Formatting Issues

How to Fix Corrupted or Misnumbered Endnotes in Word for Mac

Adam Davis Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are experiencing corrupted, out-of-order, or disconnected endnotes in their documents.

How to Fix Corrupted or Misnumbered Endnotes in Word for Mac

Product: Microsoft Word for Mac
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Editing a document with multiple endnotes where one or more endnotes have been improperly removed.
Observed behavior: Endnotes appear corrupted, lack screen tips, or link reference numbers to the wrong endnote text, causing the sequential numbering to go out of order.

Before you start

Before making changes, click the 'Show/Hide ¶' button on your Home tab to easily spot hidden formatting marks and stranded endnote reference numbers in your document.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove the Stranded Endnote Reference Number

The best way to fix corrupted endnote numbering is to locate and delete the disconnected reference number in the main document body, forcing Word to update the sequence.

When an endnote's text is deleted from the bottom of the document instead of its superscript reference number in the main text, the numbering sequence breaks. Removing the stranded number restores the correct links.

Locate the stranded reference

Scroll through your document text to locate the incorrectly numbered superscript endnote reference that corresponds to the corrupted endnote.

Select the reference number

Carefully highlight the superscript number in the main body of the text using your cursor.

Delete the reference

Press the 'Delete' or 'Backspace' key on your Mac keyboard to completely remove the reference number from the text.

Verify the numbering

Check your endnotes section at the end of the document to verify that the sequential numbering has automatically updated and the corruption is resolved.

Remove the Stranded Endnote Reference Number

Tip for finding endnote references: You can use the 'Advanced Find' tool (Cmd + F) and search for the special character '^e' to quickly jump between endnote references in your document.

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1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office for Mac from the official website.
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3. Manage your endnotes: Navigate to the 'References' tab to easily insert, edit, or safely delete endnotes without risking numbering corruption.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my endnote numbering suddenly go out of order?

This usually happens if you delete the endnote text at the bottom of the document instead of deleting the superscript reference number in the main text body. The system still registers the stranded reference, throwing off the sequential numbering.

How can I safely delete an endnote without corrupting the document?

To safely delete an endnote, always highlight and delete the superscript reference number in the main text of your document. The word processor will automatically remove the corresponding endnote text at the bottom and renumber the remaining endnotes.

Can I convert all my endnotes to footnotes to reset the numbering?

Yes. If the endnotes remain corrupted, you can go to the References tab, open the Footnotes and Endnotes dialog box, and click 'Convert' to change all endnotes to footnotes. This process often forces the numbering sequence to reset and corrects any hidden linking errors.

Document & File Issues