# How to restart footnote numbering in Pages on Mac, chapter by chapter, step by step

> Pages numbers footnotes across the whole file by default. Here is how to restart them at each chapter on Mac, with Word and Scrivener notes.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/problems/pages-footnote-numbering-restart-sections
Updated: 2026-11-07

To restart footnote numbering in Pages on Mac, click a footnote, open the Footnotes tab in the Format sidebar, and set Numbering to Restart per section. That setting only resets after a section break, so each chapter needs one before its first footnote. This page explains why the numbers keep running, what that costs you, and the fixes that work without buying anything.

## Quick answer

- Pages numbers footnotes continuously by default, so chapter two keeps counting from chapter one.
- Click a footnote, open the Footnotes tab in the Format sidebar, and choose Restart per section.
- Restart per section resets after each section break. Apple's guide ties the option to section breaks, so a plain page break is not enough.
- Word for Mac uses a section break plus Restart each section. Scrivener uses a compile option. Google Docs has no verified restart.
- Check the first footnote of every chapter, then export a PDF to confirm the numbers.

## What footnote numbers continuing across chapters costs you

- **Hours you spend on manual fixes.** The clearest cost is time. A PLOS ONE survey of academic authors put the median time to format one manuscript at 14 hours, self-reported. Those were journal papers, not books, and the survey left out writing and editing time. Your own hours will differ, but the pattern holds. Every structural change can send you back to the numbers.
- **No hard figure for footnote errors.** I could not find a study that measures how often footnote numbers go wrong in books or theses, or what a wrong number costs in grades, reviews or stress. Be careful with any site that quotes a thesis rejection rate without a traceable source. The cost is real for you, but the sources I found do not put a number on it.
- **Delays when a format change stalls a project.** In a second PLOS ONE study, reformatting alone delayed resubmissions by more than two weeks in 60 of 118 cases, which is 51 percent. The study covers journal rules. The lesson for a book or thesis is simple. Format work can stall a project for weeks when it lands late.
- **The price of your own hour.** The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a median hourly wage of $36.98 for writers and authors, based on May 2025 data. Multiply that by the hours you spend renumbering, and you have a rough cost. Most of that time produces no new words at all.

## Why it happens

1. **Continuous numbering is the default.** Pages and Word both count footnotes through the whole file unless you choose a restart. Apple's Pages guide says the default is Continuous. The count never resets on its own, so chapter two inherits the number from chapter one.
2. **A chapter is only more text to the program.** One file holds every chapter. The program has no concept of a chapter unless you add a structural marker. A heading looks like a chapter to you, but it is just text to the footnote counter.
3. **A page break is not a section break.** Many writers press Return until the page fills, or insert a page break to start chapter two. That looks like a new chapter. Apple's guide ties Restart per section to section breaks, so a page break does not give the setting what it needs.
4. **Sections inside a chapter cause extra restarts.** Restart per section restarts after every section break. Layout breaks for tables, images or columns can cut a chapter into several sections. Each one resets the count, which may be wrong for your style guide. Word has a similar limit when a chapter has several sections.

## How to fix it

- **Put a section break at each chapter start.** Insert a section break at the start of every chapter in Pages. Do this before you change any footnote setting, so the restart has a break to act on. Keep the chapter text as it is, and make the break the only change in that spot.
- **Choose Restart per section in the Footnotes tab.** Click a footnote, open the Format sidebar with the Format button, choose the Footnotes tab, and set Numbering to Restart per section. Then check the first note of each chapter. This is the Pages fix in Apple's own terms.
- **Use a section break and Restart each section in Word.** In Word for Mac, insert a section break at each chapter boundary. Then open the Footnotes dialog from the References tab, and set Numbering to Restart each section. Apply it to the right scope. A third-party guide says this does not work in Word for the web.
- **Use the compile option in Scrivener.** Scrivener restarts numbers at compile time, not while you write. In the compile format, open Footnotes & Comments and turn on Footnote numbering restarts after page breaks. Test a short sample first, because the posts describing this option date from 2018.
- **Do the numbering pass outside Google Docs.** From what I found, Google Docs has no verified restart option. For a short document, you can type the numbers by hand. For a long one, export the file to Word or Pages and fix numbering there. Keep one master copy so you do not fix things twice.
- **Undo with ⌘Z before you try a second fix.** If a change moves the numbers the wrong way, press ⌘Z before you try another setting. Stacked fixes make it hard to see which change caused the problem. Undo one step, check the chapter start, then move on.
- **Export a PDF and check every chapter start.** Export a PDF and read the first footnote in each chapter. Use Find with ⌘F to jump to headings. A PDF shows the layout your reader sees, which is the view that matters at submission. Check it again after any later edit.

## Why footnote numbers keep running across chapters

You finish chapter one, add its footnotes, and start chapter two. The numbers keep going. The first note in chapter two shows the next number in the sequence, not a fresh start. This is not a bug. Pages and Word both number footnotes continuously unless you tell them to do something else. Apple's Pages guide says the default is Continuous, and Restart per section is an option you have to choose.

Most book drafts and theses live in one file. That is the convenient choice for writing, search and export. It is also why chapter breaks mean nothing to the footnote counter. The program does not see a chapter. It sees text, and a sequence of notes that never stops.

## What it costs you when the numbers drift

The most direct cost is time. In a PLOS ONE survey of academic authors, the median time to format one manuscript was 14 hours. Those figures are self-reported, and the survey covered journal manuscripts, not books or theses. Respondents were also asked not to count writing or editing time. Treat the number as a rough guide to how much formatting eats into a project.

- **14 hours** Median time to format one manuscript, self-reported in a PLOS ONE survey of academic authors ([source](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0223116))
- **51%** Of resubmissions delayed more than two weeks by reformatting alone, in a second PLOS ONE study ([source](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0223976))
- **$36.98** Median hourly wage for writers and authors, May 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ([source](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm))

A second PLOS ONE study looked at journal formatting rules. Its authors found that reformatting alone delayed resubmissions by more than two weeks in 60 of 118 cases, which is 51 percent. That is also about journal submissions, not your footnotes. It shows how small formatting problems can stall a project for weeks.

Put a price on your own hour and the cost adds up. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a median hourly wage of $36.98 for writers and authors, based on May 2025 data. Every hour spent renumbering footnotes is an hour you did not spend writing. You do not need a precise figure. You only need to notice how often the same fix comes back.

- Scrolling chapter by chapter to retype numbers after each edit.
- Rework when you move a chapter, because every footnote after it shifts.
- An editor or reviewer who spots one wrong number and starts checking the rest.
- A late-night PDF check that finds the same error you fixed last week.

## Why it happens in Pages and Word

Footnote numbering is a document-wide setting. The program reads the file from top to bottom and counts every note. A restart is a rule you add on top of that count. Until you add the rule, nothing resets. Pages keeps the count across chapters because you have not told it where a chapter ends.

## Why section breaks matter more than page breaks

This is where most people get stuck. You press Return until chapter two starts on a fresh page, and that feels like a chapter break. Pages sees it as a page break. Apple's guide describes Restart per section as restarting after each section break, and it does not mention page breaks. If you want chapter starts to act as restart points, the break has to be a section break.

## How to restart footnote numbering in Pages on Mac, step by step

Start with the structure before you change any setting. Every chapter should begin after a section break. Scroll to each chapter heading and look at what sits just above it. If you see only a page break, add a section break there. Work on a copy of the file so you can compare the before and after.

1. Put the cursor at the start of the chapter, just before its heading, and insert a section break.
2. Click any footnote number in the body text.
3. Click the Format button in the toolbar to open the Format sidebar.
4. Choose the Footnotes tab in the sidebar.
5. Open the Numbering pop-up menu and choose Restart per section.
6. Scroll to the first footnote in chapter two and confirm that it starts at the right number.

![Writer typing a long manuscript on a Mac laptop while setting footnote numbering in Pages](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/problem/pages-footnote-numbering-restart-sections/how-to-restart-footnote-numbering-in-pages-1-b38946.jpg)

> **Check the first note:** After each change, look at the first footnote in every chapter. If the number is wrong, press ⌘Z to undo, then check where the section break went.

Run through every chapter once, even after the first one looks right. A chapter can start correctly and still have a stray page break above a heading you missed. Scroll slowly through the file. Do not trust the first chapter alone.

## When a chapter has more than one section

Restart per section restarts at every section break, not only at the start of a chapter. If you added a section break inside chapter three for a wide table or a multi-column list, the count restarts again in the middle of that chapter. You may want that, or you may not. Check your style guide before you decide. Word has the same limit. Its restart option works cleanly only when each chapter is one section.

> **Before you delete a break:** Removing a section break can merge two sections and change what Restart per section does. Look at the result, then check the footnote numbers again before you save.

## Restarting footnote numbers in Word for Mac

Word also numbers footnotes through the whole document by default. The fix uses the same idea, a section break at each chapter edge plus a restart option that applies per section. One Microsoft Q&A answer says to put the break at the start of each chapter. A Word for Mac guide says to put it at the end of each chapter. Either way, each chapter needs its own break. The Q&A thread also says the fix keeps existing footnotes.

1. Insert a section break at each chapter boundary.
2. Go to the References tab and click the dialog launcher in the Footnotes group.
3. In the dialog, choose Footnotes and set Numbering to Restart each section.
4. Under Apply changes to, choose This section or Whole document, depending on the result you want.
5. Click Insert, then check the first footnote of each chapter.

> **Menu bar fallback:** If the dialog does not appear in the Ribbon, a Microsoft Q&A answer says to use Insert > Footnote from the menu bar instead. A thread on endnotes reports that this route worked. Test it on a copy first.

A third-party Word guide says this does not work in Word for the web. Use the Mac app for the restart. Open the file in the desktop app, make the change, and save before you share it with anyone who edits in a browser.

![Student at a desk with a laptop reviewing footnotes in a long thesis document](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/problem/pages-footnote-numbering-restart-sections/how-to-restart-footnote-numbering-in-pages-2-a833e0.jpg)

## Scrivener and Google Docs: what you can and cannot do

Scrivener handles chapter numbering when you compile, not while you write. Open the compile format, go to the Footnotes & Comments options, and turn on Footnote numbering restarts after page breaks. Literature & Latte staff said the option triggers on explicit page breaks, such as the ones that start a new chapter, not on every printed page. Those posts date from 2018, so test a short sample before you compile the whole book. The company's overview lists Scrivener 3.5.2 for macOS, which requires macOS 11 or later.

I could not confirm a built-in restart option in Google Docs. Third-party sources disagree, and I did not find an official help page that confirmed one. If your chapters live in Docs, you have two honest options. You can number the notes by hand, or you can do the final numbering pass in Pages or Word after you export the file.

## Restart options at a glance

| App | Restart option | Where to find it | Limit to know |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pages on Mac | Restart per section | Footnotes tab in the Format sidebar, Numbering menu | Needs a section break at each chapter start |
| Word for Mac | Restart each section | References tab, Footnotes dialog launcher | Chapters with several sections restart too often |
| Scrivener for macOS | Footnote numbering restarts after page breaks | Compile format, Footnotes & Comments | Forum posts date from 2018, current behavior not confirmed |
| Google Docs | None verified | Not found in sources checked | Use a manual pass in Pages or Word |

_Restart options from Apple, Microsoft, Literature & Latte and third-party guides._

## Mistakes people make with footnote restarts

- Using a page break where a section break belongs. The count keeps running.
- Choosing Restart per page by mistake. That resets on every page, which is not what chapters need.
- Adding a section break inside a chapter for layout, then forgetting that it restarts the count.
- Trusting an old forum answer without testing it on your own file.
- Expecting Word for the web to match the steps for the Mac app.

## Check the result before you send the file

Export a PDF and read the first footnote of every chapter. Use Find with ⌘F to jump to each chapter heading, then look at the notes that follow. Watch for numbers that skip, repeat or restart in the middle of a chapter. Fix the file, export again and repeat the check. One clean pass is not enough if you changed the structure after it.

## Where Lazur helps, and where it does not

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac. Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask about what is on your screen, and Lazur answers out loud. Ask where the Numbering menu is, and Lazur draws a circle and a label around it. Ask how to do the steps, and Lazur guides you one click at a time, waiting for each click before the next step.

Lazur does not click buttons, edit your document or operate Pages for you. It is not a plugin or add-in for Pages, and it is not connected to Apple or any other app maker. The clicks stay with you. For this job, it helps most when you are new to the Footnotes tab, or when you want the next step read aloud while your hands stay on the trackpad.

Privacy matters here. When you hold the shortcut, Lazur sends your audio and a screenshot to AI providers so it can answer. Those are not stored, and content is never used to train AI models. If your chapters hold client, patient or other regulated material, follow your employer's rules before you ask Lazur about the screen.

## What to do next

![Printed manuscript pages on a desk beside a laptop, ready for a chapter-by-chapter check](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/problem/pages-footnote-numbering-restart-sections/how-to-restart-footnote-numbering-in-pages-3-5da505.jpg)

Fix one chapter break today, then check every other chapter start. Keep a copy of the file before each change. If you write in Pages often, the [Pages for writers on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/pages) page covers templates and drafting help. If you are weighing Word instead, [Word for writers on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/word) covers long drafts and dictation.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Walk me through restarting footnote numbers per section in Pages”: Lazur asks you to click a footnote, waits, then circles the Numbering menu once the Footnotes tab is open. (Walks you through it)
- “Where is the Numbering menu in Pages?”: Lazur draws a circle and a label around the Numbering pop-up on your screen, so you know where to click.
- “Walk me through restarting footnotes per section.”: Lazur guides you one click at a time and waits for each click. It does not click for you.
- “Why does chapter two keep the old footnote count?”: Lazur answers out loud based on what is on your screen, and can point out whether a section break looks missing.
- “Find what my publisher's style guide says about footnote numbering.”: Lazur runs research in its own Chrome tabs and comes back with a summary. Check the source yourself before you follow it.
- “Dictate a footnote note at the cursor.”: Hold fn to dictate clean text at the cursor in any app. Useful for writing the note text once the numbers work.

## A plan you can start this week

- **Before you start: Check where your chapters begin.** Scroll to each chapter heading. Note whether a section break or only a page break sits above it. Mark the chapters that need a fix before you touch any setting.
- **Step one: Add the section breaks.** At the start of each chapter, insert a section break. Do this on a copy of the file, so the original stays safe. Keep the chapter text as it is.
- **Step two: Set the numbering.** Click a footnote, open the Format sidebar, choose the Footnotes tab, and set Numbering to Restart per section. Watch the first footnote of chapter two as you go.
- **Step three: Check the sections.** Scroll through each chapter. If one has an extra section break for a table or image, decide whether the count should restart there. Remove a break only if the layout still holds.
- **Step four: Test in a PDF.** Export a PDF and read the first footnote in each chapter. Use Find with ⌘F to jump to chapter headings. Fix any skipped or repeated number, then export again.
- **Before you send: Match the style guide.** Read your publisher or department style guide. Some expect numbers to restart by chapter, and others want one run through the book. Follow the rule it names, and ask your editor if it is silent.

## FAQ

### Why does Pages keep footnote numbers going across chapters?

Pages numbers footnotes continuously by default, across the whole document. Apple's guide describes Continuous as the default. A restart only happens when you choose one, and when Pages reaches the section break you set up for it.

### Does Restart per page fix chapter numbering?

No. Restart per page resets the count on every page, which usually gives you more restarts than you want. For chapters, Restart per section is the option to pick, once each chapter starts after a section break.

### Will restarting footnote numbers delete my footnotes?

A Microsoft Q&A thread says the section break fix in Word keeps existing footnotes. I could not confirm the same for Pages from the sources I checked. Test on a copy, and compare the note text before you save.

### Can Lazur restart the footnotes for me?

No. Lazur does not click buttons or edit files for you. It can point at the Numbering menu, guide you one click at a time, and answer questions about your screen out loud. You still make each change.

### Does Google Docs have a restart option for footnotes?

I could not verify one. Third-party sources disagree, and I did not find an official help page that confirms it. Check Google's help center yourself, and plan a numbering pass in another app if you need one.

### How long does formatting usually take?

A PLOS ONE survey of academic authors found a median of 14 hours to format one manuscript. The figure is self-reported, covers journal papers, and excludes writing and editing time. It is a rough guide, not a rule for your book.

### Does every publisher want numbers to restart by chapter?

No single rule applies. I could not verify a convention that every style guide follows. Read your publisher or department guide, and follow the instruction it names. If it says nothing about chapters, ask your editor.

### Does Scrivener restart footnotes on its own?

Scrivener offers a compile option called Footnote numbering restarts after page breaks, under Footnotes & Comments. Literature & Latte forum staff described it in 2018. Confirm the current behavior with a short test compile before you finalize.

## Sources

1. [Use footnotes and endnotes in Pages on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/footnotes-and-endnotes-tanbb3f4cb/mac), Apple Support, checked 2026-11-07
2. [I can't see a dialogue box to restart numbering for endnotes in Word 365 for Mac if using section breaks](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5199240/i-cant-see-a-dialogue-box-to-restart-numbering-for), Microsoft Q&A, checked 2026-11-07
3. [Changing footnotes so that they start numbering again, for each chapter](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4780168/changing-footnotes-so-that-they-start-numbering-ag), Microsoft Q&A, checked 2026-11-07
4. [How to Restart Footnote Numbers in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)](https://erinwrightwriting.com/restart-footnote-numbers-in-microsoft-word/), Erin Wright Writing, checked 2026-11-07
5. [How to restart footnote numbers for each chapter? - Scrivener for macOS](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/how-to-restart-footnote-numbers-for-each-chapter/93672), Literature & Latte Forums, checked 2026-11-07
6. [Footnotes numbering - Scrivener for macOS](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/footnotes-numbering/41783), Literature & Latte Forums, checked 2026-11-07
7. [Scrivener overview](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), Literature & Latte, checked 2026-11-07
8. [Scientific sinkhole: The pernicious price of formatting](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0223116), PLOS ONE, checked 2026-11-07
9. [The high resource impact of reformatting requirements for scientific papers](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0223976), PLOS ONE, checked 2026-11-07
10. [Writers and Authors](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, checked 2026-11-07