Formatting Issues

How to Fix Duplicate Figure Captions in Word Table of Figures

Huda Qurayshi Oct 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user's table of figures contains duplicate caption entries, often caused by figures and captions placed inside text boxes.

How to Fix Duplicate Figure Captions in Word Table of Figures

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Generating a Table of Figures for a document with multiple images and captions.
Observed behavior: Figure captions appear multiple times or show duplicate, sometimes hidden, entries in the generated Table of Figures.

Before you start

Ensure Track Changes is turned off or all document changes are resolved, as tracked modifications to captions can sometimes appear as duplicate entries in the generated table.

Solution 1Recommended

Locate and Delete Hidden Duplicate Captions

Identify and remove duplicate text boxes or overlapping anchors that are hiding extra captions.

When figures and captions are copied inside text boxes, duplicates can become hidden behind other elements. Word still detects these hidden captions and adds them to your table of figures.

Locate the duplicate

Press the Ctrl key and click on the duplicate entry directly within the Table of Figures to navigate to its source in the document.

Open the Selection Pane

Go to the 'Home' tab, click on 'Select' in the Editing group, and choose 'Selection Pane' to view all objects on the current page.

Identify hidden text boxes

Use the Selection Pane list to identify any hidden, overlapping, or extra text boxes containing duplicate captions.

Delete the duplicate

Select the extra caption text box from the pane and press the Delete key to remove it.

Update the table

Right-click the Table of Figures and select 'Update Field' to refresh the list and remove the duplicated entries.

Locate and Delete Hidden Duplicate Captions

Solution 2

Create and Apply a Custom Caption Style

Use a specific text style exclusively for figure captions to prevent Word from pulling unrelated or duplicated text.

Solution 3

Format Figures as 'In Line with Text'

Avoid text box anchor issues altogether by placing figures inline and linking them to their captions via paragraph settings.

Manage Documents Easily with WPS

Easily Manage Figures and Captions in WPS Writer

WPS Office offers an intuitive way to manage figure captions and generate accurate tables of figures without the hassle of overlapping anchors. It works flawlessly with complex documents and preserves compatibility with Microsoft formats.

1. Insert Figure: Open your document in WPS Writer and insert your image natively without relying on text boxes.
2. Add Caption: Right-click the image, select 'Insert Caption', and choose 'Figure' as your desired label.
3. Generate Table: Navigate to the 'References' tab and click 'Insert Table of Figures' to automatically generate an accurate list.
4. Update Easily: Right-click the generated table at any time and click 'Update Field' to reflect any additions or removals.

Free and lightweight office suiteFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsIntuitive interface for managing references and captionsStable text wrapping and anchor positioning

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do figures inside text boxes cause duplicate captions?

When you copy and paste text boxes containing both figures and captions, the duplicated captions can become visually hidden or overlap with existing anchors. The document's Table of Figures scanner detects all instances of the caption formatting, even if they are hidden on the page.

How do I update my Table of Figures after deleting duplicate captions?

Right-click anywhere inside the generated Table of Figures and select 'Update Field'. Choose 'Update entire table' if prompted. This will refresh the list and ensure the deleted duplicates are removed from the view.

Does turning on Track Changes affect the Table of Figures?

Yes. If you delete or modify captions while Track Changes is enabled, the word processor may still read the tracked deletions as existing captions. You must accept or reject the document changes to remove them permanently from the generated table.

Can I build a Table of Figures from a specific heading style instead of default captions?

Yes. When inserting the Table of Figures, click 'Options', check the 'Style' box, and select any custom style you have applied to your figures. The generated table will only pull text formatted with that exact style.

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