Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 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: Adding Caption Labels.

Adding Caption Labels

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 12, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


1

If you use the captioning feature of Word, you can easily insert consistent, automatically numbered captions for different elements in your documents. For instance, you can insert captions for tables and figures.

Word allows you to define different labels that are used with your captions. In the caption "Figure 7," the word "Figure" is the label portion of the caption. By default, Word provides three standard caption labels: Figure, Table, and Equation. If you want, you can define different labels for use with your captions. To define labels, follow these steps:

  1. Display the References tab of the ribbon.
  2. Click the Insert Caption tool, in the Captions group. Word displays the Caption dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Caption dialog box.

  4. Click on the New Label button. Word displays the New Label dialog box. (See Figure 2.)
  5. Figure 2. The New Label dialog box.

  6. Enter your new label, exactly as you want it to appear.
  7. Click on OK to save your label.
  8. Click on Cancel to dismiss the Caption dialog box.

Now you can use the newly defined label whenever you want to add captions in the future. Simply follow the steps to insert a caption as you normally would but choose the caption you just defined.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13301) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Adding Caption Labels.

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

Field Reference to Number of Prior Pages

Fields are used for all sorts of purposes in Word, but typically to provide some sort of dynamic information. This tip ...

Discover More

Converting Footnotes to Endnotes

When you spend a lot of time creating footnotes, how can you convert all of them to endnotes without entering them all ...

Discover More

Saving an Envelope for Future Use

It can take a while to get an envelope to appear just the way you need. Why throw your work away when you are done with ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Changing Existing Captions

Word allows you to automatically create captions for various elements of your document, such as figures and tables. These ...

Discover More

Automatic Periods after a Caption

Word can automatically add captions to certain elements of your documents, such as figures or tables. You can control ...

Discover More

Adding Captions

Need to add a caption after a document element such as a figure or table? You can add and format one manually, or you can ...

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 4 + 7?

2022-03-12 20:41:18

steve Leach

I've been using Word and Excel for years with Links from Excel -> Word with no problem. I just bought a new laptop with the latest version of both programs, Office 365 and One Drive. Now links won't stick between saving, closing and reopening. I think the problem is a OneDrive issue, but its a really big problem and I'm at a loss for a viable solution.
Thank you


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.