WPS Footnotes on Windows: Introduction

WPS Footnotes let you add numbered notes and supporting explanations at the bottom of the page; this feature 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	All current topics are available directly

About This Feature

Overview

Footnotes in WPS Office on Windows are a document annotation feature for adding explanations, supporting details, or source references at the bottom of the page.

Core tasks include:

Insert a footnote: Add a reference number at the current cursor position and create a matching editing area at the bottom of the page.
Move through footnotes: Jump to the previous or next footnote quickly.
Adjust footnote formatting: Set the footnote position, numbering format, starting number, and scope.
Manage footnote content: When you delete a footnote marker in the main text, the related footnote content is removed as well.

This feature is useful for academic writing, book layout, research reports, and annotated formal documents.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
OS	A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office
Network	Footnote editing is a local document feature and does not require a network connection
Other	Open an editable document in WPS Writer

Download & Installation

Before using footnotes, install the WPS Office desktop app for Windows and open your document in WPS Writer.

Item	Notes
Official Download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install Check	Launch WPS Office → open WPS Writer → go to the References tab and confirm that footnote tools are available

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	In the References tab, WPS lets you insert footnotes, move to the previous or next footnote, and open the Footnote and Endnote dialog box to set position, numbering format, starting number, and scope.	Word supports adding footnotes and endnotes, and its formatting options let you adjust the size, font, and indentation of footnotes or endnotes.	Google Docs supports footnotes in documents. In pages format, footnotes appear at the bottom of the page; in pageless format, they appear together at the end of the document.	Notion help content covers writing, editing, links, and block-based content, but it does not describe a native page-bottom footnote feature.	Adobe InDesign supports footnotes and provides controls for numbering style, formatting, columns, and footnote layout.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: WPS places insertion, navigation, and settings in the same ribbon area. Distinct: It is convenient for adding and reviewing footnotes in long documents.	Compared with WPS: Word also supports footnotes and endnotes, but the cited page focuses more on insertion and formatting options.	Compared with WPS: Footnote display in Google Docs depends on document format, and pageless documents place footnotes together at the end.	Compared with WPS: Notion is centered more on block editing and page organization, and its official help does not describe direct page-bottom footnotes.	Compared with WPS: Adobe is oriented more toward professional publishing workflows and offers deeper layout controls for footnotes.
Official Source	—	Add footnotes and endnotes	Use headers, footers, page numbers and footnotes	Intro to writing and editing	Create footnotes in InDesign

Overall Conclusion: If you want a direct way to insert, review, and adjust footnotes in Windows documents, WPS provides a clear set of tools in one place. For papers, reports, and other annotated documents, this workflow fits everyday editing needs well.

Use Cases

#	Scenario	Target Users	Core Pain Point	Solution
1	Academic paper notes	Students, researchers	Need to add source notes for statements in the main text	Use Insert Footnote to add references at the bottom of the page
2	Book manuscript explanations	Editors, authors	Need to explain terms or background details without interrupting the main text	Insert a footnote at the related position and enter the note
3	Long-document footnote review	Reviewers, editors	Too many footnotes make manual checking slow	Use Previous Footnote and Next Footnote to move through notes quickly
4	Consistent footnote numbering	Layout staff	Footnote formatting needs to stay consistent across sections	Use Footnote and Endnote settings to control position, numbering format, and starting number
5	Remove outdated notes	General office users	Some footnotes are no longer needed after editing the main text	Delete the footnote marker in the main text to remove the related note

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Footnotes are available without a membership. The WPS pricing page also shows a free plan and paid plans. The free plan includes core Office features and basic PDF capabilities, while paid plans include more PDF tools, templates, cloud storage, and additional features.

Feature	Free User	WPS Member
Insert and edit footnotes	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic Office document editing	✅ Available	✅ Available
More PDF and extended tools	Basic capabilities by plan	More extended capabilities
Cloud storage and template benefits	Basic quota and limited downloads	Higher quota and more benefits

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Use Case	Recommended Plan	Reason
Everyday document notes and basic paper editing	Free	Footnotes are available directly and fit regular writing and review work
Need more PDF tools, templates, or cloud storage	WPS Member	In addition to footnotes, you can access more extended productivity benefits

WPS membership center: Subscribe now