to Use Them

How to Modify the Style of Footnotes and Endnotes in Microsoft Word

How to Insert Citations in Microsoft Word

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Microsoft Word Tagged With: formatting, Word 2013, Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 365

Home » How to Convert Individual Footnotes to Endnotes in Microsoft Word (and Individual Endnotes to Footnotes)
Technical Writer and Editor Erin Wright

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Hello! My name is Erin. I am a technical writer and editor who shares step-by-step software tutorials and writing tips for the real world on this blog and YouTube

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