Creating a table of contents in Microsoft Word is a simple yet essential task for organising and navigating larger documents. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a table of contents in Microsoft Word.
Format Your Document with Heading Styles
Why Use Heading Styles?
Using the built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) ensures that your table of contents is formatted correctly. Manually formatting text as bold or italic will not work for creating a dynamic table of contents.
How to Apply Heading Styles
- Highlight the section of text you want to format.
- Open the "Styles" Dropdown Menu from the "Home" tab.
- Choose from Heading 1, Heading 2, etc., depending on the hierarchy of the section.
Insert the Table of Contents
Insert the Table of Contents
- Click on the "References" Tab> Select "Table of Contents."
- Choose a Template.
Word will automatically generate the table of contents based on the heading styles used in your document.
Update the Table of Contents
How to Update the Table
If you make changes to the headings or structure of your document:
- Select the entire table> Click "Update Table."
- Two options will pop up: "Update Page Numbers Only" or "Update entire table." Select the appropriate option.
Customise the Table of Contents
Customising the Appearance
- Go to References> Table of Contents> Custom Table of Contents.
- Click "Modify."
3. Click the style that you want to change and then click "Modify."
4. Adjust font size, style, and alignment to suit your document's design.
To find out more visit our FAQs page!
