Office for Mac Issues

Fix Cannot Copy Footnote or Endnote References in Word for Mac

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are unable to successfully copy and paste text that includes footnote or endnote references within the application.

Product: Microsoft Word for Mac
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Attempting to copy and paste text containing footnote or endnote references after upgrading to a new Mac, newer macOS, or updating the Office suite.
Observed behavior: The pasted text drops the footnote or endnote reference markers entirely, failing to duplicate them as expected.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, check your exact Word version by navigating to Word > About Microsoft Word, and mentally note if this issue began immediately following a recent system or software update.

Solution 1Recommended

Test Copying Footnotes in a New Document

Determine if the copying issue is isolated to a specific corrupted document or if it affects the entire Word application.

Sometimes, older documents or files migrated from a previous device contain hidden formatting conflicts that prevent footnotes from copying properly. Testing in a fresh environment helps narrow down the cause.

Create a new document

Open Microsoft Word for Mac and go to File > New Document to open a blank file.

Insert a test footnote

Type some sample text, then go to Insert > Footnote to add a reference.

Copy and paste

Highlight the text including the newly created footnote number, press Cmd+C to copy, and press Cmd+V to paste it elsewhere in the document.

Check the results

If the footnote pastes correctly here, your original document may be corrupted. If it still fails, the issue lies within the Word application itself.

Document Corruption: If only one specific file is affected, try copying its entire contents (excluding the final paragraph mark) into a new document to clear the corruption.

Solution 2

Revert to an Earlier Version of Microsoft 365

Roll back to a previous build of Microsoft Word if the footnote bug was introduced in a recent update.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office to Seamlessly Manage Footnotes on Mac

If Microsoft Word for Mac continues to struggle with copying footnotes after an update, try WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free alternative that perfectly handles complex Word document formatting, including citations, footnotes, and endnotes without glitches.

1. Download WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office for Mac from the official website.
2. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open the .docx file containing your footnotes.
3. Copy the text: Select the text and the footnote reference marker you wish to duplicate.
4. Paste securely: Paste the content anywhere in your document; WPS will automatically preserve the footnote formatting and update the numbering.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) file formats.Seamlessly copy, paste, and manage footnotes and endnotes without losing reference links.Lightweight, fast, and fully optimized for macOS.Free to use with a familiar, easy-to-navigate interface.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my footnote references disappear when pasting in Word for Mac?

This can happen due to document corruption, incompatible formatting options during the paste action, or unresolved bugs introduced in recent Microsoft Office or macOS updates.

Does changing the paste option help retain footnotes?

Yes, clicking the small clipboard icon that appears after pasting and selecting 'Keep Source Formatting' can sometimes force Word to retain the footnote reference instead of stripping it out.

Can I open my Word document in another program without losing my footnotes?

Absolutely. Modern alternatives like WPS Office are highly compatible with .docx formats and will preserve all your existing footnotes, endnotes, and citations when you open the file.

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