To label a screenshot in Microsoft Word, select the picture and choose References > Insert Caption. Pick the Figure label or create a Screenshot label, type a clear description after the automatic number, and select OK. Word inserts a numbered caption field that can be updated when screenshots are added or moved.
This guide covers desktop Word workflows, custom labels, automatic numbering, accessibility, cross-references, layout problems and an API alternative for generating a clean screenshot before you place it in Word.
What a Word screenshot label is—and what it is not
A caption is visible text in the document that identifies or explains an image, such as “Screenshot 1: Payment settings before saving.” Word treats the number as a field, so it can maintain a sequence across multiple screenshots.
A caption is different from alt text. Alt text is attached to the image for people using screen readers and is not normally visible on the page. If the screenshot contains important words, instructions or data, reproduce that information in the surrounding document instead of expecting readers to extract it from the image.
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Step-by-step: add a numbered screenshot caption
- Insert or select the screenshot. Click the screenshot already in your document. If you still need to add one, Word’s separate workflow is Insert > Screenshot or Insert > Screen Clipping; Microsoft’s instructions are at Insert a screenshot or screen clipping.
- Open the caption command. With the picture selected, go to References > Insert Caption.
- Choose a label. In the Label list, select Figure if that fits your document. To use wording specific to screenshots, select New Label, type Screenshot, and confirm.
- Write the explanation. Word places the numbered label in the Caption box. Add a concise description after it, for example “Screenshot 2: Export options with PDF selected.” Keep the wording meaningful without repeating a paragraph immediately above the image.
- Confirm. Select OK. Word inserts the caption and supplies the sequential number as a field.
The result might read “Screenshot 1: Account security panel.” You can edit the descriptive words later without manually replacing the number.
Choose between Figure and Screenshot labels
| Label | Best use | What readers see |
|---|---|---|
| Figure | Documents that contain diagrams, photos and screenshots in one figure numbering sequence. | Figure 1: Account security panel |
| Screenshot | Technical guides where screenshots need their own clearly identifiable sequence. | Screenshot 1: Account security panel |
| Custom label | Specialized documentation with an established terminology or house style. | Your chosen label followed by Word’s number |
Word remembers a custom label after you create it in that document environment. The exact ribbon location can vary between Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019 and older releases, but the central command remains References > Insert Caption.
Format captions consistently
Set the caption position
The caption dialog includes a position choice, such as below or above the selected item. Use one position consistently throughout a report. Captions below screenshots are common in procedures because readers encounter the image first, but a publication’s style guide may require captions above.
Use the Caption style
Word normally applies its built-in Caption style. Modify that style rather than formatting each caption independently: open the Styles pane, locate Caption, open its menu and choose Modify. Set the font, spacing and alignment once so every screenshot label remains consistent.
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Keep the wording specific
- Name the screen, dialog or state shown.
- Include an action or result when that helps the reader, such as “Select Enable backup.”
- Do not put essential instructions only inside the image.
- Avoid vague labels such as “Screenshot of the app.”
Make a floating screenshot move with its caption
If a picture uses a floating wrapping layout, it can separate from its caption while editing. Set the picture’s text wrapping before inserting the caption. Then select both the picture and its caption and use Word’s grouping command so they move as one object. After moving or inserting figures, update the caption fields and check the sequence.
For a screenshot that should stay in the text flow, use an inline layout instead. Inline images generally move with the paragraph and need less manual positioning, although they offer less freedom for side-by-side designs.
Fix field-code and numbering problems
Word shows something like { SEQ Screenshot * ARABIC }
Word is displaying field codes rather than their results. Press Alt+F9 to switch between field-code view and the readable caption number. On some keyboards you may need the function-key modifier as well.
Numbers are out of order
Caption numbers are fields, so they may not refresh immediately after rearranging content. Select the affected caption, right-click its number and choose Update Field. For a longer document, select the document content and update all fields using Word’s field-update command, then review headers, tables of figures and cross-references.
A caption is missing from the sequence
Check that every label was inserted through References > Insert Caption. Numbers typed manually are ordinary text and will not participate in automatic numbering. Replace manually typed labels with Word captions if you need reliable sequencing.
The label or caption is in the wrong place
Undo the insertion, select the correct picture, and run Insert Caption again. If the screenshot is floating, review its wrapping and anchor settings; the caption belongs to the selected object at the time you invoke the command.
Add accessible descriptions
Right-click the screenshot and open its alt-text controls (the wording varies by Word release). Write a short description that communicates the image’s purpose, not every decorative detail. For example: “Security settings page with two-factor authentication enabled.”
If the image contains a table, error message, code or other information that readers must use, place that content in normal document text as well. Alt text should not duplicate a full caption word for word; the caption identifies the figure for everyone, while alt text provides an equivalent experience for people who cannot see it.
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- Insert and confirm the screenshot caption first.
- Place the cursor where the reference should appear.
- Choose Insert > Cross-reference.
- For Reference type, choose the caption’s label, such as Screenshot or Figure.
- Select the specific caption and choose whether to insert the label and number, the full caption text or another available part. Enable the hyperlink option if readers should be able to jump to the screenshot.
- Select Insert. Update the cross-reference if captions are later added or reordered.
A sentence such as “See Screenshot 3 for the completed settings” then remains linked to Word’s caption field instead of relying on a number you typed yourself.
Practical checklist before you share the document
- Every screenshot has one caption inserted through References > Insert Caption.
- The label choice—Figure, Screenshot or a custom term—is consistent.
- Numbers are updated after moving, adding or deleting screenshots.
- Floating pictures remain attached to their captions, or are grouped.
- Alt text is concise and useful.
- Important text in an image is also available as ordinary document text.
- Cross-references point to captions rather than manually typed numbers.
- The document has been checked in the Word version and platform used by its readers, because ribbon labels and layout controls can differ.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need the screenshot itself before labeling it in Word, ScreenshotNeo can return a PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF from one request. It accepts cookie and consent banners, removes more than 60 known consent platforms plus newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture, and bills only clean shots: bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed. Each response reports the page verdict and billing status in X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.
Use your API key and replace the example URL with the page you want to place in Word. Full parameter documentation is at ScreenshotNeo’s API documentation.
cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython
import requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
const data = Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer());
await import('node:fs/promises').then(fs => fs.writeFile('shot.webp', data));ScreenshotNeo also provides an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. The service includes full-page capture with lazy images loaded, element capture by CSS selector, device presets and custom viewports, dark mode, retina scale, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks, waits, request blocking, headers, cookies, authorization, timezone and geolocation controls, transparent backgrounds, resizing, chosen cache TTLs, signed image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture for up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API and an OpenAPI specification. Parameters used by other screenshot APIs are accepted to ease migration.
The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots; every feature is available on every plan. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account to get started.
Troubleshooting the generated image before Word
The result is a consent dialog or popup
Use ScreenshotNeo’s cleanup options, which can be enabled or disabled per capture. Its pre-capture visitor flow accepts consent banners and removes known consent, newsletter and chat elements before the image is taken.
The page is blank or blocked
Check the returned X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. Bot checks, CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts and failed loads are identified and are not billed. If the site requires authentication, supply the appropriate cookies, headers or authorization settings documented for the API.
The image is too long or too small in Word
Choose a viewport or device preset suited to the document, use full-page capture only when the entire page is needed, and resize the result before inserting it. In Word, set an exact picture width and let height remain proportional to avoid distortion.
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Can I type “Screenshot 1” manually?
You can, but manual numbers will not update when screenshots are inserted or reordered. Use References > Insert Caption when you need automatic numbering.
Should the caption go above or below a screenshot?
Either position works. Choose one position and apply it consistently, following your publication or team style.
Does alt text replace a visible caption?
No. A caption identifies the screenshot for all readers; alt text provides an accessible description for screen-reader users.
Why does Word show field codes instead of a number?
Press Alt+F9 to switch from field-code display to the normal caption-number display.
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