How to put footnotes in the right column in Word: Footnote location in column-based documents

Key points of this article

Word does not have an option to "place footnotes in which column". By default, the footnote area is arranged according to the entire line width, making it difficult to only place footnotes in the right column.
First change the position of the footnote to "below the text" and observe whether the footnote follows the text. This is a small way to change it.
When strict column division is required, you can use continuous section breaks to divide the double-column text into separate sections, and then set the footnote positions section by section.
Both endnotes and manual annotations can replace footnotes, but manual numbering will not be automatically updated with additions and deletions, so you need to check it yourself.

Double-column formatting is common in papers, reports, and campus publications. The footnotes were normal when writing, but after the formatting was in double columns, the notes were always arranged at the bottom of the entire page, spanning the left and right columns, and read like a "widened" horizontal line. Some people want to move the footnotes to the bottom of the right column so that they are closer to the text, while others just want to make the page neater.

This article talks about the position setting of footnotes in Word: what can be done, what cannot be done, and which method to choose in different situations. The content only covers common operations of Word and does not require additional software or plug-ins.

Can footnotes be placed in the right column in Word? One sentence conclusion

Word does not provide a setting to "fix a footnote to the right column", but you can change the footnote to "below the text", or use sectioning and endnotes to achieve a similar effect. The table below provides options based on your actual situation.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
I just want the comments to follow the text, not all piled at the bottom of the page.	The footnote position is changed to "below the text"	Built-in options, small changes, no impact on numbering
Comments are required to appear strictly in the right column	Use endnotes instead, or group comments at the end of columns	Word does not support specifying footnote positions by column
Only a few comments, intended for printing or internal reading	Manually write notes and number them in the columns	Can control position, but not true footnotes
The document has a single-column title before and after, and a double-column text in the middle.	Use continuous section breaks to divide sections and set them section by section.	Column and footnote positions take effect on a section-by-section basis

Before you start: Confirm these points first

Determine a few things before starting to avoid having to rework after a long time.

Confirm the source of typesetting requirements. If it is a submission template or school format requirement, first read the footnote regulations in the template. Some journals require footnotes to be at the bottom of the page. In this case, moving them into the column is illegal.
Confirm whether it is a footnote or an endnote. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page, and endnotes are concentrated at the end of the text or section. If the stipulation is that it can only be footnotes, don’t change it to endnotes.
Confirm the range of the columns. Many documents are only divided into columns on some pages, with titles and references in single columns. If the column setting is applied to the entire article, the adjustment of the footnote position will cover unnecessary parts.
Confirm whether numbering needs to remain automatic. Manual comments will not be automatically rearranged with additions and deletions. If the document will be modified, it is recommended to use real footnotes or endnotes first.
Check with page view. The draft view does not display the footnotes and columns completely. You need to switch to the page view when judging the position.

Steps to change footnotes below text in Word

This step is suitable for most situations where you just want the comments to be closer to the text. The interfaces of different versions are slightly different, but the steps are basically the same.

Open the document, switch to page view, and find a page with footnotes.
Click on the section that needs to be adjusted in the text, or directly click on the footnote number to determine the scope of modification.
Find the tab related to citations in the ribbon, and click the small arrow in the lower right corner of the footnote group to open the footnote settings dialog box.
Select the option below the text in the position settings of the dialog box and observe the preview to see whether the annotation follows the main text.
In the application scope settings, if you only want to change the current section, select Apply to this section only; if you want to unify the entire document, select Apply to the entire document.
Confirm the settings and return to the page to check whether the annotation position and numbering are normal.
If the comment still spans two columns, proceed to the next step to separate the two-column section by sectioning it.
Insert continuous section breaks at the beginning and end of the double-column text, then set the number of columns for the section that needs to be divided into columns, and finally repeat steps 3 to 5 for this section.

Check each item after completion

Don’t just take a look after adjustments. Checking each item can reduce subsequent rework.

Check items	How to see	What to do if there is a problem
Annotation location	In page view, turn to the page with the footnote and see if the footnote is in the expected location.	Confirm that the application scope is correct and reset if necessary
number continuity	Check sequentially from the first footnote to the last, whether the number is increasing	Numbering confusion is mostly caused by manual addition. Use automatic footer re-insertion instead.
Does column division affect other pages?	Look through the single-column title page and reference page	Check the section break position to make sure the column only applies to the target section
header footer	Check whether the headers and footers of each section are continuous or disconnected	Cancel the link with the previous section at the section and set it separately
print preview	Use print preview to view paginated results	If the page breaks change, adjust the section break position and check again.

📊 Core comparison

Three common methods have their own trade-offs. You can compare and choose according to the table below.

practice	Suitable situation	Main trade-offs
Footnotes are changed to below the text	Want to retain the footnote function and only make the comments closer to the text	The changes are small and the numbers are automatically maintained; however, the position is still affected by paging and column rules and cannot be guaranteed to fall in a certain column.
Use endnotes instead	There are many comments and the layout needs to be clean and tidy	Notes are concentrated at the end of the article or section, making the layout more tidy; readers need to turn to the back to view, which is not suitable for occasions that require close reading.
Manual annotation	There are only two or three comments, and the document will not be modified again.	The position is fully controllable; however, the numbering does not update automatically, the document is error-prone once modified, and cross-references cannot be used.

🎯 Which method is suitable for you?

If you are writing a course paper and the teacher has no special requirements, give priority to using "below the text", which not only retains the function of footnotes, but also makes the comments closer to the text.
If you are preparing to submit a manuscript, first read the journal or conference formatting instructions. In many cases, footnotes must be kept at the bottom of the page. In this case, they should be followed according to the regulations and do not need to be forced into the column.
If there are a lot of notes and the text is in two columns, endnotes are usually easier and the layout is neater.
If there are only two or three comments and the document will not be modified again, manual comments can meet the needs, but the numbers must be checked one by one after completion.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What should I do if the footnotes are numbered out of order after they are placed in the right column?

First check to see if you are mixing manually entered numbers with automatic footnotes. Delete the manual numbering and re-insert the footnote at the original position, and the numbers will be automatically generated in order.

2. I have selected "Below text", why are the comments still at the bottom of the page?

This is usually because the setting is only applied to part of the section, or the current section is still in full-page footnote layout. Check that the application scope contains the target section and confirm that the section break is in the correct position, then set it again.

3. Can I use a text box to place footnotes?

Not recommended. Comments in the text box will not be automatically paginated with the text, and numbering, cross-references, and export results are prone to problems. If you really need to customize the location, give priority to manual annotation and explain it at the end of the article.

4. The school template requires footnotes in the right column. What should I do if Word cannot do this?

First confirm the exact requirements of the template, whether it is "Comments in columns" or "Comments at the bottom of this page." If this is indeed not possible, explain the limitations of Word to your instructor or journal editor and ask about acceptable alternative formats.

📝 Summary

Word currently does not have a direct option to "put footnotes in the right column," but through "below text," continuous section breaks, and endnotes, you can make comments closer to the main text or neater the layout. Which approach you choose depends on formatting requirements, number of comments, and whether the document will be modified. Once you've made the adjustments, remember to check the numbering and column ranges page by page in page view.

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