How to type an asterisk in Google Docs

Insert → Special characters

1. Click Insert → Special characters.
2. Type asterisk in the search box. You'll see the asterisk family, including ✱, ✳, ✻ and ⁂.
3. Click one to insert it.

You can also draw a shape in the box on the right and Docs will suggest characters that match.

Make your own shortcut

Tools → Preferences → Substitutions lets you add your own automatic replacements. Add ;ast in the left column and paste ✱ in the right. From then on, typing ;ast in any of your documents becomes ✱.

Why does my asterisk text turn italic?

If Automatically detect Markdown is turned on in Tools → Preferences, Docs treats Markdown syntax as formatting. Text wrapped in single asterisks becomes italic and double asterisks become bold. Turn that setting off, or press Ctrl + Z (⌘ + Z on Mac) right after it happens to keep the asterisks.

Asterisk footnotes in Docs

Google Docs numbers its built-in footnotes automatically and doesn't offer symbol markers. To use an asterisk instead:

1. Type * right after the word or sentence.
2. Select it and press Ctrl + . (⌘ + . on Mac) to make it superscript.
3. Add the matching note at the bottom of the page or the end of the section, starting with the same *.

For more than one note, use the traditional symbol order: *, †, ‡, §.