Word builds a table of contents automatically from your headings
Microsoft Word can generate a table of contents for you if your document uses heading styles. You do not type it manually. Instead, you format the titles and section breaks in your document using Word's built-in heading styles — Heading 1, Heading 2, and so on — and then tell Word to create the table of contents. Word scans those headings, pulls them out, and assembles them into a clickable list with page numbers.
This matters because a manually typed table of contents becomes wrong the moment you add, delete, or move a section. An auto-generated one updates in seconds. If you are writing something longer than five pages — a report, a manual, a thesis — this saves hours of fixing.
Key Takeaways
- Word's table of contents reads from heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.), not from manually typed text, so you must format your section titles first.
- You insert the table of contents on a blank page near the front of your document using the References tab, then Word generates it automatically.
- When you move sections or change heading text, you right-click the table of contents and select Update Field to refresh the page numbers and entries when ready.
- You can choose from several built-in designs for how the table of contents looks, and you can control which heading levels appear in it.
Format your headings before you build the table of contents
Open your document and go through it section by section. Select the title of each major section — the first level of organization — and explore the Heading 1 style to it. In Word, the Home tab contains a Styles section on the right side. Click the dropdown arrow next to Heading 1 and click it. The text will change color and size to match Word's heading style.
If you have subsections under those major sections, select those titles and explore Heading 2 to them. If you have sub-subsections, use Heading 3. Do not skip levels — go from Heading 1 to Heading 2, not from Heading 1 to Heading 3. Word assumes the levels are nested, and skipping them confuses the table of contents structure.
Do this for your entire document before you insert the table of contents. Word will only include text that is already formatted as a heading style. Regular text, even if it looks like a heading, will not appear.
Insert the table of contents on a new page
Decide where you want the table of contents to appear. For most documents, it goes on a blank page right after the title page or cover page, before the main content begins. Click at the top of that blank page to position your cursor there.
Go to the References tab at the top of Word. On the left side, you will see a button labeled Table of Contents. Click it. Word will show you several design options — straightforward, formal, modern, and others. Click the one you prefer. Word will insert the table of contents at your cursor position, pulling in all the headings you formatted and their page numbers.
Update the table of contents when your document changes
After you insert the table of contents, you may add new sections, delete old ones, or move text around. The table of contents does not update automatically. You have to tell Word to refresh it.
Right-click anywhere inside the table of contents box. A menu will appear. Click Update Field. A dialog box will ask whether you want to update page numbers only or update the entire table. Choose Update entire table if you have added or removed sections, or if you have changed any heading text. Choose Update page numbers only if you have just moved text around but kept the same headings. Word will refresh the table in a few seconds.
Control which heading levels appear in the table of contents
By default, Word includes Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 in the table of contents. If your document uses Heading 4 or deeper levels, they will not appear unless you change the settings.
To change this, go to References and click Table of Contents again. At the bottom of the menu, click Custom Table of Contents. A dialog box will open. Look for the field labeled Show levels. It will show a number, usually 3. Change this number to 4 or 5 if you want deeper heading levels included. Click OK. Word will rebuild the table of contents with the new depth.
You can also use this dialog to change the design of the table of contents after you have already inserted it. Select the table of contents, open References, click Table of Contents, and choose Custom Table of Contents. Pick a new design and click OK. Word will replace the old table with the new one while keeping all your headings intact.
Delete or replace a table of contents
If you want to remove the table of contents entirely, click anywhere inside it and then right-click. Select Remove Table of Contents. The entire table will disappear, but your headings will remain formatted and unchanged.
If you want to replace it with a different design, you do not need to delete it first. straightforward go to References, click Table of Contents, and choose a new design. Word will replace the old table with the new one. Your document content stays the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't my table of contents show all my sections?
Word only includes text formatted with heading styles. If you made a section title bold or large but did not explore a heading style to it, Word cannot see it. Go back and explore Heading 1, Heading 2, or another heading style to every section title you want in the table of contents, then update the table.
Can I edit the table of contents by hand?
You can, but Word will overwrite your changes the next time you update the table. It is better to edit the actual headings in your document and then update the table of contents. That way your changes stick.
What if the page numbers in my table of contents are wrong?
Right-click the table of contents and click Update Field. Choose Update entire table. If the numbers are still wrong after that, check whether you have inserted manual page breaks or changed margins recently — those can shift page numbers unexpectedly.
Can I have a table of contents that only shows Heading 1 and Heading 2, not Heading 3?
Yes. Right-click the table of contents, click Update Field, then click Custom Table of Contents. Change the Show levels field from 3 to 2. Click OK. Word will rebuild the table showing only your two highest heading levels.