Troubleshoot cross-references

• On the Insert menu, point to Reference, and then click Cross-reference.

Microsoft Word inserts cross-references as fields. If your cross-reference looks similar to {REF _Ref249586 \* MERGEFORMAT}, Word is displaying field codes instead of field results. To see the field results, right-click the field code, and then click Toggle Field Codes on the shortcut menu. (If you want to see the results for every field in the document, select the entire document before you right-click a field code.)

You'll see this message when the information the cross-reference refers to has been deleted from a document. The message may also occur when information the cross-reference refers to has been edited. For example, if the text in a heading referred to in a cross-reference is revised, the cross-reference to the heading may no longer work.

The Cross-reference dialog box displays only headings that are formatted with a built-in heading style. To apply a built-in heading style to a heading, click in the heading, and then click one of the built-in heading styles in the Style box on the Formatting toolbar.

Microsoft Word inserts cross-references as fields. If an item you referred to in a cross-reference isn't correct, you need to manually update the cross-reference fields by selecting a specific cross-reference or the entire document and then pressing F9.

You can create cross references to numbered paragraphs by clicking Numbered item in the Reference type box in the Cross-reference dialog box. In the Insert reference to box you can then select Paragraph number, Paragraph number (no context), or Paragraph number (full context).