Footnotes are annotations or additional pieces of information that are added to a document or spreadsheet to provide context, explanations, or references for specific data or text. In Excel, footnotes serve a similar purpose as in other documents, but they are specifically used to supplement data or clarify information within cells.
How to Add Footnote in Excel
To insert a footnote in Excel using comments, begin by selecting the cell where you want the footnote to appear. This can be any cell within your worksheet. Once you have the desired cell selected, right-click on it to bring up a context menu.
In Excel 2016 and later versions, you will see an option labeled “Insert Comment” (or simply “New Comment” in some versions). Click this option to open a comment box associated with the selected cell.
Next, type the text of your footnote into the comment box. This text can include any information that you would typically include in a footnote, such as additional explanations, references, or citations.
Once you have entered the footnote text, click outside the comment box to close it. The cell will now display a small red triangle in the corner, indicating that a comment is attached.
This immediately displays both a footnote number in the corner of the cell and creates a footnote entry box at the bottom of the current sheet tab. Here you can input textual content for explanatory notes associated to that cell’s value. Repeat this process to create multiple footnote links from relevant cells.
