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How to insert the footnotes into the document on onedrive

Faraway 0 Reputation points
2026-04-25T17:43:13.94+00:00

The auto format for the footnotes is that they are hidden and therefore not inside the document, or counted in the page layout. I therefore don't have an authentic page count. There is no way of inserting them. Can anyone please help?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For education | Other
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  1. Kai-L 13,705 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-25T19:17:54.35+00:00

    Dear @Faraway,

    Good day, and I appreciate the detailed description of your issue. From your description and my research, you're using Word for the web (the online version stored on OneDrive), which has very limited support for footnotes compared to the desktop version of Word).

    In Word for the web:

    • Footnotes are not displayed at the bottom of each page while you're in Editing mode.
    • They appear in a separate pane only when you click the footnote number
    • They do not contribute to the on-screen page layout or page count in Editing view.
    • Page numbers and layout are simplified in the web version.

    This is normal behavior for Word Online.

    To Insert Footnotes in Word for the web:

    1. Open your document on OneDrive (in Word for the web).
    2. Place your cursor where you want the footnote reference number to appear.
    3. Go to the References tab in the top ribbon.
    4. Click Insert Footnote.
    5. Type your footnote text in the pane that appears.

    The superscript number will appear in the text, and the footnote content will be stored (but hidden in Editing mode)

    To View Footnotes Properly:

    Switch to Reading mode:

    • Click View > Reading View 
    • In Reading View, footnotes should appear at the bottom of the pages, and the page count becomes more accurate.

    However, even in Reading View, the page layout in Word for the web is not as precise as in the desktop app.

    Since you need an authentic page count that includes footnotes (as they would appear when printed or in a final document), do this:

    Open the document in the desktop version of Word:

    • In Word for the web, click Editing > Open in Desktop (top right).
    • Or open the file directly from OneDrive using the full Microsoft Word desktop application.

    In the desktop Word:

    • Make sure you're in Print Layout view (View tab > Print Layout).
    • Footnotes will now appear at the bottom of each page.
    • The page count will be accurate.

    After editing in desktop Word, save the file, it will sync back to OneDrive.

    I hope this information helps clarify the situation and provides you with workable solutions. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm always here to help. Have a wonderful day! 


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