APA Footnotes | Format & Examples

APA footnotes are uncommon, but writers sometimes use them for either of these reasons:

• Provide extra content about an idea in the main text
• Share copyright details for lengthy quotations or reproduced documents

APA footnotes are not the same as APA in-text citations, which give credit to the sources you’re quoting or paraphrasing. They’re sometimes useful in dissertations and books but rarely necessary in undergraduate essay writing.

Each APA footnote begins with a superscript number that corresponds to a superscript callout number in the main text—like this.¹ You can place each footnote in the footer of the page with the callout number or on a separate footnotes page after the APA reference page.

APA footnotes format

APA footnotes involve two steps:

• A superscript callout number in the main text, which alerts readers that there’s a note with further information
• A numbered footnote with the extra information, which can go at the bottom of the page with the callout number or on a separate footnotes page after the references

APA has specific guidelines for callout numbers, footnotes at the bottom of the page, and footnotes on a separate page.

APA guidelines for callout numbers

APA provides the following guidelines for the callout numbers that refer readers to each APA footnote:

• Use superscript numbers in consecutive order.
• When the footnote applies to an entire sentence, place the callout after the period, but do not add a space between the period and the number—like this example.⁴
• When a callout number goes with text that’s inside two dashes—like this⁵—place the number before the closing em dash.
• When the callout only applies to content that’s in parentheses, place the number before the closing parenthesis (like this⁶).

APA footnotes at the bottom of the page

To format footnotes on the bottom of the page, place your cursor in the location where you need a callout number, and select “Insert Footnote” in the “References” menu for Word or “Footnote” in the “Insert” menu for Google Docs.

To type the note in the page’s footer, follow these steps:

• Use “tab” to indent the note ½ inch from the left margin.
• Add one space between the superscript number and the first word of the note.

APA footnote at the bottom of the page example 

APA footnotes on a separate page

Another option is to place all of the APA footnotes together on one page after the references list. APA provides the following guidelines for this method:

• Label the section “Footnotes” (bold, centered) at the top of the page.
• Indent each footnote ½ inch, and use double spacing.
• Write the superscript number that matches the callout, and add one space before the first word.

If you have tables, figures, or appendices, these items go after the footnotes page in an APA document.

APA footnotes on a separate page example 

When does APA use footnotes?

APA also provides guidelines for the two situations when you can use footnotes.

APA footnotes for additional content

APA advises writers to use footnotes for additional content sparingly. These notes can briefly elaborate on a detail in your main text or refer readers to other resources. They should be brief and focused on a single idea. If the information is longer than a paragraph, place it in an appendix instead of a footnote.

Also include an in-text citation and a reference entry for any sources that the footnote mentions, quotes, or paraphrases. For example, the paper with the following footnote would have a reference entry for Geiger even if Geiger isn’t also cited in the main text.

APA footnotes for copyright attribution

If the main text of an APA paper quotes copyrighted material that exceeds fair use guidelines (e.g., an excerpt of a formal assessment), you may need to get formal permission from the copyright holder and acknowledge this permission in an APA footnote. Include the copyright year and copyright holder in the note.

If you receive permission to reproduce a table, figure, or other image, include the copyright note in a caption beneath the graphic rather than in a footnote.

Frequently asked questions about APA footnotes

Does APA use footnotes?

In rare situations, APA uses footnotes, but not for in-text citations like Chicago style writing.

APA footnotes are for providing extra content that would interrupt the flow of the main text (e.g., suggesting additional sources) or for giving copyright attribution for long quotations and excerpts.

For example, if a dissertation excerpts a copyrighted psychological assessment, a footnote should include the copyright holder’s name and copyright year. These notes are rarely necessary in undergraduate essay types.

When you’re writing APA footnotes, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you write concisely and choose the best words.

Can I use ibid. in APA Style?

APA Style, like MLA style, does not permit the use of “ibid.” Both MLA and APA Style use in-text parenthetical citations, and footnotes are used only to add further information, not for citations.

Regardless of the citation style you use, every source you reference in your academic writing should be cited correctly. QuillBot’s Citation Generator can help you cite sources correctly, and our online Plagiarism Checker can help ensure your writing is free of accidental plagiarism.

What is an APA footnote citation?

There is no such thing as an APA footnote citation. APA uses parenthetical citations rather than footnotes to document outside sources. APA citations include the author and year of publication in parentheses—like this (Dreyfus, 2023).

An APA footnote is for supplemental information (e.g., suggestions for further reading) or copyright details for excerpted materials in the main text of your paper.

When an APA footnote includes information from another source, it should also include an APA in-text citation and an entry on the APA reference page.

¹ Other general practitioner screening tools for Alzheimer’s include the Mini-Mental State Examination (Folstein et al., 1975) and the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (Brodaty et al., 2002).

When you’re writing APA footnotes that need APA citations, QuillBot’s free APA Citation Generator can help you avoid errors.

What’s the difference between a footnote and an endnote?

The difference between a footnote and an endnote is the location in a document.

Footnotes go in the footer of the same page of the main text that includes the corresponding superscript numbers. Endnotes go together on a separate page after the main text (e.g., right before or after the bibliography depending on the style requirements).

Footnotes and endnotes have different uses in Chicago, MLA, and APA style writing. They can provide supplemental information in any of these three styles, but they’re also citations in Chicago style writing (e.g., Chicago book citations).

APA footnotes and MLA footnotes and endnotes are never used for citations.

When you’re writing footnotes or endnotes, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors. QuillBot’s free Chicago Citation Generator can also help you instantly cite sources.