How to Add Captions to Tables and Figures in Microsoft Word

If you are working on a Microsoft Word document with lots of tables and figures, it can all become confusing later for you and others. Instead of manually naming tables or figures, you can instead configure Word to help you quickly. Word’s caption feature lets you assign names and numbers to your figures and tables.

One of the benefits of using Microsoft Word’s caption feature is that it automatically updates with each new table or figure you introduce. It also facilitates the creation of a cross-reference or list of tables and figures in the document. Here’s how you can add captions to your tables and figures in Microsoft Word.

How to Add Captions to a Table in Microsoft Word

A caption is simply a title given to the table to make the reader understand what it is about. It’s a good idea to assign a number if you have multiple tables in your document to make it easier to identify updates or during discussions. Here’s how to add a caption to a table in Microsoft Word.

Step 1: Click the Start button and type word to search for the app.

2nd step: From the results, click on the Microsoft Word application. Then browse the document you’re working on to open it in Word.

Step 3: On the Word ribbon, click the Insert tab at the top.

Step 4: Click the table options drop-down list in the Tables group and select Insert Table to launch a dialog box.

Step 5: Under the Table size section, select the number of columns and rows for your table.

Step 6: In the Auto-Adjust Behavior section, select whether you want to:

• Fixed column width
• Automatic fit to content
• Auto fit to window

Step 7: Click OK after selecting your preferences.

Step 8: After inserting a table, click on its border to select it and right-click on it to open a context menu.

Step 9: Select Insert Caption from the context menu to launch the Caption dialog box.

Step 10: In the Caption dialog, Word will automatically fill in a caption in the Caption field. You can update it with your preferred caption text for the table.

Step 11: In the Label field, Word will automatically select Table as the label. If you want to update it, you can click on the drop-down menu and choose whether it is an equation or a figure.

Step 12: Click the drop-down menu next to the Position field and select where you want the caption to be placed between “Below selected item” or “Above selected item”.

Step 13: Click the Numbering button to launch the Legend Numbering dialog box.

Step 14: In the Subtitle Numbering dialog box, click the drop-down menu next to Format and select your preferred numbering format.

Step 15: Click OK to save your preference.

Step 16: Click OK to close the Legend dialog to apply the changes.

How to Add Captions to a Figure in Microsoft Word

Adding captions to a figure in Microsoft Word is similar to adding captions to a table. However, a figure can be a table, graph, illustration or photograph. Here’s how to add a caption to a figure.

Step 1: Click the Start button and type word to search for the app.

2nd step: From the results, click on the Microsoft Word application. Then browse and open the document you want to edit.

Step 3: In the Word ribbon, click the Insert tab.

Step 4: In the Illustrations group, click the type of figure you want to insert from Shapes, Charts, Smart Art, 3D Models, or Screenshots.

Step 5: After inserting the figure, click on it to select it and right-click on it to open a context menu.

Step 6: Select Insert Caption from the context menu to launch the Caption dialog box.

Step 7: In the Caption dialog, Word should already have a pre-filled caption in the Caption field, you can either leave it out or provide your preferred caption for the figure.

Step 8: In the Label field, Word should already have the label selected as Figure, however, if you want to update it, you can click on the drop-down menu and choose between Equation or Table.

Step 9: Click the drop-down menu next to the Position field and select where you want the caption to be placed between “Below selected item” or “Above selected item”.

Step 10: Click the Numbering button to launch the Legend Numbering dialog box.

Step 11: In the Subtitle Numbering dialog box, click the drop-down menu next to Format and select your preferred numbering format.

Step 12: Click OK to save your preference.

Step 13: Click OK to close the Legend dialog box and see your changes in effect.

How to Create a List of Tables and Figures in Microsoft Word

If you have multiple tables and figures in Microsoft Word, you can create a list to count them. The list may also include numbers indicating the location of the table and figures. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the Word document you want to edit (check the steps above), choose a location you want your list to show.

2nd step: On the Word ribbon. click on the References tab.

Step 3: In the Captions group, click Insert Table of Figures to launch the Table of Figures dialog box.

Step 4: If you want the page numbers of your table or figures to display, check the box next to Show page numbers.

Step 5: Depending on the list you are creating, click the drop-down menu next to Legend Label and select Figure or Table.

Step 6: Click OK to close the dialog with your saved changes.

Creating custom table templates in Microsoft Word

Instead of using the default TableLooks, you can also create your own TableLook before adding captions to it. You can easily do this using the table design feature in Word. To make the table template easily accessible, you can save it to your Quick Parts gallery.