What is cross reference in ms word ?

A cross-reference refers to an item that appears in another location in a document. For example, you can mention "Figure 1" in your document and refer the reader to the figure's location elsewhere in the document. By default, Word inserts a cross-reference as a hyperlink that you can click to be taken directly to the cross-referenced item. You can create cross-references to items such as headings, footnotes, bookmarks, captions, and numbered paragraphs. If you add or remove content that causes the referenced item to move, you can update the cross-reference.

Do any of the following:

Create a cross-reference

You can insert cross references to any existing numbered items, headings, bookmarks, footnotes, endnotes, equations, figures, or tables in your document.

1. On the View menu, click Print Layout.
2. Position the cursor where you want the cross-reference to appear.
   For example, if you introduce your cross-reference with the words For more information, see, add a space after the word see, and then position the cursor after the space.
3. On the Insert menu, click Cross-reference.
4. On the Reference type pop-up menu, click the kind of item you want to refer to.
5. On the Insert reference to pop-up menu, click the description that you want to appear in the document.
   For example, if you create a cross-reference for a table, selecting Above/below inserts the word "above" if the table is located above the cross-reference.
6. In the For which caption box, click the specific item you want the cross-reference to refer to.
   Note:  If you don't want the cross-reference to be a clickable hyperlink, clear the Insert as hyperlink check box.
7. Click Insert.
   

Update a cross-reference from one page to another

Use this procedure if you move the item that you're cross-referencing from one page to another. For example, if you have a cross reference to a table and then move the table to another page, you must update the cross reference.

1. On the View menu, click Print Layout.
2. Do one of the following:

To	Do this
Update a specific cross-reference	Point to the cross-reference, press CONTROL and click the cross-reference that you want to update, and then click Update Field.
Update all cross-references in the document	Select the whole document, press CONTROL and anywhere on the document, and then click Update Field.

1. Note: If you see Error! Bookmark not defined. or Error! Reference source not found., the cross-referenced item is no longer in the document.