What bookmarks do and how to add one

A bookmark in Word is a named location or selection you mark so you can jump back to it later. When you add a bookmark, Word remembers exactly where it is — whether that's a single word, a paragraph, a table, or a whole section. You can then use the bookmark to navigate quickly without scrolling, or to create a link that takes readers to that spot.

To add a bookmark, first select the text or click at the location where you want to place it. Then go to the Insert tab at the top of Word, find the Bookmark button (usually in the Links group), and click it. A dialog box opens where you type a name for the bookmark — use something short and descriptive, like "Chapter2Start" or "TableOfContents". Click Add, and Word saves that location.

Bookmarks are invisible in the finished document. Readers won't see them unless you turn on formatting marks, which show them as gray brackets around the bookmarked text. They exist only to help you navigate or to serve as targets for links.

Key Takeaways

  • Select the text or position your cursor where you want the bookmark, then use Insert > Bookmark to name and save that location.
  • Bookmark names must start with a letter, contain no spaces, and can use underscores or numbers — "Section_1" works, but "Section 1" does not.
  • Jump to a bookmark by pressing Ctrl+G (or Cmd+G on Mac), choosing the bookmark name, and clicking Go To.
  • Use bookmarks as targets for hyperlinks so readers can click a link and land at a specific spot in the same document or a different one.

Naming rules that Word enforces

Bookmark names follow strict rules. The first character must be a letter. After that, you can use letters, numbers, and underscores — but not spaces, hyphens, or special characters. If you try to type a space, Word will not let you add the bookmark.

Keep names short and meaningful. "Introduction" is better than "Intro_Section_One_Beginning". Word limits bookmark names to 40 characters, and shorter names are easier to find when you have many bookmarks in one document. If you create a bookmark and later want to rename it, you have to delete the old one and create a new one — Word does not have a rename function for bookmarks.

How to jump to a bookmark you created

Once you have added a bookmark, you can navigate to it without scrolling. Press Ctrl+G on Windows (or Cmd+G on Mac) to open the Navigator or Go To dialog. In the list, find your bookmark name and click it, then click Go To or press Enter. Word jumps directly to that location and selects the bookmarked text.

On Mac, you can also use the View menu and select Navigation Pane, which shows all bookmarks in a sidebar on the left. Click any bookmark name in that pane to jump to it instantly.

Using bookmarks to create internal links

Bookmarks become powerful when you link to them. Suppose you have a table of contents at the top of your document and you want each entry to jump to its section. First, create a bookmark at the start of each section. Then highlight the text in your table of contents, go to Insert > Link, and choose Place in This Document. Select the bookmark you want to link to, and click OK.

Now when someone reading the document clicks that link, Word jumps to the bookmarked location. This works within the same document. If you want to link to a bookmark in a different Word file, you can do that too — use Insert > Link, choose Create New Document or Existing File, and then specify the bookmark name after the file path using a hash symbol, like Chapter2.docx#Section1.

Viewing and managing all bookmarks in your document

If you have created many bookmarks and need to see them all at once, open the Navigation Pane. On Windows, go to View > Navigation Pane. On Mac, use View > Navigation Pane as well. The pane shows every bookmark in your document in a list on the left side. Click any name to jump to it.

To delete a bookmark, go to Insert > Bookmark, find the bookmark name in the list, select it, and click Delete. Deleting a bookmark does not delete the text — it only removes the marker. If the bookmark was the target of a link, that link will break and show an error when clicked.

Bookmarks in Word Online and shared documents

Word Online (the browser version) supports bookmarks, but the feature is more limited. You can create and jump to bookmarks, but the Bookmark dialog is less visible — it is tucked into the Insert tab under Link options. The same naming rules apply.

If you share a document with others and use bookmarks, those bookmarks remain in place and others can use them too. However, if multiple people edit the document at the same time, bookmark locations may shift if text is added or deleted before the bookmark. Word tries to keep bookmarks anchored to their content, but large structural changes can move them.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake is forgetting that bookmark names cannot contain spaces. If you type "Chapter 2" instead of "Chapter_2", Word rejects it silently and you may not realize why the bookmark did not save. Always use underscores or no separators at all.

Another frequent issue is creating a bookmark at the wrong location. If you click without selecting text, the bookmark marks a single point (a cursor position) rather than a range. This still works for navigation, but if you later add or delete text before the bookmark, the point may move. Selecting the text or heading you want to bookmark is more reliable.

Finally, do not assume bookmarks are visible to readers. If you send a document to someone and expect them to see bookmark markers, they will not — unless you turn on formatting marks in your own copy. Bookmarks are a behind-the-scenes tool for navigation and linking, not a visible annotation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see bookmarks in the printed version of my document?

No. Bookmarks are invisible in printed output. They exist only in the digital file to help with navigation and linking. If you need a visible marker in the printed version, use a comment, a text box, or a page number reference instead.

What happens to bookmarks if I move or copy text?

If you move text that contains a bookmark, the bookmark moves with it. If you copy text that contains a bookmark, Word creates a duplicate bookmark with the same name in the copied location, which can cause problems. Rename one of the duplicates to avoid conflicts.

Can I bookmark a table or an image?

Yes. Click inside the table or select the image, then add a bookmark the same way. This is useful if you want to create a link that jumps readers directly to a specific table or figure in a long document.

Do bookmarks work in PDFs created from Word?

Not automatically. When you save a Word document as a PDF, bookmarks do not convert to PDF bookmarks by default. Some PDF readers have their own bookmark feature, but it is separate from Word bookmarks. If you need bookmarks in a PDF, use your PDF software to create them after conversion.

How many bookmarks can I add to one document?

Word does not set a hard limit, but performance may slow if you add hundreds of bookmarks to a very large document. For most documents, dozens of bookmarks cause no problems. Keep bookmark names unique — Word will not let you create two bookmarks with the same name in the same document.