OmniDocHow to change the footnote numbering format in Word: circles, square brackets and symbols
Explain how to modify the footnote numbering style in Word: how to choose the built-in numbering format, how to set symbols such as circles, square brackets and ※, and why you need to change the method for circle numbers exceeding 20.
Key points of this article
- Word's built-in footnote numbering format is usually 1, 2, 3, a, b, c, *, †, ‡, etc., without circles and square brackets, and needs to be implemented with custom tags or other methods.
- Custom tags are suitable for a small number of footnotes. You can enter symbols such as ※, * or [1], but they will not automatically increase. After adding or deleting footnotes, you must check them one by one.
- Unicode characters with circled numbers generally only reach ⑳. Circled numbers exceeding 20 must be replaced with circled character functions or other writing methods.
- After modifying the format, you should check the correspondence between the body of the footnote and the text, the alignment of superscripts, and the scope of application to avoid changing only part of the footnote.
When writing papers, reports or contracts, many people need to change the numbering of Word footnotes into specific styles, such as circles ①②③, square brackets [1][2], or symbols such as ※ and *. When I opened the footnote settings, I saw that the built-in options only had Arabic numerals, English letters, and a few common symbols. I couldn't find circles or square brackets, so I began to wonder if I could only change them one by one manually.
This article is about the display style of footnote numbers, not inserting or deleting footnotes. The content includes: what can be done directly with Word's built-in format, how to use circles, square brackets and custom symbols respectively, and how to check after modification. After reading, you can decide which method to use for your own document and follow the steps to complete the settings.
How to modify the footnote format in Word? One sentence conclusion
There are two types of modifications to the footnote numbering format: one is Word’s automatic numbering, with optional formats; the other is custom tags, with content specified by you. In most cases, a combination of both methods will suffice.
| your situation | Recommended practices | reason |
|---|---|---|
| Just the usual 1, 2, 3 or a, b, c | Directly select the built-in numbering format in the footnote settings | Automatic numbering, addition and deletion of footnotes will be automatically updated |
| Requires symbols such as ※, *, and † | Choose from built-in symbol formats, or enter with custom markup | Built-in symbols are limited, use custom markers when exceeded |
| Requires ①②③ to ⑳ | Use circled numeric characters as custom markers, or apply circled characters to numbers | Unicode circled numbers generally only go up to 20 |
| Square brackets such as [1] and [2] are required | Enter square brackets and numbers one by one with custom tags | Built-in formats do not contain square brackets |
| There are more than dozens of footnotes and the style needs to be unified | First change the footnote citation style, and then check the numbers one by one. | Reduce the workload of manual modification |
Before you start: Confirm these points first
Before taking action, please understand the following things to avoid detours.
- Confirm whether it is a footnote or an endnote. Footnotes are at the bottom of the page and endnotes are at the end of the document or section. The numbering settings of the two are saved separately. Changing the footnotes will not affect the endnotes and vice versa.
- Confirm the application scope of the number. Footnote settings usually have the option to apply to the entire document, this section, or selected text. If only part of the footnote is selected, the rest of the footnotes will not change, which can easily lead to inconsistency.
- Confirm whether auto-increment is required. Built-in formats and circled numeric characters (if using the circled character feature) are automatically numbered with position. Manually entered ※ and [1] will not change automatically and are suitable for documents with a small number of footnotes and fixed positions.
- Confirm whether there are unified format requirements. If the journal, organization or client has clear regulations on the footnote style, you should first ask clearly about the style requirements before deciding which writing method to use.
- Confirm font support. Some symbols appear as boxes or blanks in the default font and need to be changed to a font that supports the character, such as Song Dynasty, Helvetica or Cambria Math.
Steps to modify footnote numbering style in Word
The following takes the desktop version of Word as an example and operates in sequence. Different versions may have slightly different button locations, but the core idea is the same.
- Open the document, place the cursor on any footnote, or directly enter the footnote settings entry to open the footnote and endnote settings dialog box.
- Confirm whether the location is a footnote or an endnote in the dialog box, and then check whether the application scope is the entire document.
- Select the desired built-in format from the Numbering format drop-down list, such as 1, 2, 3, or a, b, c, or the built-in symbol format. Make sure the preview is correct before continuing.
- If you need circles, square brackets or special symbols, select the custom mark option, and then enter the required characters in the input box or insert the required characters from the symbol library, such as ※, *, [1].
- If you want to use circled numbers, you can first enter the number in the document, select it and use the circled character in the font function, select the circle style, and then set it as the mark of the footnote reference.
- Click Apply, select the entire document, and close the dialog box after confirmation.
- If the superscript effect of the footnote reference text is not satisfactory, you can modify the footnote reference style, adjust the font size, superscript position, or bold setting.
- Scroll to several footnote positions, check whether the numbering has been updated, and check whether the numbering of the footnote body is consistent with the mark in the body text.
Check each item after completion
After the modification is completed, do not just read the first footnote. It is recommended to check each item one by one.
| Check item | What do you think? | What if there's a problem? |
|---|---|---|
| Whether the number is unified or not | Scroll from beginning to end to see if all the footnotes are marked in the same format | Check whether only the selected text is applied, and reselect the entire document application |
| Is the circle or square bracket displayed properly? | Check on different pages to make sure that the characters do not turn into boxes | Switch to a font that supports this character, or use the circled character feature instead |
| Whether the superscript is aligned | Look at the height relationship between the quotation of footnotes and the text | Modify the font size and superscript settings of the footnote reference style |
| Whether the body number of the footnote corresponds to | Randomly click on a few footnotes and check the text mark and the bottom note | Check if the custom tag is duplicated or omitted |
| Whether it changes after adding and deleting footnotes | Insert a test footnote in the middle to see if the number is updated | If it is a manual tag, it needs to be modified one by one; if it is automatic numbering, check the settings. |
| Whether printing or exporting is consistent | Watch it again after printing preview or exporting PDF | Font embedding problems can be checked after changing fonts or saving as PDF |
If there is machine translation or OCR recognition in the document, the terms, names and numbers in the footnote need to be checked manually. Correct numbering does not mean that the content is accurate.
# Core comparison
| Method | A suitable scene | Advantages | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in numbering format | Regular numbers, letters, or symbolic footnotes | Automatic numbering, automatic update when adding or deleting footnotes | No patterns such as circles, square brackets, etc. |
| Custom tags (symbols) | A small number of special symbols, such as ", *,", etc. | The style is free and easy to enter. | Does not increment automatically and requires manual maintenance |
| Custom tags (square brackets or circle characters) | Situations where fixed writing is required for [1], 1, etc. | Directly visible, suitable for a small number of footnotes | Heavy workload during a large number of footnotes, which is easy to be missed. |
| Circled character function | The case where the number needs the outer frame of the circle | You can circle any number. | The display effect of circles with more than one digit varies from version to version, and trial arrangement is required. |
# frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. Can the Word footnote be directly set to circle 1?
There is no circle option in the built-in numbering format. The common practice is to use the circled number as a custom tag, or to use the circled character function for the number. The former is suitable for a small number of footnotes, while the latter can add circles to any number.
2. If the footnote number is more than 20, how to make a circle?
The number with circles in Unicode is usually only up to 20, so circles after 21 usually have to be changed. You can use the circled character function to deal with two digits, but the circle will shrink and you need to try it first; you can also use parentheses such as (21) to keep it uniform.
3. How to set a square bracket footnote like [1]?
There are no square brackets in the built-in format. You can enter [1], [2], and so on in custom tags, but they are not automatically incremented. If there are a large number of footnotes, it is recommended to uniformly number the footnotes first, and then finally check whether they need to be changed to square brackets.
4. The format of the footnote has been changed, why has the citation in the text not changed?
The footnote format modifies the footnote tag and the footnote body, and the markup in the body follows the footnote reference. If the text does not change, usually the application scope is not selected correctly, or you change the endnote setting. Reopen the footer settings to confirm the location and scope of application.
# Summary
The key to the modification of the numbering format of Word footnotes is to distinguish between built-in numbering and custom tags. The built-in format is suitable for regular numbering, while circles, square brackets, and special symbols require custom marks or circled characters. After modification, check the corresponding relationship of application scope, font and number one by one, and you can get a unified and available footnote style.
