Reveal when hovering not working on endnotes

Ellen Todd 20 Reputation points
2026-09-03T17:14:42.6166667+00:00

I am putting the finishing touches on a 15 chapter document of almost 90,000 words. I had both footnotes and endnotes using the same numbering system - that was confusing. I changed the footnotes to a,b,c, etc. Before that change, I could hover over my endnote superscript reference and see the endnote text. That hover feature no longer works. Did changing the footnote references cause that, or did I inadvertently do something else. I've tried every help suggestion I can find (under options, bibliography), have tried closing and reopening my document. None of that has helped.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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Allan Solomon Mejia 7,915 Reputation points
2026-09-03T20:48:04.4966667+00:00

Hi @Ellen Todd

Changing the footnote numbering from numbers to letters should not normally disable the hover preview for endnotes. Word's endnote reference marks are designed to display the note text as a ScreenTip when you hover over them.

First, check File → Options → Display → Show document tooltips on hover and make sure it is enabled. This option controls the pop-up information shown when hovering over references and similar document content.

Since this is a 90,000-word document, also test a new blank document: insert one endnote and see whether its hover preview works. If it works there but not in your manuscript, the problem is likely document-specific rather than a global Word setting.

One other thing to check is whether the affected superscripts are still actual endnote reference marks rather than cross-references or hyperlinks. Word treats those differently, and an endnote cross-reference does not necessarily display the original endnote text when hovered.

For now, avoid rebuilding or converting the notes in your main document. With a document of this size, make a backup copy first and use the blank-document test to narrow down whether this is a Word setting or something specific to the manuscript.

Help make this community better for everyone: if this answer resolved your issue, please accept it or upvote it. If not, share more details in a comment so we can continue the discussion and find the right solution.

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  1. Stefan Blom 351.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-04T17:10:54.9+00:00

    In a quick test, I don't see a problem with the screentips for endnote text, even if I change the endnote number format.

    Is the problem specific to that one document, or can you reproduce it in any document in Word?

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