How to Do Footnotes: Chicago Format, Examples and Word Steps

To do footnotes, place a superscript number at the end of the sentence or clause that uses a source, then write a matching note at the bottom of the page with the source's details. In Chicago style, the first note for a source gives full details (author, title, publication facts, page), and later notes use a shortened form. In Word, use References → Insert Footnote; in Google Docs, use Insert → Footnote. Both number and place notes automatically.

All sources in the examples below are fictional.

When footnotes are used

Footnotes are the main citation method in Chicago notes-and-bibliography style, which is common in history, art history, philosophy, theology and some other humanities subjects. They're also used for:

• Content notes: a short explanation or side comment that would interrupt your main text.
• Copyright or permission notes for reproduced material.
• Legal writing, which has its own citation system.

APA and MLA mainly use parenthetical citations. Both allow occasional notes for extra commentary, but not as the main way to cite sources.

How footnote numbering works

• Notes are numbered consecutively through the paper: 1, 2, 3 and so on. Don't restart on each page.
• Each note gets a new number, even if it cites a source you've cited before.
• In long works like books or theses, numbering may restart in each chapter.
• The number in the text is superscript. In the note itself, it can be superscript or full size followed by a period, depending on your instructor's preference.

Where to place the note number

Put the number at the end of the sentence or clause containing the borrowed material, after punctuation:

Tenant unions grew quickly in the 1930s, especially in northern cities.¹

Halvorsen calls this period "a quiet revolution in renting,"² though others disagree.

The main exception is a dash, where the number comes before it. Avoid placing a number in the middle of a phrase, and avoid putting two note numbers in the same spot; combine the sources into one note instead.

Chicago footnote formats

The patterns below follow Chicago notes-and-bibliography style. Notice how notes use commas and parentheses, while bibliography entries use periods and invert the first author's name.

Book

Full note:

1. Kari Halvorsen, Tenants and Neighbors: Renting in Northern Cities (Larchmont University Press, 2021), 87.

Shortened note:

2. Halvorsen, Tenants and Neighbors, 92.

Bibliography:
Halvorsen, Kari. Tenants and Neighbors: Renting in Northern Cities. Larchmont University Press, 2021.

Earlier editions of Chicago placed the city of publication before the publisher, as in (Larchmont, NY: Larchmont University Press, 2021). Recent guidance makes the city optional. Follow the edition your instructor specifies.

Journal article

Full note:

3. Daniel Ferreira, "Rent Strikes and Local Newspapers," Journal of Urban History Studies 18, no. 2 (2020): 144, https://doi.org/10.0000/juhs.2020.182.

Shortened note:

4. Ferreira, "Rent Strikes," 150.

Bibliography:
Ferreira, Daniel. "Rent Strikes and Local Newspapers." Journal of Urban History Studies 18, no. 2 (2020): 131–58. https://doi.org/10.0000/juhs.2020.182.

Website

Full note:

5. "History of the Elmwood Tenants' Association," Elmwood Historical Society, last modified March 2, 2024, https://www.elmwoodhistory.example.org/tenants.

Shortened note:

6. "Elmwood Tenants' Association."

Bibliography:
Elmwood Historical Society. "History of the Elmwood Tenants' Association." Last modified March 2, 2024. https://www.elmwoodhistory.example.org/tenants.

Two or more authors

• Two authors: Lena Varga and Nadia Okafor, Title...
• Larger author teams: at some point notes shorten the list to the first author plus "et al.," while the bibliography lists more names. The exact cutoff differs between Chicago editions, so check which edition your instructor uses.

Shortened notes and ibid.

After the first full note for a source, use a shortened note: author's surname, a short title of up to about four words, and the page.

Ibid. (Latin for "in the same place") was traditionally used when a note cites the same source as the note directly before it:

7. Halvorsen, Tenants and Neighbors, 101.
8. Ibid., 103.

Recent Chicago guidance discourages ibid. in favor of shortened notes, mainly because ibid. breaks easily when notes are added or moved during editing. It's still allowed, and many instructors accept it. Choose one approach and stay consistent.

Chicago Citation GeneratorChicago notes and bibliography

How to insert footnotes in Word

1. Click where the note number should appear, after the punctuation.
2. Go to References → Insert Footnote. On Windows, the shortcut is Ctrl + Alt + F.
3. Word adds the superscript number and moves your cursor to the bottom of the page.
4. Type or paste the note.
5. To jump back to the text, double-click the note number at the bottom.

Word renumbers everything automatically if you add, delete or move a note. To change number format or restart numbering by section, open the small dialog launcher in the Footnotes group.

How to insert footnotes in Google Docs

1. Place your cursor after the punctuation.
2. Go to Insert → Footnote, or use Ctrl + Alt + F (Cmd + Option + F on a Mac).
3. Type the note at the bottom of the page.

Google Docs also renumbers notes automatically. Shortcuts can change between versions of an app, so if one doesn't work, use the menu.

Formatting footnotes

• Notes are usually single-spaced within each note, with a blank line or extra space between notes, though instructors vary.
• The first line of each note is often indented like a paragraph.
• Footnote text is commonly a smaller size than the body text, such as 10 point with 12-point body text.
• Footnotes go at the bottom of the page; endnotes collect all notes at the end of the paper. Chicago permits either. Use what your instructor asks for.

Content footnotes

Not every footnote cites a source. A content note gives a short aside:

9. The association's records for 1934 were lost in a basement flood, so membership figures for that year are estimates.

Use these sparingly. If a note runs longer than a few lines, ask whether the information belongs in the main text or should be cut.

Common mistakes

1. Number before the punctuation. It goes after commas and periods.
2. Restarting numbers on each page. Numbering runs through the whole paper (or chapter).
3. Full notes every time. After the first citation, use the shortened form.
4. Bibliography formatted like notes. Bibliography entries invert the first author's name and use periods.
5. Mixing ibid. and shortened notes at random. Pick one.

Key takeaways

• Superscript numbers go after punctuation, at the end of the relevant clause or sentence.
• First note: full details. Later notes: author, short title, page.
• Word and Google Docs handle numbering and placement for you.
• For details that vary by edition, like the city of publication or the rules on ibid., follow your instructor or the latest Chicago guidance.

Need an example for a specific source type? See how to cite a lecture or how to cite a poem, both of which include Chicago notes.