How to Insert a Table of Contents in Word

To insert a table of contents in Word, first format your section titles with the Heading 1, Heading 2 and Heading 3 styles. Then click where you want the table, go to References > Table of Contents, and choose an automatic style. Word builds the table from your headings and adds page numbers.

These steps work in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024 and 2021 on Windows and Mac, with a note for Word for the web. Below you’ll also find how to update the table, add entries that aren’t headings, change the look, and fix missing or wrong entries.

Step 1: Format Your Headings

1. Select the title of your first main section.
2. Go to Home > Styles and choose Heading 1. The text changes to the Heading 1 look and appears in the Navigation pane.

3. Apply Heading 2 to subsections and Heading 3 to anything below that.
4. Repeat for every title you want in the table.

Making titles bold or bigger by hand doesn’t count; Word only reads heading styles. To keep your own font instead of Word’s default heading look, format one title the way you like, then right-click Heading 1 in the Styles gallery and choose Update Heading 1 to Match Selection. Open View > Navigation Pane to check that all your headings are picked up (here’s more on the Navigation pane in Word).

Want a decorative look for your title page? See our picks for the best cursive font in Microsoft Word.

Step 2: Insert the Table of Contents

1. Click where you want the table, usually on a blank page after the title page. Make sure the line is left-aligned, not centered, so page numbers line up.
2. Go to the References tab and select Table of Contents.

3. Choose one of the Automatic styles. Word inserts a table that lists your headings with page numbers, indented by level.

In Word for the web: go to References > Table of Contents > Insert Table of Contents.

These steps follow Microsoft’s guide to inserting a table of contents. A Manual Table style doesn’t use your headings and can’t update automatically; it just gives you placeholder text to type over.

To send readers to one section from somewhere else in the text, you can also make a hyperlink in Word that points to a heading.

If there’s no empty page for the table yet, here’s how to add a blank page in Word after your title page.

<p>If the document lives in Google Docs instead, the command is in a different menu, so follow these steps to <a href=”https://www.solveyourtech.com/table-of-contents-google-docs/”>make a table of contents in Google Docs</a>.</p>

Step 3: Update the Table After Edits

The table doesn’t change on its own when you edit the document.

1. Select References > Update Table, or right-click the table and choose Update Field.
2. Choose Update page numbers only if you only moved text, or Update entire table if you added, removed, or renamed headings.

3. Select OK. The table now matches your current headings and pages.

Microsoft’s Update a table of contents page covers each option. Updating the entire table removes any edits you typed directly into it, so make changes in the headings instead.

Step 4: Change How It Looks

1. Go to References > Table of Contents > Custom Table of Contents.
2. Set Show levels to the number of heading levels you want, and choose whether to show and right-align page numbers.
3. Pick a Tab leader, such as dots, dashes, or none.

4. To change fonts or spacing, select Modify, choose a level such as TOC 1, and select Modify again.
5. Select OK and replace the existing table when asked.

See Microsoft’s page on formatting a table of contents. For theses and reports with strict formatting rules, check your style guide before choosing levels and spacing.

Add an Entry That Isn’t a Heading

There is also a way to add text without applying a heading style:

1. Select the text, or click where the section starts.
2. Press Alt + Shift + O to open the Mark Table of Contents Entry box.
3. Type the entry text, choose a level, and select Mark.

4. In Custom Table of Contents > Options, check Table entry fields, then update the table.

Troubleshooting

Headings are missing from the table

Missing entries usually mean the text isn’t formatted as a heading. Select the title, apply a heading style, and update the entire table. If you use Heading 4 or lower, raise Show levels in Custom Table of Contents.

Body text shows up in the table

A normal paragraph has a heading style applied. Click it, choose Normal in the Styles gallery, and update the table.

Page numbers are wrong

Select Update Table and choose Update page numbers only. Do this last, after all edits, since new text shifts page numbers.

The page numbers don’t line up

The table was inserted on a centered line. Undo, left-align the line, and insert it again.

Frequently Asked Questions