> ## Knowledge Base Index
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> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
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# Using labels and references

Imagine the following scenario. You have a document with 20 figures labeled Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , etc . You have been writing the document for days. You realize today that you need to include a new figure right at the beginning of the document. You include it. But now, if you label it as Figure 1 you need to change the old Figure 1 to Figure 2 and so on and so forth, 20 times. (Plus every single time that those figures are referenced). 🙈  

Authorea uses a dynamic labeling and referencing system so that all elements of a document --- headings, tables and figures --- can be referenced and automatically numbered. How does it work?

Click the ¶ icon in the editor toolbar to pull up the reference tool. If you don't have any figures, tables or headings, it will look like this:

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d38f777e-0276-4c52-8a15-b5855ac4903c/167a94f6-2ac6-4e47-b7d4-f15c4b69f5af.png)
So, go ahead and create some paragraphs with headings (h1, h2, h3) and some figures with captions. Click again the ¶ icon in the toolbar and you will now be able to reference these components on the fly, by selecting them from a list:


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d38f777e-0276-4c52-8a15-b5855ac4903c/8e1edbbd-d921-42eb-bd4a-f1453865d15b.png)
Now, if you need to add a figure before Figure 1  you don't need to change a thing. Just add it. We'll take care of the rest 😎