How to Add a Table of Contents in Google Docs (2026)
A table of contents in Google Docs builds itself from your heading styles and stays clickable — readers jump straight to any section. The key is formatting your headings correctly first. Here’s the full process.
Step 1: Format Your Headings
The table of contents only picks up text formatted with heading styles — not text you’ve just made big or bold.
- Click into a section title.
- In the toolbar, open the Styles drop-down (it usually says “Normal text”).
- Choose Heading 1 for main sections, Heading 2 for subsections, and Heading 3 for sub-subsections.
The indent levels in your table of contents mirror this hierarchy.
Step 2: Insert the Table of Contents
- Click where you want it — typically just after the title or cover page.
- Go to Insert > Table of contents.
- Choose a style:
- With page numbers — best for documents you’ll print or export to PDF.
- With blue links — best for on-screen reading and sharing.
- Plain text with dotted leaders — a classic printed look.
The table appears instantly, listing every heading.
Step 3: Update It After Edits
The table of contents does not refresh automatically as you type.
- Click anywhere inside the table.
- Click the refresh icon (a circular arrow) that appears to its left.
It rebuilds to reflect your current headings and page numbers. Do this right before you share or export.
Make Entries Clickable
Both the link and page-number styles produce clickable entries. Click any line in the table to see a small pop-up with a link — Ctrl+click (or Cmd+click on Mac) jumps to that section. In an exported PDF, the links remain active.
Delete or Restyle the Table
- Delete: Right-click the table and choose Delete table of contents, or select it and press Delete.
- Restyle: Delete it and reinsert with a different style. You can also change the font and size of entries directly by selecting them and using the toolbar — but reformatting is wiped on the next refresh, so adjust the underlying heading styles instead for permanent changes.
Troubleshooting
My headings aren’t showing up
They’re probably formatted as Normal text that just looks big. Reapply a real Heading 1/2/3 style from the Styles drop-down.
The page numbers are wrong
Click the table and hit the refresh icon — numbers don’t update on their own.
A heading appears at the wrong level
Change its style: Heading 1 sits at the top level, Heading 2 indents under it, and so on. Adjust the heading style to move it.
Related Google Docs guides: How to add page numbers · How to do a hanging indent · How to make columns · How to insert a checkbox · How to double space
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