You have a Word document filled with footnotes placed at the bottom of each page, but you now need them moved to the end of the document as endnotes. Word does not offer a one-click convert button in the ribbon, which often leaves users manually cutting and pasting each note. This article explains the built-in method to convert all footnotes to endnotes at once using the Replace function and the Footnote and Endnote dialog box. You will learn the exact steps to complete this conversion in seconds.
Key Takeaways: Convert Footnotes to Endnotes in Seconds
- References tab > Footnotes group > Dialog launcher: Opens the Footnote and Endnote dialog where the Convert button is located.
- Convert button in the Footnote and Endnote dialog: Changes all footnotes to endnotes or vice versa with one click.
- No manual cut-and-paste needed: The conversion preserves numbering, formatting, and references throughout the document.
Understanding the Footnote and Endnote Conversion Feature
Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page containing the reference mark. Endnotes appear at the end of the document or section. Word stores both types in a single notes pane, and the conversion tool simply changes the placement and numbering scheme.
The conversion feature is part of the Footnote and Endnote dialog box. It does not alter the text content, formatting, or the reference marks in the main body. It renumbers the notes according to the endnote numbering settings you have configured.
Before converting, decide where you want the endnotes to appear. You can place them at the end of the document or at the end of each section. The conversion respects the section break placement if you have multiple sections. You can also choose a custom number format or symbol for the endnotes before or after the conversion.
No special add-ins or third-party tools are required. The feature works in Word 2010, Word 2013, Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 2021, and Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac.
Steps to Convert All Footnotes to Endnotes in Word
- Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog
Click the References tab on the ribbon. In the Footnotes group, click the small dialog launcher arrow in the bottom-right corner. This opens the Footnote and Endnote dialog box. - Locate the Convert button
In the dialog, look near the bottom for a button labeled Convert. It is positioned below the Location options and above the Apply changes section. - Click the Convert button
Word displays a small pop-up with three options: Convert all footnotes to endnotes, Convert all endnotes to footnotes, and Swap footnotes and endnotes. Select the first option: Convert all footnotes to endnotes. - Confirm the conversion
Click OK in the pop-up. Then click Close in the Footnote and Endnote dialog. Word immediately converts every footnote in the document to an endnote. The reference marks in the main body remain in place, but the note text moves to the end of the document. - Verify the result
Scroll to the end of the document to see the endnotes section. Each note now has an endnote number instead of a footnote number. If you use section breaks, the endnotes may appear at the end of each section depending on your settings. To change this, reopen the Footnote and Endnote dialog and set Endnotes to End of document or End of section.
Alternative Method: Using the Replace Feature for Selective Conversion
If you only want to convert specific footnotes rather than all of them, you cannot use the Convert button. Instead, you must manually cut each footnote and paste it as an endnote. To do this, right-click the footnote text at the bottom of the page, select Cut, then navigate to the end of the document, right-click, and choose Paste as Endnote. Repeat for each footnote. This method is time-consuming for long documents.
Common Issues After Converting Footnotes to Endnotes
Endnotes Appear in the Wrong Location
After conversion, endnotes may appear at the end of each section instead of the end of the document. This happens when your document contains section breaks and the endnote location is set to End of section. To fix this, open the Footnote and Endnote dialog, set Endnotes to End of document, and click Apply. Word moves all endnotes to the final page.
Numbering Restarts or Becomes Incorrect
If your footnotes used custom numbering or symbols, the conversion may reset the numbering to the default endnote format. To adjust numbering, open the Footnote and Endnote dialog, choose the Number format drop-down list, and select your preferred style. You can also set Start at to a specific number and choose Continuous or Restart each section under Numbering.
Text Formatting Is Lost
The conversion preserves basic text formatting such as bold, italic, and font size. However, if you applied paragraph-level formatting like indentation or spacing to the footnotes, those settings may not carry over to the endnotes. To fix this, select all endnote text at the end of the document and apply the desired formatting using the Home tab. You can also modify the Endnote Text style by right-clicking it in the Styles gallery and selecting Modify.
Word Does Not Show the Convert Button
If the Convert button is grayed out or missing, the document is likely in a view that does not support footnotes, such as Draft or Outline view. Switch to Print Layout view by clicking the Print Layout button in the status bar or going to View > Print Layout. Also, ensure that the document is not protected or restricted. If the document is read-only, save a copy and convert that copy.
Footnote to Endnote Conversion: Before and After Comparison
| Item | Before Conversion (Footnotes) | After Conversion (Endnotes) |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Bottom of each page | End of document or section |
| Reference mark in body | Superscript number or symbol | Same superscript number or symbol retained |
| Numbering behavior | Restarts per page or is continuous | Continuous or restarts per section |
| Number format | 1, 2, 3 or custom symbols | Can be changed to i, ii, iii or any format |
| Conversion method | Manual cut/paste per note | One-click Convert button in dialog |
| Supports section breaks | Yes, footnotes appear per section | Yes, endnotes appear per section if configured |
After converting, you can further customize endnote appearance by modifying the Endnote Reference style for the superscript numbers in the body and the Endnote Text style for the notes themselves. Use the Styles pane to make global changes quickly.
The Convert button also works in reverse: you can convert all endnotes back to footnotes with the same dialog. This is useful when you need to change the document format for a specific submission guideline or publication requirement.
For documents with mixed footnotes and endnotes, the Swap option exchanges all footnotes for endnotes and all endnotes for footnotes simultaneously. This is helpful when you want to switch the placement of both note types in one action.