# How to add a footnote in Pages on Mac: step by step for Pages 15.4

> How to add a footnote in Pages on Mac: click Insert, choose Footnote, then type your note. Includes numbering, endnotes and common fixes.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/add-a-footnote-in-pages
Updated: 2026-11-08

To add a footnote in Pages on Mac, click where the note number belongs, click the Insert button in the toolbar, and choose Footnote. Pages places the number in your text and opens the note area at the bottom of the page, so you can type the note right away.

## Quick answer

- Click where the number goes, then click Insert in the toolbar and choose Footnote.
- Type the note in the area at the bottom of the page. Pages numbers it for you.
- Change style, numbering, or footnotes to endnotes in the Footnotes tab of the Format sidebar.
- Apple's Pages keyboard shortcut list has no footnote shortcut. Use the toolbar.
- If the Footnote option is missing, the document is probably a page layout document, which cannot hold footnotes.

Applies to: Pages 15.4 on Mac, running macOS 26.0 or later. Time: 5 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- A word processing document in Pages on Mac
- Pages 15.4 or later, the current release being 15.4.2
- macOS 26.0 or later for Pages 15.4.2

## How to Add a footnote in Pages on Mac in Pages on a Mac

1. **Put the cursor where the number goes.** Click in your text right after the word, phrase, or punctuation that the note refers to. Many writers put the number after punctuation, such as after a period. Click once, then check that the blinking cursor sits where you want the number. Tip: Look at the cursor before you go on. A wrong spot is easy to see now and harder to spot later.
2. **Open the Insert menu in the toolbar.** (Insert button in toolbar) Look at the top of the Pages window. Click the Insert button in the toolbar. A menu opens with the objects you can add to the document. Tip: If you cannot find Insert, widen the Pages window so the full toolbar shows.
3. **Choose Footnote.** (Insert button > Footnote) In the menu, click Footnote. Pages places a small superscript number in your sentence and the same number at the bottom of the page. The insertion point moves into the note area.
4. **Type the note text.** Type your citation, comment, or aside in the note area at the bottom of the page. Keep it short and specific. Click back in the body text when you finish. Tip: Typing in the note area does not move your sentence. You can return to it at any time.
5. **Add more notes.** Repeat the first three steps for each note. Pages numbers notes in the order they appear in the text. When you add a note earlier in the document, the later numbers move up by one.
6. **Check that the numbers match.** Scroll through the document. Confirm that each number in the text matches the note at the bottom of the same page. Double-click a number to jump to its note, and double-click the number in the note to return. Tip: Do this check after every five or six notes, not only at the end.
7. **Set the number style and numbering (optional).** (Format sidebar > Footnotes tab > Format pop-up) Click any note. Blue boxes appear around all the notes. Open the Format sidebar, click the Footnotes tab, then pick a symbol style in the Format pop-up or a restart rule in the Numbering pop-up. Tip: Changes in this tab apply to every note in the document, so set them once.

Pages splits a footnote into two parts. The number sits in your sentence, and the note text sits in a small area at the bottom of the same page. Once you see that split, the feature makes more sense. Most people get stuck on the second part. The cursor jumps down the page, and it is not always clear where you are typing.

## Add a footnote in Pages on Mac, step by step

Work through the steps in order. You need a word processing document. Page layout documents have no footnotes, so if the Footnote option is missing, that is usually the reason. The steps below match Apple's current Pages guide, which gives the same steps as its Pages 15.2 guide. The current release is Pages 15.4.2, and the Mac App Store says it needs macOS 26.0 or later.

![Student typing on a laptop, the kind of paper where you learn how to add a footnote in Pages on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/add-a-footnote-in-pages/how-to-add-a-footnote-in-pages-1-ead627.jpg)

## Where the Insert button is in Pages

Apple's guide documents the Insert button in the Pages toolbar, the row of controls across the top of the window. Click it, and the menu lists the objects you can place in your document. Footnote is one of them. A Quora answer describes an Insert > Footnote path in the menu bar. I could not confirm that path from Apple's own pages, so follow the toolbar button. A narrow window can hide controls, so widen it if you cannot find the button.

## Format footnotes in the Footnotes tab

Every formatting choice lives in one place. Click any note, and Pages puts a blue box around every note in the document. Then open the Format sidebar, click the Footnotes tab, and make your changes. Changes apply to all notes at once. You cannot style one footnote differently from the rest with this tab.

| Setting | Where it lives | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Type | Footnotes tab, Type pop-up | Switches all notes between footnotes and endnotes |
| Format | Footnotes tab, Format pop-up | Changes symbol style, such as numbers, asterisks, or daggers |
| Numbering | Footnotes tab, Numbering pop-up | Continuous by default, or restarts per page or per section |

_The three controls in the Footnotes tab, as Apple describes them._

## Footnotes or endnotes: choose one for the whole file

A footnote appears at the bottom of the page where its number sits. An endnote collects at the last page of the document or section. Pages allows only one note type per document, so a file holds footnotes or endnotes, never both. To switch, click any note, open the Footnotes tab, and choose a new type from the Type pop-up. Every note moves at once. Plan this before you write a long paper, because converting late means checking every page again.

## A worked example with three notes

Say you write a two page paper with three sources. You finish the first paragraph with a citation after the period. Put your cursor after that period, click Insert, choose Footnote, and type the source. Then move to the second paragraph and repeat. The third note goes after a quote near the end of page two. Pages numbers them 1, 2, 3 in order, and each note sits at the bottom of the page where its number appears. If you insert a new note before note 2, the old note 2 becomes note 3 without you touching it. Check the numbers after each insert. That habit saves a lot of cleanup at the end.

- **$12.99** US monthly price for Apple Creator Studio, with the free Pages app still available ([source](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/13/apple-creator-studio/))
- **26.0** Minimum macOS version for Pages 15.4.2 on the Mac App Store listing ([source](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=12))

## Restart numbering by page or by section

Numbering runs continuously by default. That suits most papers. For a chapter-based book or a document with separate sections, open the Footnotes tab and use the Numbering pop-up to restart numbers on each page or at each section break. Apple's guide does not name each option, so check the menu labels on your version. After you change the setting, scroll the affected pages before you share the file. Some older reports describe restarts that fail. An Apple Community thread from macOS 10.14 describes numbers that did not restart. The first paragraph began on the previous page. The thread was closed without an accepted fix, so treat it as dated and check your own pages. For a chapter by chapter walkthrough, see [restart footnote numbering in Pages on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/problems/pages-footnote-numbering-restart-sections).

![Person at a desk typing on a Mac, working through how to add a footnote in Pages on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/add-a-footnote-in-pages/how-to-add-a-footnote-in-pages-2-a9c22f.jpg)

## Delete a footnote without leaving a gap

Click in the body text immediately after the note's number, then press Delete. The number and its note both go, and the remaining notes renumber on their own. Be careful about where you click. If you select the text inside the note at the bottom of the page and press Delete, you clear the note but leave the number in your sentence. That leaves an orphan number with no text. Check the note area after every deletion, and scroll through the page to confirm the numbers still run in order.

## Jump between a number and its note

In a long document, you move between your text and your notes often. Double-click a citation number in the body text to jump to its note. Double-click the number in the note to return to the citation. Use this when you check sources or fix a typo in a note. It is faster than scrolling through a long file.

## Footnotes in Pages for iCloud

Pages for iCloud runs in a web browser, and it uses the same idea. Click the Insert button in the toolbar and choose Footnote. Pages numbers the notes in Arabic numerals across the document. Apple's iCloud guide adds two limits. You cannot add a footnote to text inside a shape, a table, or a text box. If the Footnote option does not appear, the document is a page layout document, which does not support footnotes at all. The Mac guide says the same thing about text boxes, since citations go in body text only.

- Body text only. Citations can go in body text, not in a text box.
- Page layout documents have no footnotes. Check for the Footnote option first.
- One note type per file. Footnotes or endnotes, not both.
- iCloud limits. No footnotes in shapes, tables, or text boxes.

## Mistakes people make with footnotes in Pages

Most problems come from a few habits. The first is typing the number by hand. A typed 1 looks like a footnote, but Pages does not link it to a note, so it will not renumber when you add or delete notes. Use the Insert button every time. The second is placing the cursor after a space instead of after the punctuation. The number then looks detached from the sentence. The third is putting a note inside a text box or shape, which Apple's guides say is not supported.

![Writer at a desk with a laptop and notebook, checking footnote numbers in Pages on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/add-a-footnote-in-pages/how-to-add-a-footnote-in-pages-3-e12626.jpg)

## Is there a keyboard shortcut for footnotes?

Apple's Pages keyboard shortcut list does not include a footnote or endnote shortcut. It does list other insert shortcuts, such as Page break with ⌘↩, Line break with ⇧↩, and Enter special characters with ⌃⌘Space. A Quora answer claims ⌥⌘F adds a footnote. Apple's list does not show it, so do not rely on it. Use the toolbar. Once the cursor is in place, the toolbar path takes two clicks.

## Check the file before you send or print it

Spend two minutes on a final check. Scroll each page and confirm the number in the text matches the note below it. Look at the symbol style, and make sure every note uses the same format. Check that numbers restart where you expect. If the file goes to a journal or a teacher, read the style guide for symbol and placement rules, since those rules vary by publisher. If a reader needs a Word file, see [how to save as a Word file in Pages on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/save-as-a-word-file-in-pages).

## Pricing: what needs a subscription

The Mac App Store lists Pages as free with in-app purchases. The same listing says editing documents does not require a subscription. It shows subscription options at Monthly $12.99 and Annual $129.00. MacRumors reports Apple Creator Studio at $12.99 per month or $129 per year in the US, with student pricing at $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. It also says the free versions of Pages remain available. The sources do not fully agree on what a subscription covers, so check the App Store listing before you pay.

## Next steps after your first footnote

Once the note is in place, the rest of the document may need to match. Page numbers help readers find a citation, and a table of contents helps if your paper has headings. [Add page numbers in Pages](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/add-page-numbers-in-pages) and [create a table of contents in Pages](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/create-a-table-of-contents-in-pages) cover both. If an editor marks up your draft, [turn on Track Changes in Pages](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/turn-on-track-changes-in-pages) keeps their edits visible.

If you write long papers often, save the layout as a template. A template keeps your margins, fonts and headings in place, so each new paper starts the same way. [Create a template in Pages on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/create-a-template-in-pages) shows the steps.

## Shortcuts

- Find text, such as a source name: ⌘F
- Enter special characters: ⌃⌘Space
- Line break inside a paragraph: ⇧↩

## If it does not work

- **The Footnote option is missing from the Insert button menu.** The document is probably a page layout document, which has no footnotes. Start a word processing document, move your text across, and add the note there. Apple's iCloud guide describes the same missing-option case.
- **Numbers do not restart on each page or section.** Open the Footnotes tab and set the Numbering pop-up to restart per page or per section. Then scroll the affected pages. Older Apple Community threads report failed restarts with no confirmed fix, so do not assume the setting worked.
- **A number appears in the text with no note below it.** Double-click the number to jump to its note. If the note area is empty, type the note text there. If the note is gone, click just after the number and press Delete.
- **I need a footnote inside a text box, shape, or table.** Apple's guides say citations go in body text only, and iCloud does not support footnotes in shapes, tables, or text boxes. Move the text into the main body, add the note there, then place the text back in your layout if you need to.
- **I pressed Delete and the numbers look wrong.** Remaining notes renumber on their own when you delete a note from the body text. Check that you deleted the number and not the note text. Scroll through the pages and confirm the order runs 1, 2, 3 without gaps.

## 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

- “Where is the Insert button?”: Lazur draws a circle and a label around the Insert button in the toolbar, then says what it does out loud. (Points at it)

## FAQ

### Where is the Footnote option in Pages on Mac?

It sits behind the Insert button in the Pages toolbar. Click Insert, then choose Footnote. If you cannot see the option, check that you are in a word processing document. Page layout documents do not support footnotes.

### Is there a keyboard shortcut for footnotes in Pages on Mac?

Not in Apple's list. Apple's Pages keyboard shortcut page has no footnote or endnote entry. A Quora answer claims ⌥⌘F, but Apple does not list it, so use the toolbar.

### Can I have footnotes and endnotes in the same document?

No. Pages allows one note type per document. To switch, click any note, open the Footnotes tab in the Format sidebar, and change the Type pop-up. All notes change together.

### How do I change footnote numbers to symbols?

Click any note, open the Format sidebar, and choose the Footnotes tab. Use the Format pop-up to pick numbers, asterisks, or daggers. The change applies to all notes in the document.

### Why won't my footnote numbers restart on each page?

Open the Footnotes tab and check the Numbering pop-up. Continuous is the default. Older Apple Community reports describe restart failures with no confirmed fix, so check the affected pages after each change.

### Does Pages for iCloud handle footnotes the same way?

Mostly. Click Insert in the toolbar and choose Footnote. Notes are numbered in Arabic numerals. You cannot add a footnote to text in a shape, table, or text box.

### Do I need a subscription to add footnotes?

The App Store listing says editing documents does not require a subscription. MacRumors reports a paid Apple Creator Studio bundle at $12.99 per month, so check the App Store listing before you buy.

## Sources

1. [Use footnotes and endnotes in Pages on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/footnotes-and-endnotes-tanbb3f4cb/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
2. [Use footnotes and endnotes in Pages on Mac (Pages 15.2 guide)](https://support.apple.com/en-mz/guide/pages/tanbb3f4cb/15.2/mac/1.0), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
3. [Keyboard shortcuts for Pages on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/keyboard-shortcuts-tanc0ffef022/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
4. [Add footnotes in Pages for iCloud - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages-icloud/add-footnotes-gil7068237db/icloud), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
5. [Pages on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=12), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
6. [Apple Introduces New Creator Studio Bundle of Apps for $129 Per Year, MacRumors](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/13/apple-creator-studio/), MacRumors, checked 2026-11-08
7. [document in pages setup for footnotes not restarting - Apple Community](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252241102), Apple Community, checked 2026-11-08