Summary
Footnote references currently expose their editable [^label] source but provide no way to inspect the corresponding definition without finding it elsewhere in the document.
Allow a footnote reference to reveal an accessible, bounded preview of its resolved definition and provide an explicit way to navigate to that definition. Missing definitions should produce a clear missing-definition state rather than an empty or broken preview.
This issue covers preview and navigation only. It does not change the established rule that directly editing a reference label does not rename or modify definitions.
Expected behavior
- A reference with a matching definition can reveal a delayed preview through pointer interaction.
- The same preview is available through a keyboard-accessible interaction; it is not hover-only.
- The preview presents a bounded, non-editable representation of the definition content and truncates its presentation when necessary without modifying the document.
- A reference without a matching definition presents an explicit missing-definition state.
- The user can navigate from the reference or preview to the matching definition, moving editor focus and selection to that definition.
- Preview and navigation behavior do not prevent the reference's existing editable source-projection interaction.
- Multiple references with the same label resolve to the same definition.
- Showing, hiding, or navigating from the preview does not modify Markdown, dirty state, or undo history.
- Directly editing
[^label] continues to affect only the edited reference and does not silently rename related references or definitions.
Related context
Done when
Notes
Interaction decision before Ready
A normal interaction with a footnote reference currently activates its editable source projection. The preview and navigation interaction must not take that gesture away.
Before moving this issue to Ready, decide:
- which gesture performs navigation;
- whether keyboard and pointer users reach the same control;
- whether the preview contains an interactive navigation action.
If the preview contains a focusable navigation action, it should use popover semantics rather than presenting interactive content inside a semantic tooltip.
Out of scope
- Renaming a definition and all of its references.
- Inserting new references or definitions.
- Redesigning the footnote-definition block.
- Changing footnote serialization or source-projection behavior.
Summary
Footnote references currently expose their editable
[^label]source but provide no way to inspect the corresponding definition without finding it elsewhere in the document.Allow a footnote reference to reveal an accessible, bounded preview of its resolved definition and provide an explicit way to navigate to that definition. Missing definitions should produce a clear missing-definition state rather than an empty or broken preview.
This issue covers preview and navigation only. It does not change the established rule that directly editing a reference label does not rename or modify definitions.
Expected behavior
[^label]continues to affect only the edited reference and does not silently rename related references or definitions.Related context
docs/specification.md— Footnote definition presentationdocs/specification.md— Footnote-reference source projectionDone when
Notes
Interaction decision before Ready
A normal interaction with a footnote reference currently activates its editable source projection. The preview and navigation interaction must not take that gesture away.
Before moving this issue to
Ready, decide:If the preview contains a focusable navigation action, it should use popover semantics rather than presenting interactive content inside a semantic tooltip.
Out of scope