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Easy Footnotes

By Jason Yingling

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Easy Footnotes Review - In-Depth Analysis

Easy Footnotes allows users to add footnotes in WordPress posts using a simple shortcode. It automatically numbers footnotes and displays them at the bottom of the post.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.97/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 33+ reviews)

Active Installations

8,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Easy Footnotes lets you add footnotes throughout your WordPress posts by using the shortcode [efn_note]Footnote content.[/efn_note]. Easy Footnotes will automatically add the number of the footnote where the shortcode was entered and add the full footnote text to the bottom of your post in an ordered list with a corresponding number.

Hovering the footnote label will show the user the full text of the footnote using the jQuery Qtip2 plugin. Clicking on the footnote label will take the user down the page to the corresponding footnote at the bottom of the WordPress post. Each footnote at the bottom of the post has an icon that can be clicked to return to that particular footnote within the post copy.

That is all it takes to start adding footnotes to your WordPress blog!

Comparing to Alternatives

Easy Footnotes is a straightforward and user-friendly plugin for adding footnotes, with several alternatives available that offer similar functionality.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple and intuitive to use with minimal setup required
Automated numbering and hover box functionality enhances user experience
Compatible with Gutenberg and Elementor visual builder
Allows disabling the footnote section at the bottom to rely on hover boxes
Lightweight and efficient for adding contextual footnotes

Weaknesses

No option to place footnotes at custom locations within posts
Limited styling options for footnote markers
Paragraphs containing footnotes may load slightly slower
Lacks advanced customization features found in some alternatives

User Sentiment Analysis

With a high rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 33 reviews, users generally praise Easy Footnotes for its simplicity and effective functionality.

Positive highlights

'Easy to use and adds relevant sub-context without disrupting flow' – delphineous
'Automated numbering and hover box work well, favorite feature is disabling bottom footnote section' – Clarus Dignus
'Works within Elementor and Gutenberg, very handy for long posts' – silverliebt
'Simple and good plugin, nothing more required' – kambro
'Hover-over functionality enhances user experience' – scientificnotes

Common complaints

Weaknesses

No option to place footnotes at custom positions within posts
Limited visual customization for footnote markers
Potential slight slowdown in loading paragraphs with footnotes

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a simple, lightweight plugin to add footnotes with automated numbering and hover functionality, especially those using Gutenberg or Elementor builders.

Not ideal for

Users who need advanced customization, custom footnote placement within posts, or extensive styling options may find this plugin limiting.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers automated footnote numbering, hover box display, and compatibility with popular page builders, providing excellent value for basic footnote needs.

Final Verdict

Easy Footnotes excels as a simple and efficient tool for adding footnotes with automated numbering and hover functionality. Its compatibility with Gutenberg and Elementor makes it a convenient choice for many users, and the plugin maintains a strong security record with no known vulnerabilities.

While it lacks advanced customization and custom footnote placement, its ease of use and solid performance make it a great option for users who want straightforward footnote functionality without complexity. Alternatives may be considered if more features are required.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Easy Footnotes plugin.

footnotes

blogging

tooltips

Screenshots

FAQ

Simply use the shortcode [efn_note]Footnote content goes here[/efn_note] and Easy Footnotes will enter numeric footnotes into your post that open on hover and take the user to the footnote at the bottom of the page on click.

Just use the efn_footnote_label filter in your functions.php to edit the output.

     function efn_change_label_markup( $output, $label ) {         return '' . $label . '';     }     add_filter( 'efn_footnote_label', 'efn_change_label_markup', 10, 2 );

Place the following code in your functions.php file to disable the qTip features.

     function efn_deregister_scripts() {         wp_deregister_style( 'qtipstyles' );         wp_deregister_script( 'imagesloaded' );         wp_deregister_script( 'qtip' );         wp_deregister_script( 'qtipcall' );     }     add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'efn_deregister_scripts' );