How to Continue Page Numbers After Endnotes in Word

A bibliography inserted after endnotes often sits in a new Word section. That section can have its own footer settings, so a normal page break is not enough and a new section may restart numbering. Display formatting marks, confirm the break type, and set the bibliography section to continue the previous sequence.

Why the Bibliography Loses the Previous Page Sequence

Headers and footers belong to sections. Link to Previous controls whether a footer uses the previous section’s content, while Format Page Numbers controls whether the numeric sequence continues or restarts. These are related but separate settings, so check both.

Continue Word Page Numbers After the Endnotes

1. Show document structure. On the Home tab, select Show/Hide ¶. Locate the endnotes and the break immediately before the bibliography.
2. Create the bibliography section. Place the cursor before the bibliography heading and choose Layout > Breaks > Next Page under Section Breaks. Remove an extra ordinary page break if it creates a blank page.
3. Open the bibliography footer. Double-click the bottom margin on the first bibliography page. Confirm that Word labels it as a new section.
4. Choose the link behavior. On the Header & Footer tab, enable Link to Previous if the bibliography should share the same footer design. If it needs a different footer, leave the link off but keep the number sequence continuous.
5. Continue the sequence. Select Page Number > Format Page Numbers, keep the required number format, choose Continue from previous section, and select OK. Insert a page-number field if the footer is empty.
6. Verify the layout. Move from the last endnote page to the first bibliography page and confirm that the number increases by one. Check later bibliography pages and update the table of contents if present.

Microsoft’s Link to Previous guidance explains how section headers and footers are connected.

Correct Common Section and Footer Problems

• No number appears: insert Page Number in the bibliography footer; continuing the sequence does not create a missing field.
• The first bibliography page is blank: turn on Show/Hide and remove a redundant Page Break that sits beside the Next Page section break.
• Only odd or even pages differ: inspect the Different Odd & Even Pages setting and edit both footer types.
• The first page behaves differently: check Different First Page and open that first-page footer separately.

Continue Bibliography Page Numbers in WPS Writer

WPS Office Writer can perform this local document-layout task directly and is a free Microsoft Office-compatible option for DOCX documents. Work on a copy so you can compare pagination with the original.

1. Insert a section break. Place the cursor before the bibliography and use the Page Layout section-break control to insert a Next Page section break.
2. Open the bibliography footer. Double-click the footer area on the bibliography page and confirm that you are editing the new section.
3. Connect or separate the footer. Use Same as the previous section when you want the same footer design, or turn it off when the bibliography needs a different design.
4. Continue numbering. Open the page-number settings, choose the option to continue from the previous section, and apply it to the current section.
5. Preview the document. Check the final endnote page, every bibliography page, and the exported PDF to ensure the sequence and footer placement are correct.

WPS Writer uses a familiar ribbon interface and supports common Word document formats. Verify complex fields, citation tools, macros, and publisher-specific formatting before submitting the final document.

Bibliography and Endnote Page Number FAQs

Why does the bibliography page number restart at 1?

The bibliography is in a new section whose page-number format is set to Start at 1. Open its footer, choose Page Number > Format Page Numbers, and select Continue from previous section.

Why is Link to Previous unavailable in the bibliography footer?

Word enables Link to Previous only when a real section break exists before the page. Turn on Home > Show/Hide, confirm a Section Break (Next Page), and make sure you are editing the footer rather than the document body.

Can endnotes stay before the bibliography in Word?

Yes. Endnotes can be placed at the end of a section, followed by a new section for the bibliography. The exact setup depends on whether the endnotes are configured for End of section or End of document.

How do I hide the number on the bibliography’s first page only?

Open the bibliography header or footer and enable Different First Page. Because first-page and regular footers are separate, check both Link to Previous and the page-number field before finalizing the document.