How to Fix Inconsistent Spacing Around Footnote Separator Lines in InDesign

Hello,

The Layout tab first to check the "Minimum Gap Before First Footnote." Then, jump over to the Rule Above tab that’s where you control the line itself. Make sure the Offset value is the same for both "First Footnote in Column" and "Continued Footnotes" (the dropdown at the top). If those two don't match, your spacing will jump around from page to page.

There is much housekeeping setup for a document with footnotes. Click on Type menu > Document Footnote Options and begin in the Numbering and Formatting tab.

Be sure to setup your Formatting by choosing a “Footnotes” paragraph style (which you make in Paragraph Styles panel). Also choose a white space separator between the footnote number and the footnote text, which could be a default Tab, or an EM, EN, Thin, or Hair space. (I like an EN space). Important, too, is assigning a Superscript character style for the number in the text. Traditionally, the number down in the footnote does not superscript (although MS Word likes it that way)

Don’t forget to click on the Layout tab, too, to choose details about the separator line and the minimum space before first footnote, and other fine details, such as defining white space between footnote paragraphs.