A table of contents in Word is based on the headings in your document. Put your cursor where you want to add the table of contents. Go to References > Table of Contents. and choose an automatic style. If you make changes to your document that affect the table of contents, update the table of contents by right-clicking the table of contents and choosing Update Field. To update your table of contents manually, see Update a table of contents.

Using a table of contents in your document makes it easier for the reader to navigate. You can insert a table of contents in Word from the headings used in your document, and you can force it to update after you make any changes. Here's how. Regardless of the size of your document, using a table of contents can direct the reader to exactly where they need to be. In addition to making the document more reader-friendly, a table of contents also makes it easier for the author to go back and add or remove content if necessary. By default, Word generates a table of contents using the first three built-in Heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3).

To apply Heading styles, select the particular style from the Style Gallery in the Home tab on the ribbon. If you're not happy with the Heading styles available, you can change the default Heading style by right-clicking the relevant style in the Style Gallery (or pressing the Ctrl+Shift+S Microsoft Word keyboard shortcut to... In this example, I am using Headings 1 to 3 in a dissertation. The final step to complete before creating your table of contents is to add page numbers, so that whoever reads your document can use the table of contents to quickly flick to the relevant... To do this, double-click the footer of your first page, and click "Page Number" in the Header And Footer tab on the ribbon. From there, hover over "Bottom Of Page," and choose the page number style you want to use.

The table of contents is often one of the first things we see when we start a new book. It lets us know what to expect and helps us jump straight to the page or section we want. But how do you make a table of contents yourself? What is the proper table of contents format? Here, we’ll explain everything you need to know about tables of contents, from what they should contain to formatting. The table of contents is a small section at the beginning of a piece of writing that outlines the sections or chapters and lists their page numbers so the reader can jump ahead.

Also known as TOC or simply Contents, the table of contents acts as a navigational guide to help readers find the particular parts they’re looking for. Note that the word content is always plural; saying table of content is incorrect. Tables of contents are closely related to appendices like a glossary or index. The major difference is that tables of contents come at the beginning of a work while appendices come at the end. In particular, tables of contents resemble indexes, which also guide readers to topics of interest by listing their page numbers. We all know how tables of contents are supposed to look, but when you need to make them yourself—like when you’re writing a research paper—it can seem a bit intimidating.

Luckily, most word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs can automatically make your table of contents, so you don’t have to worry too much about doing it manually. (We explain how to make a table of contents in Word and Google Docs below.) Still, it’s always a good idea to customize it after it’s generated, so you can format it how you... By default, adding a Table of Contents can make it easy for the reader to locate document content quickly. The Table of Contents allows jumping from one location to another. Word offers several ways to create a Table of Contents. Some of the common ways:

1. Create a pre-defined Table of Contents (simplest way). By default, Word creates a Table of Contents from the text formatted with sequential heading styles: Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3: You can include or exclude in a Table of Contents any of the used styles such as custom styles: Struggling to organize a long document? Knowing how to create a table of contents in Word can instantly make your work look more professional and easier to navigate.

This guide will walk you through the simple, automated process from start to finish, ensuring a perfect result every time. Before we dive into the steps, it’s important to understand why a table of contents(TOC) is so valuable. A well-structured table of contents: For those in a hurry, here is the fastest way to get it done. Before you do anything else, you must understand this one crucial concept: an automatic table of contents is built directly from your document’s heading styles. If you skip this step, it simply won’t work.

Adding a table of contents in Word is a simple process that can save you time and make your document look professional. With just a few clicks, you can create a table of contents that automatically updates as you add or remove content. Here’s how to do it. Before we dive into the steps, it’s important to understand what we’re aiming to achieve. A table of contents (TOC) provides a quick way for readers to navigate through your document, and it gives your work a more polished look. Apply the appropriate heading styles to the sections you want to include in your TOC.

Word uses heading styles to generate a TOC, so it’s crucial to format your headings correctly. Highlight the text you want to include in the TOC, go to the ‘Home’ tab, and select the appropriate heading style from the ‘Styles’ group. Click where you want the TOC to appear, usually at the beginning of the document. In Microsoft Word, a Table of Contents (TOC) is an automatically generated list of document headings that helps readers navigate sections quickly. It uses heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) to create a structured, clickable outline for easy reference and professional formatting. Here are the steps to add table of contents in Microsoft Word:

Before creating a TOC, format your headings using Word’s built-in Heading styles. Apply these styles consistently throughout your document for each level of headings. Position your cursor where you want the Table of Contents to appear, typically at the beginning of the document. Last Updated: April 24, 2025 Fact Checked This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA. Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada.

Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,091,042 times. The Table of Contents in a document acts as a map for the reader, making it easier for them to find information in the document based on title and page number.

A good Table of Contents should be organized, easy to read and simple to use. You can write a Table of Contents manually on your computer or have a word processing tool create it for you. Make sure the Table of Contents is formatted properly in your final document so it is as accurate and accessible as possible. To write a simple table of contents, create a new page in your document and type the names of the chapters or sections of your piece of writing. Then, use your word processing program to insert the page number where each section starts. If you move things around, the page number in your table of contents will automatically update.

To write a table of contents, open a new document and list the major headings, titles, or chapters of the project in chronological order. Next, insert subheadings or subtopics if your project has those. Fill in the page number where each heading starts, then format the content in a table with 2 columns. Place the headings and subheadings in order in the first column, then put the page numbers in the second column. Don't forget to add a "Table of Contents" title at the top of the document! To learn more about polishing your Table of Contents, read on!

In this article, you’ll learn how to make a Table of Contents in Word, as well as how to update and manage it inside your document. There are 3 types of Table of Contents you can create in Microsoft Word (all with a number of different options and features): Below are examples of 3 of the many styles of Table of Contents you can quickly create in Word. The most important thing to know about creating an automatic Table of Contents in Word is that you first need to format your document using the Heading Styles. That’s because it’s the Heading Styles formatting (as you can see pictured below) that feeds your Table of Contents. This step is explained in detail below.

Creating a table of contents in Microsoft Word is like giving your readers a roadmap to navigate through your document. In just a few steps, you can automatically generate a table of contents that updates as you edit your document. This quick guide will make it easy for anyone to add a professional touch to their Word document. Below are the steps to insert a table of contents in Word. These steps will help you create an organized and easy-to-navigate document. Open the Word document where you want to insert the table of contents.

Make sure the document is ready with headings formatted using Word’s built-in heading styles like Heading 1, Heading 2, etc. This is crucial because Word uses these styles to build the table of contents. Place your cursor where you want the table of contents to appear.

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