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To remove a bookmark marker in Word, open Insert > Bookmark, select its name, and choose Delete. The bookmarked text or object stays in the document. Use the keyboard Delete key only if you also intend to remove that content.
Delete a bookmark but keep its content
- Open the Insert tab and select Bookmark. If you use the simplified ribbon and do not see the command, open the ellipsis (…) menu and select Bookmark.
- In the Bookmark dialog, select the Name or Location heading to sort the list if that helps you find the bookmark.
- Select the bookmark name and choose Delete. This removes the marker, not the bookmarked text, picture, or other item.
Microsoft documents this route for Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016. The instructions do not establish identical menus in every operating system or in Word for the web. Microsoft’s bookmark instructions cover the standard and simplified ribbon routes.
Delete the bookmarked item as well
If you want to remove both the marker and its content, select the bookmarked text or item and press Delete. This is different from choosing Delete in the Bookmark dialog, so check what is selected before using the keyboard key.
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In desktop Word, bookmark markers are hidden by default. Go to File > Options > Advanced. Under Show document content, enable Show bookmarks, then select OK. A bookmark around selected text, a picture, or another item appears in brackets; a bookmark placed at a location without selected content appears as an I-beam. See Microsoft’s bookmark troubleshooting guidance.
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Clean up links and references to the deleted bookmark
Remove a hyperlink to the bookmark
Deleting a bookmark does not automatically remove a hyperlink that points to it. Right-click the linked text and choose Remove Hyperlink if the link is no longer needed. Microsoft’s bookmark instructions describe this cleanup step.
Fix a broken cross-reference or field
A field that refers to a deleted bookmark may show “Error! Bookmark Not Defined.” or “Error! Reference source not found.” Check that the intended bookmark still exists and that the field name is correct. If the bookmark remains but a cross-reference has not reflected changes, right-click the field and choose Update Field.
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To update fields throughout the document, select its content with Ctrl+A and press F9. Tables may need to be selected and updated separately. See Microsoft’s instructions for updating fields.
What happens when you edit bookmarked text
Editing marked content is not the same as deleting a bookmark through the dialog. If you delete only part of a bookmarked item, the bookmark remains on the text left behind. If you cut the entire marked item and paste it elsewhere in the same document, Word moves the item and its bookmark together. These behaviors are described in Microsoft’s bookmark troubleshooting guidance.
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