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How to Fix Extra Spacing Between Footnote Separator and Footnotes in Word
Question details
The user needs to remove unwanted blank space that appears between the footnote separator line and the actual footnote text at the bottom of the document.
- Product
- Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Pasting content into a document can inadvertently alter footnote formatting and insert excessive spacing.
- Observed behavior
- An extra gap appears between the footnote separator line and the footnote list, disrupting the page layout even though the standard footnote paragraph spacing settings appear to be correct.
Before attempting to fix the spacing, navigate to the Home tab and enable 'Show/Hide Formatting Marks' (the paragraph symbol ¶) so you can clearly see any hidden carriage returns causing the gap.
Remove Extra Spacing using Draft View
The most effective way to eliminate this gap is to access and edit the hidden footnote separator formatting options directly in Draft view.
Often, the extra space is attached to the separator line itself rather than the footnotes. Standard Print Layout view does not allow you to select or edit the paragraph marks immediately surrounding the separator line.
Navigate to the 'View' tab on the top ribbon and select 'Draft' from the Views group.
Go to the 'References' tab and click on 'Show Notes'. This will open a split pane at the bottom of your screen displaying your footnotes.
In the footnotes pane, click the drop-down menu that currently says 'All Footnotes' and change it to 'Footnote Separator'.
Look for any extra paragraph marks (¶) below the separator line. Highlight them and press the Delete or Backspace key. Also, right-click the separator line, choose 'Paragraph', and ensure the 'Spacing After' is set to 0 pt.
Once the extra spaces are removed, go back to the 'View' tab and select 'Print Layout' to verify that the footnote spacing is now correct.
Easily Manage Footnotes and Layouts with WPS Writer
WPS Writer offers an intuitive and seamless interface for managing footnotes, endnotes, and complex document layouts. Easily adjust separator lines and fix spacing issues while enjoying full compatibility with Microsoft Word documents.
- 1. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your document containing the footnotes.
- 2. Reveal Formatting Marks: Go to the 'Home' tab and click the 'Show/Hide Editing Marks' icon to reveal hidden paragraph spaces.
- 3. Adjust Footnote Settings: Navigate to the 'References' tab. Click the small settings arrow in the bottom right corner of the Footnotes group to open the Footnote and Endnote dialog box.
- 4. Manage Layout: Use the built-in formatting options to perfectly align your footnotes and eliminate unwanted gaps without needing to switch views.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does extra space suddenly appear above my footnotes?
This typically happens when content is pasted from an external source or another document. The pasted text may carry over hidden paragraph returns or customized line spacing that inadvertently gets applied to the hidden footnote separator.
Does changing the footnote paragraph spacing fix the separator gap?
Not always. If the extra space is attached to the footnote separator itself rather than the actual footnote text, adjusting standard paragraph spacing in the document body or footnote style won't remove the gap. You must edit the separator directly via Draft view.
Can I completely remove the footnote separator line?
Yes. By accessing the 'Footnote Separator' option from the drop-down menu in Draft view's footnote pane, you can simply highlight the separator line and press the Delete key to remove it entirely.
How do I reset the footnote separator to its default settings?
In Draft view, open the footnotes pane and select 'Footnote Separator' from the drop-down menu. Then, click the 'Reset' button located at the top of the footnote pane to restore the default separator line and spacing.
