How to Remove Footnotes and Endnotes in Word

Footnotes and endnotes in a Word document are useful entries for explanations and comments. However, the information may be trivial or even useless in some cases, especially when you have inherited the document from others and need to edit and update the notes.

In such cases, it may make more sense to start afresh after removing all the footnotes and endnotes.

In a large document with many entries, removing the notes individually may be a tedious exercise.

Word allows removing footnotes and endnotes individually, as well as collectively. We will explain all the methods for removing footnotes and endnotes:

  • Individually by selecting the reference number
  • Individually remove a specific footnote or endnote
  • Individually from menus
  • Collectively by using Find and Replace

Let us begin.


Method #1: Remove footnote or endnote individually by selecting its reference number

Step #1: Open Word document

Open the document with footnotes and endnotes.

Step #2: Select the desired reference number

Position the cursor before the reference number of the footnote or endnote that you want to remove. Press the Delete button on your keyboard. Word selects the reference number next to the cursor.

Step #3: Delete the specific footnote or endnote

Press the Delete button a second time, and Word deletes the reference number and its related footnote or endnote. Word also updates the other footnote and/or endnote numbers.

Repeat steps #2 and #3 to remove any other footnote or endnote.


Method #2: Remove a specific footnote or endnote

Step #1: Open Word document

Open the document with footnotes and endnotes.

Step #2: Go to the specific footnote or endnote

Place the cursor anywhere within the footnote or endnote you want to remove.

Step #3: Go to the reference number

Right click on the footnote. In the menu that opens click on Go to Footnote. If you right click on an endnote, in the menu that opens, click on Go to Endnote. Word will take you to the corresponding reference number in the text.

Step #4: Remove the footnote or endnote

Press the Delete button on your keyboard twice. The first time you press the Delete button, Word will select the reference number next to the cursor. The second time you press Delete, Word will remove the reference number and the note. Word will also automatically renumber the remaining notes.

Repeat steps #3 and #4 to remove any other footnote or endnote.


Method #3: Individually using menus

Step #1: Open Word document

Open the document with footnotes and endnotes. Place the cursor at the start of the document.

Step #2: Reference the next footnote or endnote

Click on the References tab on the top menu bar to change the ribbon. Within the Footnotes section, click on the small triangle next to Next Footnote. In the menu that drops, click on Next Footnote or Next Endnote. Word will move the cursor to the reference number of the first footnote or endnote available after the cursor.

Step #3: Delete the reference number and the footnote or endnote.

Press the delete button on your keyboard twice to remove the reference number and the footnote. Word will renumber the remaining notes. Repeat steps #2 and #3 for removing any other footnote or endnote.


Method #4: Use Find and Replace to collectively remove footnotes and endnotes

Step #1: Open Word document

Open the document with footnotes and endnotes. Place the cursor at the start of the document.

Step #2: Open the Find and Replace Dialog

Click on the Home tab on the menu bar on top to change the ribbon. Click on Replace on the right side of the ribbon to open the Find and Replace dialog. You can also reach this dialog by pressing Ctrl+H on your keyboard.

Step #3: Enlarge the Find and Replace Dialog

Click on the More tab at the bottom of the dialog to enlarge it. Click on Find and then on Special to open a list of choices.

Step #4: For footnotes only—Select Footnote Mark

  1. Within the Special choices, click on Footnote Mark, and Word will insert a ^f in the blank space in front of Find what.
  2. Leave the Replace with space as blank.
  3. Click on the Replace tab on top, and then on Replace All.
  4. Word will provide feedback on how many replacements it has made. As the Replace with space was blank, Word has essentially removed all the footnotes.
  5. Click on Ok to close the feedback.
  6. Click on Close to close the Find and Replace dialog.

Step #5: For endnotes only—Select Endnote Mark

Within the Special choices, click on Endnote Mark, and Word will insert a ^e in the blank space in front of Find what [1]. Leave the Replace with space as blank [2]. Click on the Replace tab on top [3], and then on Replace All [4]. Word will provide feedback on how many replacements it has made. As the Replace with space was blank, Word has essentially removed all the endnotes. Click on Ok [5] to close the feedback. Click on Close [6] to close the Find and Replace dialog.


Conclusion

Removing footnotes and endnotes is easy if you follow our step-by-step instructions above.

You may remove them individually or collectively according to your requirement, and we have explained all the methods in detail.

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