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How to update or refresh caption numbers in Word?

Author Amanda Li Last modified

Captions in Word are used to label figures, tables, and other objects, providing a clear reference for readers. As you edit your document by adding or deleting figures and tables, the caption numbers may become out of sequence. It’s essential to update or refresh these caption numbers to maintain accuracy and consistency throughout your document.

In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to easily update or refresh caption numbers in Word, ensuring your document remains well-organized and professional.

Updating or refreshing caption numbers with shortcuts

Using shortcuts is an easy way to update or refresh caption numbers in your document, but you need to remember to do it.

  1. Press Ctrl + A to select all the text in the document.
  2. Press F9 to update the caption numbers.

All the caption numbers in the document will be updated immediately.

Updating or refreshing caption numbers with Kutools for Word

While the previous method to update or refresh caption numbers is straightforward, Kutools for Word provides a convenient one-click solution. If you prefer a quick and simple way to update or refresh caption numbers, this tool is an excellent choice.

Kutools for Word, equipped with AI 🤖, offers over 100 handy features to simplify your tasks.

After installing Kutools for Word, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Kutools Plus tab.
  2. In the Captions group, click Refresh.

    Refresh button on the Kutools Plus tab on the ribbon

After clicking the Refresh button, all caption numbers will be updated.

Caption numbers before updating
Arrow
Updated caption numbers
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Updating or refreshing caption numbers with VBA

Alternatively, we can use VBA code to update or refresh the caption numbers. Follow the instructions below to use VBA for this task.

  1. Press Alt + F11 to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Application window.
  2. Click Module on the Insert tab, then copy and paste the following VBA code into the Module window. 
    Sub UpdateCaptionNumbers()
Dim oStory As Range
Dim oField As Field
For Each oStory In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
For Each oField In oStory.Fields
oField.Update
Next oField
Next oStory
End Sub
  3. Click the Run Run button button or press F5 to apply the VBA.

Demo: Update and refresh captions in Word

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