Easy Guide to Add Footnotes in Google Docs: 4 Steps

Published
February 3, 2024
LAST UPDATED
January 7, 2025
TL;DR

Insert a footnote by clicking Insert, then Footnote in the menu.

By the way, we're Bardeen, we build a free AI Agent for doing repetitive tasks.

If you work with Google Docs, you might love our AI Agent. It can help automate repetitive tasks, saving you time and effort.

How to Add Footnotes in Google Docs

To add footnotes in Google Docs, first place your cursor at the point in the document where you want the footnote to appear. Then, navigate to the toolbar at the top of the document, select 'Insert', and choose 'Footnote'. This action will automatically insert a superscript number at the cursor's location and create a corresponding footnote at the bottom of the page. You can then type your footnote text in the space provided at the bottom. This method works both on the web version of Google Docs and in the Google Docs mobile app.

How to Add Chicago Style Footnotes in Google Docs

For adding Chicago style footnotes in Google Docs, you can utilize the Explore feature. Access the Explore sidebar by clicking the Explore icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen or by selecting 'Tools' > 'Explore' in a Google Doc. Enter the source information or paste the URL in the Explore search box. Choose the citation format by selecting the three-vertical-dot menu in the Explore panel, then pick Chicago style. Place your cursor where the footnote should be inserted, hover over the desired source in the Explore panel, and click the quotation mark icon to insert a Chicago style footnote.

How to Add Multiple Footnotes in Google Docs

To add multiple footnotes in Google Docs, repeat the process of inserting a single footnote for each new reference or comment. Google Docs automatically numbers the footnotes in sequence. If you need to reference the same footnote multiple times, Google Docs does not support this feature directly. However, you can manually add a superscript number by selecting 'Format' > 'Text' > 'Superscript' and typing the number of the existing footnote. Note that this manual superscript will not automatically update if the numbering of the original footnote changes.

How to Add Footnotes in Google Docs App

To add footnotes using the Google Docs app on a mobile device, tap to place your cursor where you want the footnote. Then, tap the '+' icon near the top of the screen to access the 'Insert' menu. Scroll through the menu items and tap 'Footnote'. Type your footnote text in the provided space. This process is similar for both Android and iOS versions of the Google Docs app.

Unlock Google Docs and Sheets Efficiency with Bardeen

While adding footnotes in Google Docs can significantly enhance your documents by providing additional context or references, automating tasks related to Google Docs can vastly improve your productivity and streamline your workflow. Bardeen offers a range of automations that can help you manage your documents more efficiently, especially when it involves integrating with Google Sheets.

Here are some examples of how Bardeen can automate tasks involving Google Docs and Google Sheets:

  1. Get a summary of the current page using OpenAI and save it to Google Docs: This playbook automatically summarizes the content of a webpage using OpenAI's powerful natural language processing capabilities and saves the summary directly into a Google Doc. This is particularly useful for researchers, students, and professionals who need to quickly capture and document key information from various online sources.
  2. Save ChatGPT transcript to Google Docs: Capture insightful conversations with ChatGPT and automatically save them to Google Docs for future reference or analysis. This playbook is ideal for keeping a record of AI-generated ideas, advice, or research findings.
  3. Create and open a new Google Doc for the next event including the event details: Seamlessly integrate your Google Calendar with Google Docs by automatically creating a document for your next scheduled event, complete with all relevant details at the top. This automation ensures you're always prepared for upcoming meetings or events with all necessary information readily available.

Jason Gong

Jason is the Head of Growth at Bardeen. As a previous YC founder and early growth hire at Kite and Affirm, he is an expert on scaling high-leverage sales, marketing, and GTM tactics across multiple channels with automation. The same type of automation Bardeen is now innovating with AI. He lives in Oakland with his family and enjoys hikes, tennis, golf, and anything that can tire out his dog Orca.

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