This tutorial shows how to create and update a table of contents in Microsoft Word.
[Typewriter Sounds]
Hello, my name is Erin.
I’m a technical writer and editor who shares step-by-step software tutorials and writing tips for the real world
on this channel and on my blog at erinwrightwriting.com.
There are several ways to create a table of contents in Microsoft Word.
In this tutorial, we are going to look at the two most convenient ways,
which are creating a built-in table of contents and creating a custom table of contents,
which includes choosing individual heading levels.
Plus, we are going to update a table of contents after making changes to the document.
And we will also delete a table of contents.
It’s very important to note that the headings you want to include in your table of contents
must be formatted with Word’s heading styles in order to follow these steps.
To use the heading styles, select the text, select the Home tab in the ribbon,
and then choose a heading level from the Styles group.
For a full tutorial on headings, please see my other video titled
“How to Create and Customize Headings in Microsoft Word,” which is linked below.
Today I’ll be using Word for Microsoft 365.
The steps are the same in Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.
However, your interface may look slightly different in those older versions of the software.
Word’s built-in tables of contents offer the fewest number of customization options.
However, they are the easiest to create.
To begin, place your cursor where you want to insert the table of contents.
Then, select the References tab in the ribbon.
Followed by the Table of Contents button.
Next, select one of the built-in tables of contents from the drop-down menu.
Once you’ve made your selection, your table of contents should immediately appear in your document.
Word’s custom tables of contents provide multiple formatting options
and allow you to include or exclude specific heading levels.
To begin, place your cursor where you want to insert the table of contents.
Please note that the custom table of contents option does not automatically create a title,
so be sure to leave a blank line above your cursor where you can enter a title later.
Once you have inserted your cursor with the blank line above, select the References tab in the ribbon.
And then select the Table of Contents button.
Followed by Custom Table of Contents from the drop-down menu.
When the Table of Contents dialog box appears, select a visual style from the Formats menu.
There are several options to choose from, including the From Template option,
which is based on the styles established in your current template.
Next, select the number of heading levels you want to include in the Show Levels menu.
You can also select additional options concerning page numbers and tab leaders,
which are the dots, dashes, or lines that appear before the page number.
By default, Word’s tables of contents include text formatted with sequential heading styles
such as Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.
However, you can manually include or exclude individual heading levels by selecting the Options button.
And then entering the sequence of the heading levels you want to appear in the TOC level text boxes
in the Table of Contents Options dialog box.
I want my table of contents to include Headings 2 and 3,
so I’m going to enter a 1 across from Heading 2 and a 2 across from Heading 3.
Then, I’m going to delete the 1 across from Heading 1 to remove it from the table of contents.
Now, select the OK button.
Followed by the OK button in the Table of Contents dialog box.
The table of contents should now appear in your document.
Don’t forget to add a title in the blank line above.
Your table of contents won’t automatically update as you add additional headings to your document.
Instead, you can update your table of contents as you add headings or when the document is complete.
To begin, place your cursor in the table of contents.
Then, right-click and select Update Field from the shortcut menu.
You can also select Update Table in the Table of Contents group in the References tab.
Now, select "Update entire table" from the Update Table of Contents dialog box.
And then select the OK button.
Your table of contents should update immediately.
You don’t have to select the table of contents to delete it.
Instead, select the References tab in the ribbon.
Followed by the Table of Contents button.
Now, select Remove Table of Contents from the drop-down menu.
Your table of contents should be deleted immediately.
As always, remember to save your file when you’re finished to save your changes.
I have created many other videos about Microsoft Word
including “How to Cross-Reference Tables and Figures in Microsoft Word”
and “How to Create and Update a List of Tables or Figures in Microsoft Word.”
Please see the playlist titled “How to Use Microsoft Word,” which is linked below, for the complete list.
The companion blog post for this video listing all the steps we just performed
appears on erinwrightwriting.com, which is also linked below.
Feel free to leave me a comment if there’s a specific topic related to Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat,
or Google Docs at that you would like me to talk about in the future.
And please subscribe to my channel and give this video a thumbs-up if you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for watching!
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