Mic Word: How to create a table of contents

Creating a table of contents in a Microsoft Word document is a two-step process. First, identify the text that you want to appear in the Table of Contents. Second, tell Word to insert the Table of Contents. Having created your Table of Contents, you can then customize it in several ways, to suit your needs.

On this page

1. Identify the text that you want to appear in the TOC
2. Create the TOC
3. Customize the TOC if you need to
4. Other tips

Identify the text that you want to appear in the Table of Contents

In your document, click within the first major heading that you want to appear in the Table of Contents. Apply the Heading 1 style to that paragraph. The easiest way to apply the Heading 1 style is:

• in Word 2003 and earlier: click the Style box on the Formatting toolbar and choose Heading 1
• in Word 2007 and Word 2010: on the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the Heading 1 thumbnail.

If these don't appeal to you, there are several other ways to apply a style.

In the same way, apply the Heading 1 style to other major headings in your document. Apply the Heading 2 style to sub-headings, Heading 3 style to sub-sub-headings etc.

If you don't like the way the heading styles look (eg, you want a different font or font size or colour), don't format the text directly. Instead, modify the heading styles.

Create the Table of Contents

Word 2003 and earlier versions

1. Click where you want your Table of Contents to appear.
2. Display the Table of Contents dialog. To do that:
   
   
   1. In Word 2000, choose Insert > Index and Tables.
   2. In Microsoft Word 2002 and 2003, choose Insert > Reference > Index and Tables.
3. Click on the Table of Contents tab. Click OK.

Word 2007 and Word 2010

1. Choose References > Table of Contents.
2. Choose one of the following items on the menu.
   
   
   • There may be custom tables of contents on your menu. If you click the thumbnail for a custom table of contents, your table of contents will be inserted into a content control. (There is further information about content controls below.)
   • There are two built-in 'automatic' tables of contents: Automatic Table 1 and Automatic Table 2. If you click the thumbnail for either of these, your table of contents will be inserted into a content control, and Word will add a heading. (There is further information about content controls below.) The only difference between the two is the text of the heading ("Contents" and "Table of contents").
   • There is a built-in "Manual Table". This takes you back to the era of the electric typewriter. If you like typing things out for no good reason and your life expectancy is a lot longer than mine, this is for you.
   • At the bottom of the menu, you can choose Insert table of contents. This displays the Table of Contents dialog that was also in earlier versions of Word. If you want two or more tables of contents in one document, you must choose this option for the at least the second and subsequent tables of contents.