Captions label the pictures, charts, tables, and equations in a Word document, such as “Figure 1: Monthly sales” or “Table 2: Survey results.” Word’s built-in caption tool numbers them automatically, keeps the numbers in order when you add or move items, and lets you build a table of figures and cross-references later. This guide shows how to insert a caption, change its label and position, number captions by chapter, and fix common problems.
Quick answer
Click the picture or table, go to the References tab, and click Insert Caption. Type your caption text after the label and number, then click OK. Or right-click the item and choose Insert Caption.
How to insert a caption
Step 1: Select the item
Click the image, chart, table, or equation you want to caption. For a table, click anywhere inside it or select the whole table.
Step 2: Open Insert Caption
Go to the References tab and click Insert Caption in the Captions group. You can also right-click the item and choose Insert Caption.
Step 3: Choose the label
In the Label menu, pick Figure, Table, or Equation. Word suggests Table for tables and Figure for most other items.
Step 4: Type the caption text
In the Caption box, Word has already filled in the label and number, such as “Figure 1.” Click after it and type your description, for example “: Quarterly revenue by region.” Don’t delete the number. Word manages it for you.
Step 5: Choose the position and click OK
Use the Position menu to put the caption Above selected item or Below selected item. A common convention is tables above and figures below. Click OK.
Create a custom label
If you need a label like “Chart,” “Photo,” or “Exhibit,” click New Label in the Insert Caption box, type the label, and click OK. Word numbers each label separately, so you can have Chart 1 and Figure 1 in the same document.
Number captions by chapter
In the Insert Caption box, click Numbering, check Include chapter number, and choose the heading style that starts each chapter (usually Heading 1). Captions then read “Figure 2-1,” “Figure 2-2,” and so on. Your chapter headings must use multilevel list numbering for this to work.
Change how captions look
Captions use Word’s Caption style. To change the font, size, or color for every caption at once, go to the Home tab, right-click Caption in the Styles gallery (open the gallery’s More arrow if you don’t see it), and choose Modify.
Add captions automatically
Click AutoCaption in the Insert Caption box and check the item types you insert often, such as Microsoft Word Table. Word then adds a numbered caption every time you insert that kind of item.
Keep captions with their pictures
If a picture’s layout is set to something other than In Line with Text, the caption may be placed in a text box that can drift away from the image. To keep them together, set the picture to In Line with Text before adding the caption, or group the picture and its caption box.
Update caption numbers
Word usually renumbers captions automatically. If numbers look out of order after moving items, press Ctrl + A to select everything and press F9 to update all fields.
Use your captions
- Table of figures: Go to References > Insert Table of Figures to list every caption with page numbers. See our guide on adding a table of figures in Word.
- Cross-references: Go to References > Cross-reference to refer to “Figure 3” in your text, with a link that updates when the number changes.
Word for the web
Word for the web has more limited caption tools. For the steps there, see adding a caption to a picture in Word Online.
Frequently asked questions
How do I delete a caption?
Select the caption text, including the label and number, and press Delete. Then press Ctrl + A and F9 so the remaining captions renumber.
Why does my caption say “Figure 1” for every image?
The captions were probably typed by hand or copied and pasted as plain text. Delete them and insert real captions with References > Insert Caption so Word can number them.
Summary
- Select the item.
- Click References > Insert Caption.
- Choose a label, type the text, and set the position.
- Press Ctrl + A, then F9, to update numbers.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.