How to Insert Figure Captions and Table Titles in Microsoft Word

This tutorial shows how to insert figure captions and table titles in Microsoft Word.

One of the benefits of using Word’s caption tool, as opposed to just typing captions and titles manually, is that the caption and title numbers will automatically update as you add figures or tables. You can also use the captions and titles generated by Word’s caption tool to create cross-references.

The following steps also explain how to change the label and numbering for new captions and titles.

Important Note: Caption and title numbers won’t automatically update if you move or delete figures or tables in your document. Visit “How to Update Table and Figure Numbers in Microsoft Word” for information about manually updating table and figure numbers.

The images below are from Word for Office 365, which is currently the same as Word 2019. The steps are the same in Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.

How to Insert Figure Captions and Table Titles

1. Right-click on the first figure or table in your document.

2. Select Insert Caption from the pop-up menu.

Alternative: Select the figure or table and then select Insert Caption from the References tab in the ribbon.

3. Select the Label menu arrow in the Caption dialog box.

4. Select the option you want from the Label drop-down menu:

• Daily Occurrence (This is an uncommon selection.)
• Equation (This is an uncommon selection.)
• Figure
• Table

The default option is Figure. This option is appropriate for visuals such as graphs, charts, photos, illustrations, and maps.

Important Note: Each label type maintains its own number sequence. For example, if you have a Figure 1 and then insert a table, it will be Table 1.

5. Select the Position menu arrow.

6. Select the option you want from the Position drop-down menu:

• Above selected item
• Below selected item

The default option for Figure is Below selected item. The default option for Table is Above selected item. These defaults will be appropriate for most situations.

14. Type your caption or title after the label and number in the Caption text box.

Pro Tip: Most of our primary style guides recommend placing a period after the figure or table number. However, Word doesn’t provide a way to add that period automatically, so remember to add it manually as you type each caption.

See “How to Write Figure Captions” and “How to Write Table Titles” for information on writing captions and titles according to Chicago style (including Turabian), APA style, and MLA style.

15. Select the OK button.

Your caption or title will now appear with your figure or table.

16. Save your document to save your newly inserted figure captions or table titles.

Visit “How to Change the Style of Table Titles and Figure Captions in Microsoft Word” for information about customizing the appearance (e.g., font, font size, color, alignment, etc.) of your titles and captions.

Related Resources

How to Reference Tables and Figures in Text

How to Create and Customize Headings in Microsoft Word

How to Create and Update a List of Tables or Figures in Microsoft Word

How to Insert and Modify Images in Microsoft Word