Paste text with footnote markers and a footnote list, and get endnotes renumbered in order. Free, no sign-up.
What this tool does
Journals differ on footnotes versus endnotes, and converting by hand means renumbering every marker in the text and rebuilding the list at the end — a task where one missed number corrupts every later reference. This migrator takes text with markers like [1], [2] and a footnote list, and returns the text with endnote markers plus a single numbered endnote list in first-use order, so a style change becomes a paste instead of an afternoon.
Why it matters
Good citations do quiet work. They let a reader find every source you used, they show that your argument rests on real evidence rather than memory, and they protect you: a clean reference list is much harder to challenge than a vague one. Most marks lost on referencing are not lost on difficult sources. They are lost on small, repeated slips — a missing year, a swapped initial, a title in the wrong case — that a quick tool pass catches before submission.
How to use it
- Paste the main text with markers like [1].
- Paste the footnote list, one per line: 1. text
- Click Migrate and copy text + endnotes.
Worked example
Text ‘Water is vital[2] and scarce[1].’ with footnotes ‘1. See Patel 2023. / 2. See Lee 2022.’ becomes ‘Water is vital[1] and scarce[2].’ with endnotes ‘1. See Lee 2022. / 2. See Patel 2023.’ — renumbered by first use, not by the old order.
Tips for good results
Migrate before final proofreading, not after. Renumbering changes line breaks and page flow in print layouts.
Work from the source itself, not from another paper’s copy of it. And keep one style for the whole list: a single mixed entry undermines an otherwise perfect bibliography.
Honest limits
Markers must be in [n] form and the footnote list must be numbered lines. The tool renumbers by first appearance; it does not handle repeated markers with different meanings, symbols (*, †) or footnotes inside tables. Check any marker the tool reports as unmatched.
Common mistakes to avoid
Common mistakes to avoid: copying a reference from another paper without checking it against the original, trusting a PDF filename for the title or year, and mixing two styles in one list. Each of these looks harmless alone and careless together. Run the tool, read its output once, and compare it with the source itself before you paste it into your document.
Before you submit
Run through this short check before you submit: is every author name spelled as it appears on the source, is every year present and correct, and does every in-text citation have a matching entry in your reference list? Read the list once from top to bottom rather than skimming it. Most referencing errors are found in that single slow read, and fixing them there is far cheaper than fixing them after a reviewer finds them. If one entry still looks odd after that read, check it against the original source before you change anything else.
Frequently asked questions
Is this tool really free?
Yes. It runs in your browser on this page, with no account and no payment. Nothing you paste leaves your computer.
Do I still need to check the result?
Yes, once. Tools apply rules; they cannot verify facts about your source. Compare the output with the source itself before submitting.
Can I use the output in my paper?
Yes. The output is a formatted reference or analysis for your own work. Keep the source’s facts accurate and the formatting consistent across your list.
What if the tool’s output differs from my style guide?
Trust the style guide. Tools encode the common rules of a style; your university or journal’s own sheet wins every disagreement. Use the tool to do the routine work, then apply the local rule where it differs.
Also available in Spanish: Migrador de Notas al Pie a Notas Finales – Convierte Notas al Pie en Notas Finales Gratis.
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