Arsenal were the defending champions, having beaten Chelsea 1–0 in the previous final.
A total of 254 teams had their entries to the tournament accepted by The Football Association.
[2] One hundred and sixty-two teams entered at the first or second round qualifying.
Teams that play in the FA Women's Premier League Division One were given exemption to the third round qualifying, while teams in the Northern and Southern Division entered at the first round proper.
[3] The second round qualifying saw eight ties cancelled due to the withdrawal of one of the teams, the first round proper saw two ties cancelled due to the resignation of Nuneaton Town and Forest Green Rovers before the season started, and the third round proper saw one tie cancelled due to the withdrawal of Watford.
Most matches were played on Sunday 18 September 2016, the only exception being Bishop's Stortford v Bungay Town, which took place on the preceding Saturday.
Most matches were played on Sunday 19 March 2017, the only exception being Manchester City v Reading, which took place on the preceding Saturday.