Footnotes and Endnotes: Chicago, MLA and APA Examples

Footnotes and endnotes let you cite sources and add extra comments without crowding your main text. They look simple, a small superscript number and a note, but each citation style has its own rules for when to use them, how to number them and where they go. This guide explains how the two differ, when to use each one and how to format them in Chicago, MLA and APA, with sample citations you can follow.

What Are Footnotes and Endnotes?

Both are notes linked to a specific spot in your text by a superscript number. For example, a footnote can cite a book you quoted or explain a term. Readers see the number, then look down or to the back of the paper for the note.

• Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page where the superscript number appears.
• Endnotes are collected at the end of the paper or chapter, on a separate page titled "Notes."

Both do the same job. They can cite a source, give additional information that would interrupt your argument or refer readers to further reading. The main difference between them is placement.

Footnotes at the Bottom of the Page vs Endnotes: Which to Use?

Choosing footnotes or endnotes usually depends on your discipline, your instructor and the citation style you follow. Here is how they compare:

Footnotes give readers immediate access to a source, which is why legal and humanities writing often prefers them. Endnotes keep the document uncluttered, so they work well for dissertations and books where a page full of notes would distract readers. If your instructor does not specify, choose one method and use it consistently.

How Footnotes and Endnotes Are Numbered

Whether you use footnotes or endnotes, the numbering rules are the same:

• Place a superscript number in the main text after the clause or sentence that needs the note.
• Put the superscript number after most punctuation marks, such as a comma or period, but before a dash. For example, the number follows the period at the end of a quoted sentence.
• Notes are numbered consecutively through the whole paper, starting with 1. Do not restart at 1 on each page.
• Give every note its own number, even if you cite the same source again. Never reuse the same number for two notes.

Each endnote number in your text must match a note in the Notes section, and each footnote number must match a note at the bottom of the same page.

Chicago Style Footnotes and Endnotes

The Chicago Manual of Style is the guide most closely tied to notes. It offers two systems: the author-date system, which uses parenthetical citations, and the notes-bibliography system, which uses footnotes or endnotes plus a bibliography. Most history and humanities courses use the notes-bibliography system.

Full Notes and Shortened Notes

The first time you cite a source in Chicago style, write a full note. For subsequent citations of the same source, use a shortened note with the author's last name, a shortened title of up to four words and the relevant page number. For example, a later note for page 52 of the Lopez book would read: Lopez, Writing in the Disciplines, 52. The 18th edition of the Chicago manual, published in 2024, prefers shortened notes to "ibid."

Chicago Sample Citations

Each example below uses a made-up source to show the format:

• Book, full note: 1. Maria Lopez, Writing in the Disciplines (Riverside Press, 2021), 45.
• Journal article, full note: 2. Daniel Kim, "Sleep and Memory in College Students," Journal of Student Health 12, no. 3 (2022): 210, https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
• Shortened note: 3. Lopez, Writing in the Disciplines, 52.
• Bibliography entry: Lopez, Maria. Writing in the Disciplines. Riverside Press, 2021.

Notice the differences. A note gives the author's first name first and uses commas and parentheses, and the article title goes in quotation marks, while the bibliography entry lists the last name first and uses periods. In the list of notes, indent the first line of each note. Chicago bibliography style uses a hanging indent, so subsequent lines are indented from the left margin.

Citing Sources With a Digital Object Identifier

If a journal article has a digital object identifier (DOI), add it at the end of the note as a link starting with https://doi.org/. A DOI is better than a database URL because it stays with the article and does not change. If there is no DOI, use a stable URL from the publisher.

Notes Page and Bibliography on a Separate Page

If you use endnotes in Chicago, place them on a separate page titled "Notes" after the main text and before the bibliography. The source list then starts on its own page and lists every source alphabetically by the authors' last names. Notes do not replace this list: notes refer to a specific page, while the list gives the full publication details for every source.

MLA Style Notes

MLA uses parenthetical in-text citations, such as (Lopez 45), and a Works Cited list instead of notes for regular citations. You can still use footnotes or endnotes in MLA papers for two purposes:

• Content notes: brief comments or supplemental information that would break the flow of your paragraph.
• Bibliographic notes: notes that refer readers to several sources at once, for example, "For more on this debate, see Kim; Lopez."

Keep MLA notes short, and still list every cited source in your Works Cited. You can learn more in our MLA citation guide.

APA Style Footnotes

APA Citations Go in Text, Not in Notes

APA does not use notes for regular citations. APA citations appear in text with the author and year, such as (Lopez, 2021), and every source goes in the reference list. Some citation styles discourage notes in this way because in-text citations are faster to read. APA allows footnotes for only two purposes.

Content Footnotes

A content footnote gives additional information or a short explanation that does not belong in the main text. Keep each footnote to one short paragraph, and do not include complicated or essential information. If a point is important, it belongs in the paper itself. For example, a content footnote might explain how you translated a term.

Copyright Permission Footnotes

If you reprint a long quotation, a table or a figure, you may need formal permission from the copyright holder. In that case, add a copyright note that credits the original source. The information included in a typical copyright note is the title, authors names, year, publication details, copyright year and copyright holder, followed by "Reprinted with permission." For example:

From "Sleep and Memory in College Students," by D. Kim, 2022, Journal of Student Health, 12(3), p. 210 (https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx). Copyright 2022 by the Journal of Student Health. Reprinted with permission.

Check whether permission is required before you reprint material. Many class papers fall under fair use, but published work and theses often need written permission.

How to Format APA Footnotes

APA footnotes can appear at the bottom of the page or on a separate page after the References. In that case, title the page "Footnotes," centered and in bold. Indent the first line of each footnote by 0.5 inch, keep the text double spaced and number the footnotes in the order they appear in your paper. For the rest of the APA rules, see our guide to APA format.

How to Insert Footnotes and Endnotes in Word and Google Docs

Word processors automatically add the superscript number, create the note and renumber notes if you move text around in the document. In Word, notes also renumber automatically when you delete one.

• Microsoft Word: go to the References tab and choose Insert Footnote or Insert Endnote. On Windows, press Ctrl + Alt + F for a footnote or Ctrl + Alt + D to insert an endnote. On a Mac, use Command + Option + F or Command + Option + E.
• Google Docs: choose Insert, then Footnote, or press Ctrl + Alt + F (Command + Option + F on a Mac). Google Docs does not have a built-in endnote feature.

In Microsoft Word, you can also convert all footnotes to endnotes, or the other way around, from the footnote and endnote settings in the References tab. Always check the first page of notes to make sure the numbering starts at 1. If your instructor provides a Word template, use its note settings, and keep in mind that shortcut keys can differ in older versions of Word.

Common Mistakes With Footnotes or Endnotes

• Putting the note number before a comma or period instead of after it.
• Restarting the numbering on each page or in each section of a short paper.
• Repeating the full citation every time instead of using a shortened note for the same source.
• Forgetting the source list or Works Cited because the notes "already cite" the sources.
• Using notes for regular citations in APA, which uses in-text citations instead.
• Mixing footnotes, endnotes and in-text citations in the same paper.
• Repeating the same information in a note and in the main text.

Accurate notes also protect you from accidental plagiarism. If you are not sure when to cite, our guide on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it explains the basics.

Tools and Resources for Notes

A free citation generator can create a first draft of footnotes, endnotes and reference entries, but always compare the result with the official rules. Purdue University's Online Writing Lab, the Purdue OWL, offers examples published for each format, and the official manuals remain the final authority. For a side-by-side look at the main citation styles, read our guide on how to reference an essay in APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard.

Used well, footnotes, endnotes and a clear source list make your academic writing easier to trust and easier to read. If you need help formatting notes or a bibliography, HomeworkDoer tutors can review your citations or help with the paper itself through our essay writing help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Difference Between Footnotes and Endnotes?

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page where they are cited, while endnotes are collected on a separate page at the end of the paper. They are formatted and numbered the same way.

Do I Need a Bibliography if I Use Footnotes?

In Chicago style, yes, unless your instructor says otherwise. Notes point to specific pages, while the bibliography lists the full information for every source.

Where Does the Footnote Number Go?

Place the superscript number after the punctuation at the end of the clause or sentence, except before a dash.

Can I Use Footnotes in APA?

Only for content notes and copyright permission notes. APA citations go in the text and the references, not in footnotes.

How Do I Cite the Same Source Again in Chicago Style?

Use a shortened note with the author's last name, a short title and the page number. The current Chicago manual prefers this to "ibid."