I want to create a Cross reference including both the Paragraph Number and the Paragraph text. I'm using a numbered list, in a table. The ref no updates automatically when I add another row to the table.The "Heading" for the List is the Document name (Document 1, Document 2...)



[Ref01] Document 1 Comment 1
[Ref02] Document 2,... Comment 2
...

When I create a cross-reference to the list, I add both: Paragraph number and Paragraph text, from the "Insert reference to:" list.

BUT - I can't get the "Paragraph text" to update - Why?
If I go to the table, and change the text - from "Document 1" to "Document 001" it wont update in the Cross-reference.

How do I create a referensce to the list item - that updates the Paragraph Text - and why is that function there if it's not actually updating?

Cross-references are fields. They do not update automatically.
Select the text in which you have the field and press the F9 key (Fn+F9 on many computers).

See: Dealing with Fields in Microsoft Word

Hi! Yes - this I know. I need to update with F9. BUT - still, those Paragraph Text wont update. It will update most everything else - headlines, numbering in list - but not the Paragraph Text...

Could you tell us a bit more on how you set this up? For example, if you have a two column table and you add the numbering to the first column and the text in the second column, these will be two separate paragraphs (one paragraph per table cell). For the text to be referenced by a cross-reference, you have to create a separate reference, for example after enclosing it in a bookmark.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Please save a copy of your problem document and pare it down to essentially the referenced text (with number, etc.) and the cross-references.
Attach it here.
Attach a Sample File Demonstrating the Problem - Here's How

The problem is likely due to the fact that you are using automatic link updates in the document. Try manually updating the links to see the changes in the paragraph text. It may also be worth checking the auto-refresh settings in your text editor to make sure they are set correctly to update the text when the source document changes.

Hi!
I've attached a example document.
I have two chapters with two cross references to a bullet list below.
The first reference to "Paragraph number" and the second to "Paragraph test".

I've used "Cross reference" from the top meny, and under the "Insert reference to" roll-down I've used "Paragraph number (Full context)" for the [Ref01] data and "Paragraph text" for the "Document 1" data.

What I want:
I want to be able to change the Document 1 text - and get that updated in the Cross reference above.

If I change the Document 1 name, Press F9, the info isn't updated. If I press Ctrl-A and then F9, the info isn't updated...

What am I doing wrong?

If I insert a new row between Ref1 and ref 2 - the [Ref0x] is updated above, the Document y follows - so that works.

BUT - How do I reference to get the Document name to update when I change that in the list below? I mean - I create a reference, a link to the Text - but it wont update/change when I change it. Am I only creating a link - and not a TExt field that will update it's content.

I want the same type of link as I get with the Figura and Table Caption - If I update the Caption name to a figure - it updates the text in the link also!

Attached Files

Document example.docx (15.2 KB, 3 views)

It works fine on my machine.

I'm thinking that perhaps you are 'editing' the source text by typing on the end (after the 1 in Document 1). This is not how you need to edit the text when it is bookmarked - Cross-refs work by adding a hidden bookmark around the text and then creating a Ref field which points at that bookmark. If you edit text so the new text is still inside the hidden bookmark then the Ref field will update to show those edits BUT if you add content at the location where the bookmark ENDS then the added text is outside of the bookmark. Conversely, if you add text in the location where the bookmark starts then that added content IS INSIDE the bookmarked range.

So edit the text by adding your content one character earlier, and then delete the last character. Then try updating the cross-ref.

__________________
Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

Andrew (Guessed) makes an important point regarding editing cross-referenced/bookmarked items in Word.

You can easily break a cross-reference by inadvertently adding content inside the bookmark to which it is pointing. This happens if you type text or press Enter at the beginning of a bookmarked (cross-referenced) item, because Word will then expand the bookmark to include the new content.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional