Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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: Floating Footer.

Floating Footer

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 25, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


1

Julie asked if there was a way, in a two-column document, to make a special footer that "floats" five lines beneath the end of the right column on the last page of the document.

The short answer is no, there is not a way. Why? Because footers can only appear in the footer area of a document—which is, by definition, at the same place at the bottom of each page. The longer answer is that you probably don't want a footer, at least not what Word terms a footer.

The most likely solution is to utilize a text box. You can define one that is anchored to the final paragraph of your document. It will then float as the document grows or contracts. You can even instruct Word to position the text box so it appears five lines below the last paragraph of the document.

For help with creating text boxes and positioning them, refer to other issues of WordTips or to the online help system within Word itself.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7752) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Floating Footer.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Alerts About Approaching Due Dates

You may use Excel to track due dates for a variety of purposes. As a due date approaches, you may want that fact drawn to ...

Discover More

Turning Off ScreenTips

ScreenTips are one of those artifacts of Microsoft trying to make Excel be overly helpful. If the ScreenTips bother you, ...

Discover More

Switching Editing Location

Excel allows you to edit the contents of a cell in two places—the cell itself or in the Formula bar. If you want to ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Suppressing Headers or Footers

Don't want a header or footer to appear on just a portion of your document? It's easy to do when you understand that ...

Discover More

Using a Portion of a Document's Filename in a Header

Headers and footers add a nice finishing touch to a document you plan on printing. You may want all sorts of information ...

Discover More

Including a Printer's Name in a Footer

If you can produce output on a number of different printers, you may want Word to indicate on your printouts which ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two minus 0?

2019-03-02 07:58:06

Maureen Devaney

When I typed my girlfriend's email address, I put two lower case l's in her name. The email came back and I realized what I did. i edited the address and deleted the extra 'l' but ever since (over 3 years ago), when I reply to one of her emails to me, my computer puts the wrong email address in to the Reply section instead of her correct email address. I have deleted the wrong email address and cannot find any others so is it in memory in Yahoo and how do I get rid of it My mail is always being returned due to the wrong email address and I have to send a "new" email which does have her correct email. I cannot find the wrongly spelled email address on my contact list. Any suggestions?


This Site

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.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.