How to Fix Incorrect Footnote Numbering After Word Section Breaks
Question details
Footnotes restart incorrectly in the middle of a chapter when an extra section break is used to format the first page.
- Product
- Word 2021
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Formatting chapter layouts with specific first-page designs and configuring footnotes to restart numbering per chapter.
- Observed behavior
- Because an extra section break was inserted after the first page to control the layout, footnotes incorrectly restart from the second page of the chapter onwards.
Turn on paragraph marks (often a ¶ icon on the Home tab) so you can clearly see where your section breaks are located in the document.
Consolidate Section Breaks and Use Layout Settings
Replace the extra section break with page layout options like 'Different First Page' and 'Spacing Before' to maintain your design while keeping the entire chapter within a single section.
When footnotes are set to restart at each section, any section break will trigger a numbering reset. Using a section break purely to change the top margin or header of a chapter's first page fragments the chapter into multiple sections.
By relying on built-in paragraph spacing and header settings instead, you can safely remove the mid-chapter section break.
Locate the section break immediately following the first page of your chapter. Place your cursor before it and press Delete. Your chapter should now be contained within a single section.
Double-click the header area of your first page. In the Header & Footer menu that appears, check the box for 'Different First Page'. This allows you to create a unique header or footer layout for the beginning of the chapter.
If you used the previous section break to push the chapter title down, select the first heading instead. Right-click, select Paragraph, and increase the 'Spacing Before' value to create a larger top margin.
Go to the References tab, click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Footnotes group, and set Numbering to 'Restart each section'. Click Apply.
Easily Manage Footnotes and Layouts with WPS Writer
WPS Writer offers intuitive page layout tools that let you easily set up 'Different First Page' designs and manage complex footnote numbering without confusing section breaks.
- 1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your .docx file. Click the 'Show/Hide Editing Marks' button on the Home tab to reveal section breaks.
- 2. Adjust layout settings: Double-click the header area and check 'Different First Page Header' in the ribbon. Delete any unnecessary section breaks inside the chapter.
- 3. Configure footnotes: Navigate to the References tab, click the Settings icon in the Footnotes section, and select 'Restart each section' from the numbering dropdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my footnotes restart at 1 on every single page?
Your footnote settings might be configured to 'Restart each page'. Go to the Footnote and Endnote dialog box in the References tab and change the Numbering setting to either 'Continuous' or 'Restart each section'.
How do I safely delete a section break without ruining my formatting?
Switching to Draft view makes section breaks easier to see. Keep in mind that when you delete a section break, the text before it inherits the formatting (like headers and margins) of the section that followed it. You may need to reapply your desired header/footer settings afterward.
Can I have continuous footnote numbering across multiple chapters even if I use section breaks?
Yes. Open the Footnote and Endnote dialog box, set the Numbering option to 'Continuous' instead of 'Restart each section', and click 'Apply to whole document'. Your footnotes will number sequentially from the beginning to the end of the document regardless of section breaks.
