How to Cross-Reference Captions in Microsoft Word

You can use cross-references to refer to figures in your documents, so that if the figure numbers change, this information will automatically update. To create a cross-reference in Microsoft Word, follow these four steps.

This feature works the same in all modern versions of Microsoft Word: 2010, 2013, and 2016.

1. Put your cursor where you want the cross-reference to appear.
2. From the References tab, in the Captions group, select Cross-reference.
3. In the Cross-reference dialog box, select the reference type and other options.
4. In the For which caption section, select the item you want to reference and select Insert.