How to Make a Table of Contents in Word 2019

Mar 31, 2020 ยท 5 minute read

Imagine you have this file and you want to create a table of content for it in Microsoft Word.

word file

You can go to “Insert tab” and click on “Blank page”.

insert blank page

blank page word

How to Make a Table of Contents in Word 2019

1- Go to your file and select the main heading in your word file.

Click on Heading 1 command.

Do this process for all main headings in your file.

word home style

2- Go to your file and select sub-heading parts and click on Heading 2.

heading2 home word

3- You can use heading 3 for more detailed titles.

home styles heading1

home styles heading1 s

heading2 home word 2

4- Click on the blank page which was created at first by you.

Note: Table of content will be placed in the location which your cursor is placed on it.

blank page word

5- Click on the “References” tab and click on the “table of contents” key.

Here you can choose the shape of your desired table of contents or create the new one by choosing manual table option.

table of content references

you can find in how to create a custom table of contents for information about creating table of content with your desired shape.

How to Add More Heading in Table of Content;

If you want to use the predesigned table of contents, in Microsoft Word you can specify only two subheadings for your document.

For creating more subheading you should follow these steps;

1- Click on the Home tab.

3subheadin

2- Select the Heading of your text.

3- In the Style part click on the Heading 1.

heading

4- Select the first subheading in your text and click on the Heading2.

heading2

5- Select the second subheading and click on heading 3.

heading3

6- Select the third subheading and click on heading 4.

If you have more subheading you can continue this process again and specify more subheading for your text.

heading4

7- Click on the References tab.

8- Click on the first blank page which you want to insert your table of content.

9- Click on the Table of Content.

table

10- Select Custom table of content.

custom table content

11- Click on the “Table of Contents” tab and in the General part, choose number four in show levels,

If you have more subheading you should increase this number.

12- Click “Ok”.

level

How to Change the Text in the Table of Contents;

1- You can only modify the title of the table, by clicking on it and delete or write your desired text there.

For changing other parts, you should go to the text and change the titles and sub-titles there.

change table contant subject

change in text

change in text 2

2- Click on Update table and choose “update entire table”

update table

update table of contents

edit subject table of content

3- You can also change the shape of the table by clicking on the key which is shown in the picture.

change table contant subject

For more information about this subject you can follow, how to change theappearance of a table of content page.

How to Add Missing Heading to the Table of Contents;

If you need to add some new heading to your table of contents you can follow these steps;

table of contents

1- Select the heading which you missed it or you want to add it.

2- Go to the Home tab and in the Style part, click on the Heading1.

home heading

3- If you need add subheading to your table select them and choose Heading2 or Heading3.

heading2 word

4- Click on the References tab and choose Update table.

  • If you need to update page numbers, select the “Page numbers only”.

  • If you need Update entire table choose “Update entire table”,

Here because we add heading to our table we should select second one.

5- Click ok.

update table of contents dialoge

You can see the table of content is updated.

table of content

How to Create a Clickable Table of Contents in Microsoft Word;

If you want to create a clickable table of content you should follow these steps;

1- Select the title in the table of content.

2- Select the “Home” tab and click on the “Find” command.

3- Find your title in the text.

4- Select your title in the text.

selectheading

5- Click on the Insert tab.

6- Click on the “Link” and select “Bookmark”.

7- Write your bookmark name and click on Add key.

Pay attention you should not have space among the name of your bookmark.

8- Click on the “Insert” tab, click on the “Link” and choose “Link” command.

link

9- In the left window, choose “Place in the Document” and choose your desired bookmark and Click Ok.

linkto

Sometimes you have a lot of titles in your text, and it can be difficult for you, to find them in the text and again return to the table of content, for that you can follow these steps;

1- Click on the View tab.

2- In the windows part click on the “Split”.

Now you have two windows on your screen, fix “table of content” in the first window.

3- Click on the second window and go to the Home tab and select Find.

4- Write your desired subheading and then find it in the text, you can see, this heading will be shown in the second window.

selectsub

5- Click on the Insert tab and choose Bookmark and add your desired bookmark name.

bookmark 2

6- Click on the “Link” and add your link for the new bookmark.

linksub

How to Remove Table of Contents

For removing table of contents you should follow these steps.

1- Click on the References tab.

references word

2- Click on the Table of Contents.

3- Click on the Remove table of contents.

remove table of contents word

word table of content