Formatting Issues

How to Remove the Blank Line Below a Footnote Separator in Word

Chanuka Geekiyanage Oct 15, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to remove or hide the extra blank line that appears underneath the footnote or endnote separator in a document.

How to Remove the Blank Line Below a Word Footnote Separator

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Formatting a document with footnotes and noticing unwanted extra space below the separator line that divides the main text from the footnotes.
Observed behavior: A persistent paragraph mark remains below the footnote separator and cannot be deleted using the backspace or delete keys, resulting in an unwanted blank line.

Before you start

Ensure you turn on the 'Show/Hide ¶' feature in the Home tab so that hidden paragraph marks become visible before you attempt to edit the footnote separator area.

Solution 1Recommended

Minimize the Blank Line by Reducing Font Size

Since Microsoft Word requires at least one paragraph mark to anchor the separator and it cannot be deleted, you can effectively hide the blank line by reducing the font size of the paragraph mark to the minimum allowed size of 1 point.

The paragraph mark below the footnote separator is a hardcoded formatting requirement in Microsoft Word. Attempting to delete it will not work.

By shrinking the paragraph mark to 1 point, the line takes up virtually no vertical space, making it invisible to the reader and fixing the document's layout.

Switch to Draft View

Open your document, navigate to the 'View' tab on the top ribbon, and select 'Draft' from the Views group.

Open the Footnotes Pane

Go to the 'References' tab and click on 'Show Notes' in the Footnotes group. If prompted, select 'View footnote area' and click OK.

Select the Footnote Separator

A Footnotes pane will appear at the bottom of your screen. Click the drop-down menu at the top of this pane and choose 'Footnote Separator'.

Reduce the Font Size to 1 Point

Highlight the paragraph mark (¶) located immediately below the separator line. Go to the 'Home' tab, click inside the Font Size box, type '1', and press Enter.

Return to Print Layout

Navigate back to the 'View' tab and select 'Print Layout' to view your document normally. The unwanted blank line should now be virtually invisible.

Minimize the Blank Line by Reducing Font Size

Formatting Saved: This font size adjustment will only affect the specific separator paragraph mark and will not alter the formatting or text size of your actual footnotes.

Professional Document Formatting

Easily Manage Footnotes and Formatting in WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers an intuitive interface for managing footnotes and endnotes. If you need to refine your document's layout and customize footnote separators without hidden formatting hurdles, WPS Writer provides all the necessary tools to achieve a clean, professional look.

1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your document in the WPS Writer application.
2. Insert a Footnote: Navigate to the 'References' tab on the ribbon and click on 'Insert Footnote' to add a note to your text.
3. Adjust Footnote Settings: Click the small dialog box launcher icon in the Footnotes group to customize the layout, number format, and application scope of your footnotes.
4. Refine Line Spacing: Use the 'Home' tab to finely adjust line spacing and font sizes for your footnote text, ensuring a perfectly formatted page without unnecessary blank lines.

Precise control over footnote and endnote separatorsFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsUser-friendly interface for seamless document editingFree and lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I simply delete the paragraph mark below the footnote separator?

Microsoft Word uses that specific paragraph mark to anchor the footnote separator line to the document's layout. Because it acts as a structural placeholder for the separator, the software prevents it from being deleted.

Does this font size trick work for Endnote separators as well?

Yes, the exact same method applies to endnotes. When you open the Notes pane in Draft view, simply select 'Endnote Separator' from the drop-down menu instead of 'Footnote Separator' and change the paragraph mark's font size to 1 point.

Will reducing the paragraph mark size affect the spacing of the footnotes themselves?

No. Changing the font size of the separator's paragraph mark only affects that specific line. The spacing and font size of the actual footnote text will remain exactly as you originally formatted them.

Document & File Issues