If Pages changes a slash-separated reference into a fraction, turn off Automatically format fractions in Pages > Settings > Auto-Correction. Other changes, such as automatic numbering or clickable text, need their own controls.

This guide is for Mac users who want typed page-and-line references to remain ordinary text. For example, you might use 1/2 to mean page 1, line 2. Apple documents automatic fraction formatting, but does not describe a reference-specific exception in that control. The supported approach is to disable the formatting feature responsible for the change. Apple’s Pages fraction-formatting guide

Identify what Pages is changing

Before changing settings, type one affected reference in a spare paragraph and observe the result. Record the original characters, whether the change happens after Space or Return, and whether you are typing in ordinary text or a table cell. This gives you a repeatable check for the fix.

Use the visible change to choose your next step. These are diagnostic distinctions derived from Apple’s documentation; they do not mean Apple recognizes your text as a page-and-line reference.

What changes Relevant feature Where to start
Digits around a slash acquire fraction formatting Automatic fractions Turn off fraction formatting below.
A paragraph gains a list marker, indentation or a continuing number Automatic lists Check list detection.
Text becomes an active link Automatic links Inspect the link and the relevant link setting.
Characters become a different word or symbol Text substitution Inspect the replacement list.

Apple documents these as separate features: fractions, lists, links and text substitutions. Match the remedy to the actual change instead of disabling every option.

Turn off automatic fraction formatting in Pages

For slash-separated references that are receiving fraction formatting, use this setting:

  1. Make Pages the active app.
  2. Choose Pages > Settings from the menu bar at the top of the screen.
  3. Click Auto-Correction.
  4. Under Formatting, deselect Automatically format fractions.
  5. Return to the document and type a fresh reference, then press Space or Return.

Apple’s instructions describe selecting this checkbox to enable the feature; deselecting it disables that automatic formatting. Apple identifies Space and Return as triggers in its typing example. Format fractions automatically in Pages on Mac

Understand the setting’s limits

The setting affects subsequently typed text; changing it does not repair existing fractions. Apple also explicitly excludes fractions typed in table cells and comments. If the problem happens there, this checkbox is not the documented control for that behavior. Pages fraction-formatting limitations

Apple does not document an option here to preserve reference notation while automatically formatting mathematical fractions elsewhere. If your document uses both, leave the feature off while entering references and review any mathematical fractions separately. Treat the reference as literal text whose characters you need to preserve.

Use the corresponding control in Keynote

If you also enter the references on slides, check Keynote directly:

  1. Open a presentation in Keynote.
  2. Choose Keynote > Settings.
  3. Click Auto-Correction.
  4. Under Formatting, deselect Automatically format fractions.
  5. Type a new reference in slide text and test it with Space or Return.

Keynote documents the same boundaries: the feature applies to future typing, leaves existing fractions unchanged, and does not apply to table cells or comments. Its documentation likewise provides no reference-specific exception. Format fractions automatically in Keynote on Mac

If the reference becomes a list, link or replacement

Stop automatic lists when numbering is the problem

Pages can recognize a list when a paragraph starts with a dash, or a number or letter followed by a period. If entering a reference at the start of a paragraph produces list formatting, choose Pages > Settings > Auto-Correction, then deselect Automatically detect lists. Apple says this setting applies to all Pages documents. Format lists in Pages on Mac

To end a list you are currently typing, Apple documents pressing Return twice or pressing Delete. Turning off detection addresses automatic list creation; do not assume it removes formatting from an existing list. Also, do not assume every reference containing a period will trigger a list—the documented pattern depends on its position and punctuation. Pages automatic-list instructions

Remove an unwanted active link

First click the affected text to inspect whether it is actually a link. To remove an existing link, click Edit in the link editor, then Remove. Pages retains the text while removing the active link and its link formatting. Edit or remove a link in Pages

For future typing, open Pages > Settings > Auto-Correction. Under Formatting, deselect the relevant option: Automatically add links to webpages and emails or Automatically add links to phone numbers. Apple documents these categories, rather than a detector specifically for references. The settings affect new text across Pages documents and leave existing links unchanged. Pages automatic-link settings

If you want an active link without its automatic visual styling, Apple instead documents deselecting Automatically apply link style while leaving the relevant link-creation option enabled. Choose this only when the link itself is wanted. Control link appearance in Pages

Check substitutions when the characters change

If an abbreviation or symbol is replaced with different text, inspect Pages > Settings > Auto-Correction, particularly the Replacement section and its Replace/With entries. Apple documents custom substitutions controlled by Symbol and text substitution. These Pages substitutions apply only to Pages. Replace text automatically in Pages on Mac

That is a separate mechanism from fraction formatting. A useful diagnostic is to compare the literal characters before and after the change: altered characters suggest a substitution, while numbering and indentation suggest a list. Avoid adding a new replacement rule until you have identified the existing cause.

Repair existing references and verify the result

After adjusting the relevant setting, correct one existing reference manually. Retype its intended characters, add the normal following space or punctuation, and check the result. Then test another newly typed reference. This separates two questions: whether the old text has been repaired and whether new text remains unchanged.

For repeated text corrections, Pages supports View > Show Find & Replace. Choose Find & Replace from the search field’s pop-up menu, enter the unwanted text above and the intended replacement below, then use Replace or Replace & Find to review individual matches. Apple also documents Command-F for opening search. Find and replace text in Pages on Mac

Use a text replacement only when the characters themselves need changing. For example, replacing every ½ with 1/2 could also alter a genuine fraction. Review each match in context, and fill in the replacement field: Apple states that an empty replacement field deletes the found text. Search covers content throughout the document, including tables, headers, footers and comments. Pages search and replacement behavior

Finish by testing the exact notation you intend to keep, in the location where you normally enter it. For slash-separated references in ordinary text, disabling automatic fractions is the documented path. If the symptom is numbering, linking or character replacement, apply that feature’s control and check existing references separately.

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