WPS Footnotes on macOS: Introduction

WPS Footnotes is a document annotation feature in WPS Docs on macOS for adding notes and references at the bottom of a page; it includes 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	4	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	4	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

Footnotes let you add supporting notes, source references, or explanatory content at the bottom of a page. They are useful for academic papers, books, research materials, and long documents that need structured references. In WPS Docs on macOS, you can insert a footnote, move between existing footnotes, and open Footnote and Endnote settings to adjust position, numbering format, and starting number.

Core tasks include:

Insert a footnote: Create a footnote marker at the current cursor position and enter the note at the bottom of the page.
Go to the previous footnote: Quickly review the previous footnote.
Go to the next footnote: Quickly review the next footnote.
Configure footnotes: Adjust footnote position, numbering format, starting number, and apply scope.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
OS	A macOS device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac
Network	Footnote editing itself does not require a network connection; downloading, installation, and account-related actions do
Other	Open an editable document in WPS Docs

Download & Installation

Item	Notes
Official Download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install Check	Launch WPS Office → open a WPS Docs document → check the References tab for footnote-related options

Source: WPS Download Center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	In WPS Docs, you can insert footnotes, move to the previous or next footnote, and use a dialog box to set footnote position, numbering format, starting number, and apply scope.	Word for Mac supports inserting footnotes and endnotes and lets users customize them in the Footnote and Endnote settings.	Google Docs supports inserting footnotes in a document, and in pageless format footnotes appear together at the end of the document.	Notion help content focuses on page editing, blocks, comments, and links, and does not describe a native footnote feature.	Adobe InDesign supports creating footnotes, automatic numbering, and footnote numbering and layout options.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: WPS brings insertion, previous/next navigation, and footnote settings together in the same References area, which helps with continuous review and document formatting.	Compared with WPS: Microsoft also supports insertion and settings, but its official page emphasizes both footnotes and endnotes together.	Compared with WPS: Google Docs supports footnote insertion, but the official guidance focuses more on basic insertion behavior and pageless display.	Compared with WPS: Notion's official help does not describe a native footnote workflow, so it is more oriented to block-based notes and collaboration pages.	Compared with WPS: Adobe's footnote tools are positioned more for professional layout workflows than everyday document editing.
Official Source	—	Add footnotes and endnotes in Word for Mac	Use headers, footers, page numbers & footnotes	Intro to writing & editing	Create footnotes in InDesign

Overall Conclusion
If you mainly work on academic writing, explanatory documents, or content that needs structured notes, WPS Footnotes provides a direct workflow for insertion, navigation, and formatting. For everyday document editing and light layout work, this workflow stays centralized. If your work is more focused on publishing layout, Adobe's page-design controls may be more relevant.

Use Cases

#	Scenario	Target Users	Core Pain Point	Solution
1	Academic paper references	Students, researchers	Need to add source notes for statements in the main text	Use Insert Footnote to add references or explanations at the bottom of the page
2	Book manuscript notes	Editors, authors	Extra explanations in the main text can interrupt reading flow	Add background notes and term explanations with footnotes
3	Long-document review	Reviewers, editors	Moving back and forth between many footnotes is inefficient	Use Previous Footnote and Next Footnote to jump quickly
4	Numbering standardization	Academic writers, publishing staff	Footnote numbering style and starting value need to stay consistent	Adjust numbering format and starting number in Footnote and Endnote
5	Section-based document cleanup	Office users	Different parts of a document may need different footnote behavior	Use apply scope settings to control footnote rules

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Footnote features are available without a membership. A paid plan is generally more suitable if you also need additional office features beyond footnotes.

Feature	Free User	WPS Premium
Insert and edit footnotes	✅ Available	✅ Available
Navigate and configure footnotes	✅ Available	✅ Available
Other advanced office benefits	Refer to the product page	Refer to the product page

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Use Case	Recommended Plan	Reason
You only need footnotes and standard document editing	Free	Footnote tools are available directly with no extra membership requirement
You also need broader advanced office features	WPS Premium	Suitable if you need expanded office benefits in addition to footnotes

WPS membership center: Subscribe now