How to Convert Footnotes and Endnotes in Word

In Word, you can convert footnotes and endnotes together through References → Footnote and Endnote dialog → Convert. Footnotes appear at the bottom of a page; endnotes appear at the end of the document or section. For just a few notes, use the individual note’s conversion command.

This guide covers the desktop version of Word for Windows. Menu names and positions can differ between versions.

Convert all footnotes or endnotes

1. Save the document. On References, open the dialog launcher in the Footnotes group. You can also reach the settings by right-clicking in a note area.
2. Choose Convert in the Footnote and Endnote dialog.
3. Select the conversion direction you need, then confirm it.

Check that each reference mark in the body is still connected to its explanation. Moving notes can change pagination and document length. If endnotes should appear at a section end rather than the document end, check the location setting in the same dialog.

Convert individual notes

Right-click in the explanation of the note you want to change, then choose Convert to Endnote or Convert to Footnote. Avoid selecting an all-notes conversion when you only want to change one or two items. If you convert the wrong range, press Ctrl+Z and check the target again.

A note consists of a reference mark linked to its explanation. Using Word’s conversion feature is preferable to manually cutting and pasting the explanation because it helps preserve that relationship.