How to make a table of contents in Word in a few seconds

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Apply the correct styles to the headings and the program will do everything automatically.

In addition to simplicity and speed, this method has several more significant advantages over manual input. If you decide to change the structure of the document, the table of contents can be easily rearranged to fit it. In addition, the subheadings become links that quickly open the relevant sections of the text.

This instruction is suitable for all variants of Word except Word Online: the web version does not know how to create an automatic table of contents. The location and names of some interface elements in older releases of the program may differ, but the general order of actions remains the same.

1. Choose styles for headings

Arrange the headings in the text and apply formatting styles to them with titles in the Heading N format. Observe the hierarchy. For example, if you selected the Heading 1 style for the top-level headings, choose the Heading 2 style for the next level of headings, and so on.

To apply a style to a heading, select the last one and click on the corresponding style in the toolbar. If the panel does not contain the desired styles, open them using the Alt + Ctrl + Shift + S key combination. An additional panel with all the styles should appear on the right side of the screen.

2. Add a table of contents to your document

For the program to add a table of contents based on the headings you formatted, move the cursor to the beginning of the text and click on the toolbar Links → Table of Contents → Auto Collected Table of Contents 1.

If you want the table of contents to appear on a separate page, add breaks before and after it. To do this, place the cursor in front of the table of contents and click "Insert" → "Page Break". Then move your cursor to the end of the table of contents and do the same.

If in the future you edit the document and the table of contents is out of date, update it: left-click on it, then click "Update Table" and choose to update only page numbers or the entire table of contents.

You can quickly navigate to sections of text by left-clicking on the corresponding items in the table of contents. But for the links to work, hold down the Ctrl key.

3. If desired, customize the type of table of contents

If the look of the standard table of contents does not suit you, or it does not display all the headings, you can delete it and customize the new table of contents to suit your needs. If so, click Links → Table of Contents → Custom Table of Contents.

When the settings window opens, specify the table of contents options you need. Here you can remove the placeholder (dots near paragraphs), hide or move page numbers, select the number of displayed levels and edit their hierarchy.