Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Differences between SEQ and LISTNUM Fields.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 15, 2018)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365
Tish wonders what the difference is between the SEQ and LISTNUM fields. She has a document that she would like to have divided into numbered sections, and she needs something that will update automatically if she adds or deletes a section, and something that will allow her to cross-reference.
Let's start by looking at the differences between the two fields. Here are the respective syntaxes for the two fields:
{ SEQ name [bookmark] [switches] } { LISTNUM "name" [switches] }
Right off the bat you can see that the SEQ field allows you to include an optional bookmark name that refers to bookmarked text elsewhere in your document. This means that you can use SEQ for cross-references, but you cannot use LISTNUM for cross-references.
It is interesting that various Help file information in Word states that LISTNUM is better for complex numbered lists. The only situation where I have found this to be true is if you want the field to interact with any automatic numbering in your document. You can, for instance, modify how automatic numbering is used within a document by using special "name" parameters that refer to the built-in numbering sequences (such as "NumberDefault", "OutlineDefault", and "LegalDefault").
While the SEQ field won't allow you to interact with automatic numbering, it provides a wider array of switches than does the LISTNUM field. (You can see a full accounting of the available switches for both fields by searching the WordTips Web site or by accessing Word's Help system.)
Experienced Word users generally find that the SEQ field is more versatile and powerful, under most circumstances, than the LISTNUM field. For this reason, you will most often find the SEQ field used for any custom numbering solutions.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5993) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Differences between SEQ and LISTNUM Fields.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
Need to count the number of times a particular field appears in a document? It's easy to do when you apply the techniques ...
Discover MoreWhen adding form fields to a document, you may want some of the fields to be automatically calculated from other fields. ...
Discover MoreWord keeps track of the date each time you save your document. If you want to insert that "save date" in your document, ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2019-01-04 03:55:13
John Langham-Service
Hi question about the SEQ field, I use SEQ to serially number 18 labels on a sheet
{SEQ sampser \r19 \# "0000" \* MERGEFORMAT}
is it possible to save the highest number as custom doc property and insert it as first number +1 (eg \r36 ) after sheet is printed so than serials continue to increment
I'v googled for ages but only answers involve incrementing a single serial on a document
thanks in advance
John
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments