How to Make a Table of Contents in Microsoft Word

Making a table of contents for a book is an automatic process with good word-processing software. Here's how to create a table of contents and update it as you write in Microsoft Word, as well as how to use the table of contents to scroll through your document.

Instructions

Creating the Table of Contents

1

Make sure each embedded heading, if any, is in a separate paragraph by placing your cursor after the heading and pressing the "Enter" key.

2

Apply Word's built-in heading or outline-level format styles to the headings you want to include in the table of contents. If using your own custom heading styles, skip this step.

3

Display paragraph marks after embedded headings by clicking the "Show/Hide Paragraph Mark" toolbar button. Select each paragraph mark, then click "Font" on the "Format" menu. Click the "Font" tab, select the "Hidden" check box and click "OK." Hide the paragraph marks by clicking the "Show/Hide Paragraph Mark" button again. (If there are no embedded headings, skip this step.)

4

Place your cursor at the location in the document where you want to build your table of contents and click your left mouse button.

5

Select "Index and Tables" from the "Insert" menu, then click the "Table of Contents" tab.

6

Click "Options," if using a custom heading style, and find a style you applied to document headings under "Available styles." Enter a number for the level of heading you want that style to represent under "TOC level," to the right of the style name. Repeat for each style you wish to include and click "OK."

7

Choose a design listed under "Formats" or specify a custom layout. Choose a tab leader (separator for the heading title and page number) from the "Tab Leader" drop-down list and the number of levels to display by clicking the "Show Levels" arrows. Click "OK" to create the table.

Page Navigation With a Table of Contents

8

Scroll the document to the table of contents.

9

Point to a page number in your table of contents. Your cursor will change to a pointing hand.

10

Click the page number. The document will scroll to that page.

Updating the Table

11

Update the document by adding, deleting or moving text.

12

Click anywhere within the table of contents. The table text will turn gray.

13

Press F9 to display the "Update Table of Contents" dialog box.

14

Select "Update Page Numbers only" and click "OK." The gray around the table text will disappear, and the numbers will be updated.