How to Add a Table of Contents in Word (2026)
Word builds a table of contents automatically from your heading styles — so the real work is applying Heading 1, Heading 2, and so on to your section titles. Once they’re in place, the TOC is two clicks, and it updates with page numbers whenever your document changes.
1. Apply Heading Styles First
The TOC reads heading styles, not bold text:
- Click a section title.
- On the Home tab, open the Styles gallery and choose Heading 1 for top-level sections, Heading 2 for subsections, and so on.
- Repeat for every heading you want listed.
2. Insert the Table of Contents (Windows & Mac)
- Click where the TOC should go (usually after the title page).
- Go to the References tab.
- Click Table of Contents.
- Choose an Automatic Table style.
Word inserts a linked TOC with page numbers. Ctrl+click (⌘+click on Mac) any entry to jump to that section.
3. Update the Table of Contents
The TOC doesn’t refresh on its own:
- Click anywhere in the table.
- Click Update Table at the top (or References > Update Table).
- Choose Update page numbers only or Update entire table (to catch new or renamed headings).
4. Word for the Web
Word for the web can insert an automatic table of contents (References > Insert Table of Contents) and update it, but custom styling is limited — open the desktop app for full control.
5. Customize Levels and Style
- References > Table of Contents > Custom Table of Contents.
- Set Show levels (e.g., 2 to include only Heading 1 and 2).
- Toggle Show page numbers and Right align page numbers, or change the Formats dropdown.
- Click OK and confirm replacing the existing table.
6. Troubleshooting
My headings don’t appear in the TOC
They aren’t using heading styles. Select each title and apply Heading 1/2/3 from the Styles gallery, then update the entire table.
Extra lines show up in the TOC
A paragraph was accidentally styled as a heading. Reapply Normal style to it, then update the table.
The page numbers are wrong
Choose Update Table > Update entire table — “page numbers only” won’t catch headings that moved sections.
”No table of contents entries found”
Word found no heading styles at all. Apply at least one Heading 1, then insert the TOC again.
Related Word guides: How to add page numbers · How to add a citation · How to insert a footnote · How to add columns · How to do a hanging indent
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