How to add, delete and adjust the length of footnote horizontal lines in Word

Key points of this article

The horizontal line above the footnote is the "footnote separator", which needs to be processed in the footnote pane of normal view and cannot be found directly in the text.
When deleting, select the separator content and then delete it. When adding it back, restore the default separator or enter a line at the same position.
Shortening of lines and top grid mainly depends on the indentation and format of separator paragraphs. After making changes, return to the page to check.
Funding projects, corresponding authors, etc. are usually marked with footnote number symbols and are consistent with the requirements of the journal template.

The short horizontal line above the footnote in Word. Many people only notice it when they are formatting the paper: they want to delete it, but they can't find it; they want it to be in the top row, or they want to shorten it, but there is no response after changing the text. This line does not belong to the main text, but is the "footnote separator" set separately by Word for footnotes, so selecting it in the main text and pressing the delete key are useless.

This article is written for anyone who needs to work on a paper, report, or documentation. After reading, you will know how to find this line, how to delete and add it back, how to adjust the length and position, and you will also see how to write footnotes such as fund projects and corresponding authors on the home page of the paper. The following method takes Word 2019 as an example. The interface names of other versions may be slightly different, but the idea is the same.

How to delete footnote horizontal lines in Word? One sentence conclusion

Direct conclusion: Horizontal lines must be processed after finding the footnote separator in the footnote pane. Delete, add back, change length and top grid are all completed here. The table below provides methods based on your specific needs.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
Don’t want the horizontal line above the footnote	Delete the separator after selecting it in the footnote pane	Horizontal lines belong to the separator content. After deleting them, the footnote area will no longer have lines.
After deleting it, I want to add it back.	Reinsert or restore the default delimiter in the footnote pane	The default delimiter is the line that comes with Word. After restoration, the format is close to the original.
The line is too long, I want to shorten it	Adjust the right indent or paragraph format of delimited paragraphs	The length of the line is determined by the width and indentation of the paragraph it contains.
The line is not on the left, I want to top it	Set both the left indent and the first line indent of the separator paragraph to 0	When the indent is 0, the line starts from the left edge of the page center

Before you start: Confirm these points first

Before taking action, please confirm the following things to avoid detours.

Confirm whether you want to change footnotes or endnotes. Footnotes are underlined at the bottom of the page, below the text; endnotes are underlined at the end of the text. The separators for the two are in the corresponding panes for footnotes and endnotes. Changing one will not affect the other.
Use normal view operation. The footnote pane is easier to find in normal view. The interface layout is different in page view, and it is easy to find the entrance during operation.
Confirm if there are any school or journal template requirements. Thesis template often specifies the font size, line style and position of footnotes. Before deleting lines or changing the length, read the template instructions first to avoid making changes that do not meet the submission requirements.
Save a copy first. After removing separators, the path to restore default settings is not necessarily intuitive. Keep a copy of the original document so you can refer to it if problems arise.
Confirm whether the document is divided into sections. If the document is divided into sections, footnote formatting may be inconsistent on the same page. After editing, check section by section, especially if a new section is inserted in the middle of the paper.

Steps to delete footnote lines in Word

Open the document, open the view-related options in the top ribbon, and switch to Normal view.
Open the citation-related options in the top ribbon, click Show Notes in the footnote-related area, and the footnote pane will appear at the bottom of the page.
Select Footnote Separator from the drop-down box at the top of the footnote pane, and the paragraph where the separator is located will appear on the page.
Use the mouse to select the separator content where the horizontal line is located. It is usually a short line or a paragraph mark.
Press the Delete key to delete and the horizontal line disappears. If you delete by mistake, press Ctrl+Z immediately to undo.
Close the footnote pane and return to the page to check whether there is still a line above the footnote.

Add back, shorten and top grid: how to change the separator

If you want to add the horizontal line back, also locate the separator content in the footnote pane, and then restore the default format, or re-enter a line at the separator position. After restoration, the horizontal lines will return to Word's default style.

Adjusting length and position mainly depends on paragraph format. There are two common methods:

Shorten horizontal lines: The length of the line is related to the width of the paragraph. In the paragraph where the separator is located, increasing the right indent will make the line shorter; decreasing the right indent will make the line longer. Be careful to only change this paragraph, and do not touch the footnote text paragraph.
Make horizontal lines top: In delimited paragraphs, set both the left indent and the first line indent to 0. The line will start from the left edge of the center of the page and be left aligned with the text.

If the line is composed of underline characters, increasing or decreasing the number of characters can also change the length. However, the effect of this method varies greatly under different font sizes. It is recommended to use paragraph indent adjustment first.

Check each item after completion

After making changes, don’t just read one page. It is recommended to check according to the table.

Check items	How to see	What should you do if there's a problem?
Check whether the horizontal lines have been deleted or reinstated	Go back to page view, scroll to the page with footnotes, and look at the top of the footnotes	Go back to the footnotes pane and select the footnote separator again, then check again
Check if the length is appropriate	Compare with other footnote pages and look at the left and right endpoints of the line	Adjust the right indentation of the delimiter paragraph, changing it slightly each time until it matches the template
Is it top-tier?	Check whether the left end of the line aligns with the left boundary of the main text	Set the left indentation and first-line indentation of the delimiter paragraph to 0
Whether the main text of the footnotes has been affected	Check the font size, position, and numbering of the footnote text	If the main text of the footnote also changes, after retraction, only the delimiter section will be updated
Section and page breaks	Browse footnotes for different sections and spreads	If sections are inconsistent, check section by section and standardize the format

How should the funding project and corresponding author be written in the footnotes on the first page of a paper?

Many journals require funding projects, corresponding authors, and author biographies to be included in footnotes on their homepage. The way to write these footnotes and adjust the horizontal lines are two different things, but they often come together.

Use footnotes to indicate authors or titles. Insert a footnote after the author's name or title, and specify the funding project or corresponding author information.
Numbering format follows the template. Common examples include numeric numbers, asterisks (*), or other symbols. If the template specifies an asterisk to mark the corresponding author, select the corresponding symbol in the footnote numbering format.
Keep formatting consistent. Multiple footnotes on the same page should use the same font size and paragraph format, avoiding one with a larger font size and one with a smaller font size.
Pay attention to journal requirements. Some journals require the corresponding author's email address to be listed separately, while others require the funding project to be placed below the title page. Before writing, check the submission guidelines.

📝 Summary

The horizontal line above the footnote is the "footnote separator," which should be handled in the footnotes pane of the normal view. Deleting, reinstating, shortening, and padding are not complicated; the key is to change the delimiter paragraph rather than the main text. After making corrections, check each item according to the table and compare with the template requirements to obtain standardized footnotes.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Will the main text be affected after removing the horizontal footnote lines?

Generally not. The footnote separator only affects the line above the footnote area; the main text paragraphs and page numbers will not be changed because of this. If you find the main text has also changed, it's most likely because you chose the wrong content. Just undo it and redo it.

2. Why did I delete the blank, and then it appeared again after a while?

There are two common reasons: first, the document is divided into sections, while the footnotes in another section retain the original separator; Second, template styles are reapplied when opened or saved. Check section by section during segmentation and confirm whether the template has a forced separator format.

3. How to handle the horizontal lines in endnotes?

For the endnote, find the endnote separator in the endnotes pane and process it; the operation method is basically the same as for footnotes. Note that footnotes and endnotes are two separate settings; changing one won't affect the other.

4. What symbol is most appropriate for the fund project and corresponding author to be placed in the footnotes?

There is no unified answer; it depends on the template requirements of the journal or school. If not required, it is recommended to use a single numbering symbol on the same page and keep the font size consistent to avoid layout confusion.

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