Word Intermediate Lesson 3: Captions, Cross-References and a Table of Figures

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📘 Word Intermediate Course · Lesson 3 of 8

“See Figure 3” breaks the moment someone adds a chart before it. Captions and cross-references renumber themselves.

Captions

Select the picture or table > References > Insert Caption. Choose the label (Figure, Table, or New Label for “Chart”, “Exhibit”) and its position: figures usually below, tables usually above.

Cross-references

Where you want “see Table 1”: References > Cross-reference > Reference type: Table > Insert reference to: Only label and number > pick the table. Ctrl+click it in the text to jump there.

Table of figures

References > Insert Table of Figures > Caption label: Figure. Make a second one for Tables.

In the finished example Word numbered Figure 1, Figure 2 and Table 1, turned “As shown above” into “As shown in Table 1”, and listed both figures.

Common mistakes

• Typing the number into the caption: it won’t renumber. Let Insert Caption add it.
• Deleting a figure but not its caption: the remaining numbers stay correct only after F9.

Practice

Download the practice document below: the task list is at the top, the content to work on underneath.