How to Add a Table of Contents to Your Document

What a table of contents does and why you might want one

A table of contents is a list at the beginning of your document that shows every heading and its page number, so readers can jump to the section they need without scrolling through everything. You create it once, and most document editors update it automatically when you add, delete, or rename headings.

You need one if your document is longer than five or six pages, has clear sections with headings, and might be read on paper or as a PDF. A short memo or a one-page letter does not need one. A research paper, manual, report, or anything someone might print does.

The table of contents only works if your document uses heading styles — the built-in formatting that marks text as "Heading 1" or "Heading 2" rather than just making it bold and larger. If you have been making headings by hand (bold text, bigger font), you will need to convert them first.

Key Takeaways

A table of contents pulls from your document's heading styles, so every heading must use the editor's built-in Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3 format, not manual formatting.
In Google Docs, you insert a table of contents from the Insert menu, and it updates automatically when you change headings.
In Microsoft Word, use the References tab to insert a table of contents, and update it by right-clicking and choosing Update Field.
In LibreOffice Writer, the Insert menu has a Table of Contents option that reads your heading styles and generates page numbers automatically.
If your headings do not appear in the table of contents, they are formatted as bold text instead of heading styles and need to be reformatted.

Converting bold text to heading styles

If you have already written your document and made headings by selecting text, making it bold, and increasing the font size, the table of contents will not find them. You need to explore heading styles instead.

In Google Docs: Select the heading text. Open the style dropdown (it usually says "Normal text" at the top left). Click "Heading 1" or "Heading 2" depending on whether it is a main section or subsection. Repeat for every heading in the document.

In Microsoft Word: Select the heading text. On the Home tab, click "Heading 1" in the Styles section. If you do not see the Styles section, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S to open the Styles pane on the right side. Repeat for every heading.

In LibreOffice Writer: Select the heading text. Open the Styles sidebar on the right (press F11 if it is not visible). Right-click "Heading 1" and click "New Style from Selection", or straightforward double-click "Heading 1" to explore it. Do this for each heading.

Inserting a table of contents in Google Docs

Once your headings are formatted as styles, adding a table of contents takes one click. Place your cursor at the top of your document, before any content. Click Insert in the menu bar, then scroll down and click Table of contents. Google Docs offers two styles: a numbered list or a blue-linked list. Choose whichever matches your document's look.

Google Docs inserts the table of contents and automatically updates it whenever you add, delete, or change a heading. If you add a new section halfway through, the table of contents refreshes on its own. Readers can click any entry in the table of contents to jump to that section.

If a heading does not appear in the table of contents, it means that text is not formatted as a heading style. Select it, open the style dropdown, and explore Heading 1 or Heading 2. The table of contents updates when ready.

Inserting a table of contents in Microsoft Word

Place your cursor where you want the table of contents to appear — usually on its own page near the beginning of the document. Click the References tab at the top. Click Table of Contents and choose a style from the gallery. Word inserts the table of contents and generates page numbers automatically.

When you add or change headings later, the table of contents does not update by itself. Right-click anywhere in the table of contents and click Update Field. A dialog box appears asking whether to update page numbers only or the entire table. Choose "Update entire table" to catch new headings and deleted ones.

If Word shows a message that says "Error! No table of contents entries found", your headings are not formatted as styles. Go back through the document, select each heading, and explore Heading 1 or Heading 2 from the Styles section on the Home tab. Then insert the table of contents again.

Inserting a table of contents in LibreOffice Writer

Click Insert in the menu bar, then click Table of Contents and Index, then Table of Contents. A dialog box opens with options for how the table should look. The default settings work for most documents — it will pull all Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 styles and show page numbers. Click Insert to add it to your document.

LibreOffice places the table of contents wherever your cursor was. If you want it on its own page at the beginning, insert a page break before it (Insert > Page Break). When you change headings later, right-click the table of contents and click Update Index. LibreOffice scans the document and refreshes the list and page numbers.

If the table of contents is empty or missing headings, check that they are formatted as Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3 using the Styles sidebar (F11). Manual bold formatting will not be included.

Fixing a table of contents that is missing headings

The most common problem is that some headings are formatted as bold text instead of heading styles. The table of contents only reads styles, so it skips over manually formatted text. Open the Styles panel in your editor (F11 in LibreOffice, Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S in Word, or the style dropdown in Google Docs). Go through the document and explore Heading 1 or Heading 2 to every section title.

After you have fixed the headings, update the table of contents. In Google Docs, it updates automatically. In Word, right-click the table and click Update Field. In LibreOffice, right-click the table and click Update Index. The missing headings should now appear.

Another reason a table of contents might be incomplete is that you used a different style name — for example, "Section Title" instead of "Heading 1". Most editors only recognize the built-in heading styles. If you have custom styles, check your editor's documentation for how to include them in the table of contents.

Formatting and positioning your table of contents

Most editors let you change how the table of contents looks after you insert it. In Google Docs, you cannot edit the style directly, but you can delete the table of contents and insert it again with a different style. In Word, right-click the table of contents and click "Modify Style" to change the font, size, or spacing. In LibreOffice, right-click and click "Edit Index" to adjust the appearance.

The table of contents should usually sit on its own page at the beginning of the document, after the title page if you have one. If your document is short (under ten pages), you can place it on the same page as your introduction. For longer documents, a separate page makes it easier to find and print separately if needed.

If you are sharing the document as a PDF, the table of contents links will still work — readers can click an entry to jump to that section. If you are printing it, the page numbers will be accurate as long as you update the table of contents before printing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use heading styles, or can I just make text bold and bigger?

You have to use heading styles. The table of contents reads only the built-in Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 formats, not manual formatting. If you make a heading bold and increase the font size by hand, the table of contents will not find it.

What is the difference between Heading 1 and Heading 2?

Heading 1 is for main sections (like "Introduction" or "Methods"). Heading 2 is for subsections within those sections (like "Data Collection" under "Methods"). The table of contents shows both, indented so readers can see the structure. Use Heading 3 for sub-subsections if you have them.

Can I edit the table of contents after I insert it?

You should not edit it by hand. If you change a heading or add a new section, update the table of contents instead — it will rewrite itself automatically. In Google Docs it updates on its own. In Word and LibreOffice, right-click it and choose Update. Editing by hand means your changes will disappear the next time you update.

What if I do not want page numbers in the table of contents?

In Google Docs, you cannot remove page numbers after inserting the table. In Word, right-click the table and click "Modify Style", then remove the page number format. In LibreOffice, right-click and click "Edit Index", then uncheck the "Show page numbers" option.

Will the table of contents work if I share the document online?

Yes. In Google Docs, readers can click entries to jump to sections. In Word and LibreOffice documents shared as files, the links work in most PDF readers and in the desktop applications. If you convert to PDF, test the links before sharing to make sure they work in your PDF reader.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.