Quick answer: Select the figure in desktop Word, choose References > Insert Caption, select the Figure label, add descriptive text after the number, and choose OK. Word inserts a numbered caption that can be updated when figures move.
Insert a numbered figure caption
- Click the image, chart, or other figure you want to describe.
- On the References tab, select Insert Caption.
- In Label, choose Figure. In the Caption field, keep Word’s label and number and type a short description after them, such as “Figure 1. Monthly sales.”
- Choose whether the caption should appear above or below the selected item, then select OK.
Use the Figure label consistently for figures. For an actual data table, choose Table instead. Word uses a numbered field, so typing “Figure 1” as ordinary text will not give you the same automatic renumbering.
Change numbering or formatting
In the Insert Caption dialog, select Numbering to choose the number format and, when appropriate, include a chapter number. To change the appearance of all captions, modify Word’s Caption style instead of formatting each caption separately.
After inserting, deleting, or moving figures, update fields so the numbering is current. On Windows, press Ctrl+A and then F9. On some laptops you may need the Fn key; you can also right-click a caption number and choose Update Field. Check cross-references and any table of figures after updating.
Refer to a figure from your text
After inserting the caption, place the cursor where you want a sentence such as “See Figure 2.” Choose References > Cross-reference, select Figure as the reference type, choose the caption, and insert the label and number or another offered reference format. A cross-reference is a Word field, so it can update when figures are reordered. Typing “Figure 2” manually in the paragraph will not follow a later renumbering.
Use chapter numbers only with numbered headings
For a label such as Figure 3-2, first apply a consistent heading style to chapter headings and number them with a multilevel list tied to that style. In Insert Caption > Numbering, select Include chapter number, choose the matching heading style, and pick a separator. Without numbered chapter headings, the figure number may be wrong or incomplete.
Create a list of all your figures
Once your figures have captions, Word can build a table of figures from them, much like a table of contents. This is common in reports and theses.
- Click where you want the list to appear, such as right after the table of contents.
- Select References > Insert Table of Figures.
- In Caption label, choose Figure.
- Pick a format and choose whether to show page numbers, then select OK.
Word lists each figure caption with its page number. Only captions made with Insert Caption (or text using the Caption style) appear in the list. When you add or move figures, right-click the list and choose Update Field to refresh it.
If a caption looks broken
If you see a code such as { SEQ Figure } instead of a number, Word is displaying field codes; use Alt+F9 in Windows or the field-code toggle in your version of Word to show results. After moving or deleting figures, select the document and update fields, then inspect every affected caption, cross-reference, and table of figures. Microsoft explains cross-references and chapter numbers in captions.
If the caption moves away from the picture
Floating figures can separate from their captions during editing. If possible, set the figure to In Line with Text. For a floating object, Microsoft recommends grouping the caption and figure after placing them together. Review the page layout after changing wrapping or grouping.
A figure caption labels an illustration; it is different from a source citation. If you need to cite the source, see our guide to references in Word.
Microsoft’s instructions: add, format, or delete captions in Word.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com