Footnotes and endnotes are the defining feature of Chicago's notes-bibliography system. They allow you to cite sources while also providing space for commentary and cross-references. Struggling with footnote layout guidelines? It is a tedious, frustrating struggle. Let's look at the rules.

Footnotes vs Endnotes

Footnotes appear at the bottom of each page, separated from the main text by a short line. They are preferred when readers need immediate access to citation information. Endnotes appear on a separate page at the end of the chapter.

Footnote Formatting Rules

First citation of a source: Author First Last, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page#. Subsequent citations of the same source: Last, Shortened Title, page#. For repeated citations, Chicago recommends shortened citations instead of Ibid.

Chicago Footnote Examples

• Book (First): ¹ Anthony Grafton, The Footnote: A Curious History (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997), 45-47.
• Journal (First): ² Jane Smith, "Digital Humanities and Historical Research," Journal of Digital History 15, no. 2 (2023): 88-89.
• Shortened Subsequent: ³ Grafton, The Footnote, 92.

Formatly Automates Chicago Footnotes

Formatly handles all the complexities of Chicago footnote formatting, including proper first and subsequent citation formats, page number placement, and punctuation rules.

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Example Document

Want to see the format in action? Open the Chicago Footnotes Example to study the structure, then download the editable Word file when you are ready to reuse it.

The example is educational, and the Word file remains the source of truth for formatting details.

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