How to create a table of contents in Word (step-by-step)

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):

  1. Automatic Table (based on your saved formatting)
  2. Custom Table of Contents that is 100% customizable
  3. Manual Table that requires you to do all of the heavy lifting

Below are examples of 3 of the many styles of Table of Contents you can quickly create in Word.

There are three styles for your table of contents in Word: formal, distinctive, and fancy

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.

Example showing how the heading styles in Word are reflected in your table of contents

If you don’t want to use the Heading Styles, you can use a Manual Table to create your Table of Contents, as discussed below.

Note: Throughout this article, the words Table of Contents and TOC are used interchangeably.
On the top, of all examples below were created using the Microsoft Office 365 subscription, which you can learn about on Microsoft’s website here.

How to create a table of contents in Word

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The first critical step to creating an automatic updating TOC in Word is properly formatting the sections of your document using the :

If you have already formatted your document this way, you can skip to the next section.

Note: You are not limited to the default Heading Styles formatting. Below I’ll show you how you can not only change your Styles formatting, but also how you can create your own.

1. Applying Heading Style Formatting

To properly format your Word document using the Heading Styles, simply:

  1. Select the section Headings of your document
  2. Navigate to the Home tab
  3. Select the Heading 1, Heading 2 or Heading 3 style, as appropriate

By default, only the Heading 1 through Heading 3 Styles will automatically populate into your Table of Contents.

You can still use the Heading 4 through Heading 9 styles in a Table of Contents, but you’ll have to do so with a Custom Table of Contents, as discussed below.

Note: Instead of using the Styles gallery to mark up your Word document, you can also use the Add Text drop down directly on the References tab, saving you a few clicks. To mark up text using the Add Text drop down, simply:

  1. Select your section heading text
  2. Navigate to the References tab
  3. Open the Add Text dropdown menu
  4. Select your Heading style
This is the exact same thing as using the Heading Style 1, Heading Style 2 and Heading Style 3 options in the Styles gallery on the Home tab. The option that says Do Not Show in Table of Contents is the same as marking your text as Normal.

2. Heading Style Shortcuts

If you have a large Word document, you can speed up the formatting process by using Heading Style shortcuts.

Shortcuts like these are the fastest way to double your productivity.

The apply heading style shortcuts are alt plus shift plus one through nine

To set up a basic Table of Contents in Word, the 3 Heading Styles shortcuts you’ll need to remember are:

You can apply the Normal style to any text in your document that you don’t want to show in your TOC.

The apply normal style shortcut in Word is control plus shift plus n

Normal Style Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + N

When making an automatic Table of Contents in Word, only content that is properly formatted using these Heading Styles will appear in your TOC.

Furthermore, this formatting is critical if you later want to convert Word to PowerPoint.

3. Changing Your Heading Style Formatting

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If you don’t like the way the default Heading Styles look, you can change them. To do that, simply:

  1. Navigate to the Design tab
  2. Choose a different Document Formatting

If you click the downward facing arrow, you will see more options, as pictured above.

Note: The Document Formatting styles change all of the formatting styles within your Word document. Therefore, you’ll want to review your entire Word document to make sure you are okay with whatever new Document Formatting you select.

4. Creating Your Own Heading Style Formatting

If you don’t like the Document Formatting options for your Heading Styles, you can create your own. To do that, simply:

  1. Format your Heading Style however you want it to look
  2. Navigate to the Home tab
  3. Right-Click the Heading Style you want to change
  4. Select Update Heading to Match Selection

Doing so will change the Heading Style to match the formatting you’d applied to that text. In addition, it will automatically update all the existing Headings of that level in your Word document.

How to Insert a Table of Contents

Once you’ve properly formatted your document using the different Heading Styles, creating your Table of Contents is pretty straightforward.

1. Insert a Table of Contents

To insert an automatic updating table of contents in Word, click the references tab, open the table of contents drop down and select one of the automatic tables

Once your Word document is properly formatted with the Heading Styles, to make your Table of Contents, simply:

  1. Click into your document where you want your TOC
  2. Navigate to the References tab
  3. Open the Table of Contents dropdown menu
  4. Choose Automatic Table 1 or Automatic Table 2

Choosing either option inserts a TOC based on your Heading 1, Heading 2 and Heading 3 Styles.

Your table of contents in Word is dictated by the heading styles you apply within your document

Your TOC might look different than the one pictured above depending on whether you previously inserted and saved your TOC style.

Note: If you right-click the Table of Contents in the dropdown menu, you get options for where to place it in your document.. Some of these options require you to use the different page break options in Word to properly place within your document.

Setting up these different sections is the trick to getting more than one Table of Contents in your Word document.

That’s the difference between the Automatic Table 1 and Automatic Table 2 styles?

Not much. The main difference is the title – table of contents vs. contents – which you can just click into and change. If you need more formatting options beyond the Automatic Table styles, you can create your own Custom Table of Contents.

Note: If you do not properly format your Word document using the Styles gallery, inserting a TOC will result in the following warning: No table of contents entries found If this happens to you, simply work your way through your document and apply the proper Heading 1, Heading 2 and Heading 3 styles.

If you want more than just 3 levels in your Table of Contents, you’ll need to insert a Custom Table.