OmniDocWord Count Without Footnotes: Checkbox Setting in Word
Learn how to get a word count without footnotes in Word by changing one counting setting, with no edits to your notes and no deleted text.
If you are writing a thesis, a journal article or a legal brief, you may have a word limit that applies only to the main text. The count shown on screen, though, often includes every footnote and end note, so a paper that looks under the limit can appear to be over it. Many writers then start deleting citations or moving notes around just to get the number down, which is slow and risky.
You don't need to change your notes at all. Word can exclude footnotes and end notes from its word count through a counting setting, and that setting only changes the number on screen. Your document stays exactly as it is.
This guide shows you where that setting usually lives, how to clear it, how to handle text boxes and what to check so you know the number is right. It also covers a manual method for versions where the option is hard to find.
How do you get a word count without footnotes? The short answer
Open the word count dialog, clear the checkbox that includes footnotes and end notes, and read the new total. The count then covers only the main text, and your notes remain in the document unchanged.
| Your situation | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You need the body count for a word limit | Clear the footnotes and end notes checkbox | Limits often apply to main text only |
| Your document has text boxes | Decide whether to clear the text box option too | Text boxes can add words to the total separately |
| You need the full count, notes included | Leave the checkbox on | Some editors and reviewers ask for totals that include notes |
| You are submitting the count somewhere | Check the submission rules and note which setting you used | Counts from different tools and settings can differ |
| Your version has no such checkbox | Use the manual selection method described below | Option names and locations vary by version |
Before you start
- Confirm your notes are real footnotes or end notes. Notes created with the reference tools are counted under the setting, but typed numbers or superscript characters are ordinary text and are always counted. If you typed them by hand, the checkbox won't remove them.
- Find out whether the rule says notes count. Some journals, courts and employers specify what counts toward a limit. Read the instructions first so you know which total you need.
- Clear any text selection. When text is selected, the word count dialog may count only the selection. Click once in the document body to deselect everything so the count covers the whole file.
- Save a copy. The setting itself doesn't change your text, but a backup makes it easy to compare before and after if something looks off.
- Know the count you started with. Write down the total with notes included. You'll compare it with the new number to confirm the change.
Excluding footnotes from the word count, step by step
- Open your document in Word. Make sure you're working in the file you want to count, and click once in the text to clear any selection.
- Open the word count dialog. Depending on your version, you can reach it from the word count shown in the status bar at the bottom of the window or from the proofing or review tools on the ribbon. The dialog shows totals for words, characters, paragraphs and lines.
- Look for the checkbox that controls notes. Inside the dialog, find the option that includes footnotes and end notes in the count. In most versions, footnotes and end notes share one checkbox.
- Clear that checkbox. The totals update as soon as you change the option. Your footnotes stay in place; only the counting changes.
- Decide about text boxes. If the dialog also lists text boxes, clear that option when text boxes hold captions or notes that should not count. Keep it checked if a text box holds body text you need to include.
- Read the new total and note it. Record the figure that now covers only the main text. If you need to report it, add a short note saying the count excludes footnotes and end notes.
- Turn the setting back on when you need the full count. Word may keep the setting for later counts in the same session, so a total you see later can be unexpectedly low. Reopen the dialog and check the box again if you need notes included.
Check the result
Before you rely on the new number, check that it reflects what you expect.
| Check | How to see it | If it's wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Notes are excluded | Select only the body text by dragging across it, then read the count for the selection | If the selection count matches the total only when notes are off, the setting worked. If the total still includes notes, reopen the dialog and confirm the box is cleared |
| The total changed | Compare the new total with the one you wrote down earlier | If nothing changed, the notes may be typed numbers or ordinary text, which the setting does not affect |
| Text boxes are handled | Scroll through the layout and look for text boxes and captions | If extra words still appear, clear the text box option in the dialog if those words are not body text |
| The setting stuck | Reopen the dialog later in the same session | If the setting is off when you need the full count, turn it back on |
If you need a count from a different program, expect small differences. Online converters, browser extensions and other desktop office suites each have their own rules for what counts as a word, and their notes settings may not match. Use the count from the program your submission rules name.
If your version doesn't show the checkbox
Some versions and layouts don't show the notes option where you expect it. You can still get a body-text count by selecting the text yourself.
Select the main text from the first word of the body to the last word before the notes section, or drag across each section you want to count. Read the word count for the selection. Because the selection stops before the notes, the total covers only what you chose.
If the notes are spread through the document, you can copy the body text into a new file and count that file. Work on a copy and check formatting, since copying can drop some layout details, and remove any notes or leftover numbers before you count.
❓ FAQ
1. Will clearing the checkbox delete my footnotes?
No. Clearing the checkbox changes only how the word count is calculated. Your footnotes and end notes stay in the document, and you can restore the full count by turning the option back on.
2. My count still includes footnote numbers. Why?
The numbers are probably typed or formatted as superscript text instead of being created as footnote references. The counting setting only affects real footnotes and end notes. Replacing the typed numbers with proper notes would make the setting work for them.
3. Does the setting cover end notes as well?
In most versions, the same checkbox covers footnotes and end notes together. If your dialog lists them separately, clear both to exclude all notes.
4. Does this also work on a Mac?
The same idea applies, since the word count dialog is available there too. Option names and locations vary by version, so check the help for your version if you can't find the checkbox.
📝 Summary
To get a word count without footnotes in Word, clear the checkbox that includes notes in the word count dialog. Your document stays unchanged, and the total shows only the main text. Check the result against a manual selection, and use the counting rules your submission requires.
