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How to Add Footnotes in Google Docs

Discover how easy it is to footnote

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 25, 2021 Reviewed by Ryan Perian Reviewed by Ryan Perian Western Governors University Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Google Apps Docs Sheets Slides

What to Know

Online: Put the cursor where you want the footnote. Go to Insert > Footnote, and then type the footnote information.Mobile: Tap where you want the footnote. Tap the plus sign > Footnote > enter the footnote text. This article covers how to add footnotes to Google Docs (online and mobile versions) semi-manually by having Google Docs give you the number and space for writing the footnote, or you can auto-insert it, complete with the correct formatting style (MLA, APA, or Chicago).

How to Add a Footnote in Google Docs

Footnotes provide more information about a particular part of the text, like a citation or additional details, without clogging up the body text. One way is from the desktop website, through the Insert menu if you want complete control over what to include in the note. Put the cursor exactly where you want the footnote to go. This is where the number will appear. Open the Insert menu and select Footnote. You'll end up at the bottom of the page, and the footnote number should appear. Type the footnote information. To remove a footnote, delete the number in the text. It will automatically get deleted from the bottom of the page and adjust all the other footnotes, so they're in order. Here's how it works from the mobile app on Android, iOS, and iPadOS: Tap exactly where you want the footnote number to go. Select the plus sign at the top and choose Footnote from that menu. Enter the footnote text. Zoom out and tap the checkmark if you're done editing.

How to Add a Properly Formatted Footnote

If your footnotes need to abide by a certain formatting style, the Google Docs website has a built-in option to not only do that but also grab the URL you need for the citation. Select an area of the text where you want the footnote to go. Select the Explore button (the star-looking icon) at the bottom right. Enter a link or keywords to search for whatever you're using as a citation source. Hover your mouse over the result, and then select the quote icon to the right. This is where you can change the formatting style. Select the three dots to choose from MLA, APA, or Chicago. Google Docs will automatically insert the number in the text and the citation in the footnote. You can edit it as needed.

How to Install Citation Apps

Google Docs can only do so much, but that's why the desktop site has built-in support for add-ons. Add-ons can provide additional features like other ways to add references and more formatting styles. Open the Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons menu item. Select the search bar and enter footnote or citation to find add-ons. Select an add-on to get to the download page, and then choose Install followed by Continue. Here are some suggestions: Endnote Generator converts your footnotes into endnotes so that they're added to the end of the document.EasyBib provides a bibliography citation generator and tons of formatting styles.Paperpile supports in-text citations and footnotes. Log in to your Google account if asked and accept any permission prompts (be sure to read them). Select Done on the installation confirmation page and then exit the add-on gallery. Open the Extensions menu again to access the app you just installed. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Use APA Format in Google Docs How to Make a Divide Sign on a Keyboard How to Do a Hanging Indent in Google Slides How to Link Slides in Google Slides How to Add Accents in Google Docs How to Make a Checklist in Google Docs How to Change a Google Docs Background to a Picture How to Create a PowerPoint Footnote How to Check for Plagiarism in Google Docs How to Do a Block Quote in Google Docs How to Add a Border in Google Docs How to Highlight and Find Duplicates in Google Sheets How to Add a Hyperlink in a Google Doc How to Insert a Signature in Google Docs Inserting Footnotes in a Word Document How to Remove Header in Google Docs Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies