This tutorial shows how to create and update a list of tables or figures in Microsoft Word.
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Hello, my name is Erin.
I’m a professional copy editor who shares writing tips for the real world on this channel
and on my blog at erinwrightwriting.com.
Today we’re going to look at how you can easily create a list of tables or figures
in Microsoft Word if you used Word’s caption tool to number your tables and figures.
At the beginning of this tutorial,
we will very quickly walk through the steps to use the caption tool.
However, please see my other tutorial titled
“How to Insert Figure Captions and Table Titles in Microsoft Word” for more in-depth instructions.
Today, we will also look at how to update your list as you add, move, or delete tables or figures.
Please note that I will be using the term list of tables or figures,
which is a common term in the publishing industry.
However, Microsoft Word refers to lists of tables or figures as a table of figures.
The two terms should be considered interchangeable.
I’ll be using Word in Microsoft 365, which is formerly Office 365.
The steps are the same in Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.
However, your interface might look slightly different in those older versions of the software.
To use the caption tool to insert a title or caption with a table or figure number,
select and then right-click the table or figure.
Then, select Insert Caption from the shortcut menu, which opens the Caption dialog box.
Select the Label menu arrow and choose figure or table from the menu.
Next, type your title or caption after the label and number in the Caption text box.
Finally, select the OK button.
Your new caption will appear with your figure or table.
Repeat these steps for all additional figures or tables added to your document.
Now that we’ve used Word’s caption tool to number our tables or figures,
we’re going to create a list of tables or figures.
To begin, insert your cursor where you want to place your list.
Then, select the References tab in the ribbon.
Followed by Insert Table of Figures in the Captions group.
Now, select a visual style from the Formats menu in the Table of Figures dialog box.
Note that the From Template option is based on the styles established in your current template.
Next, select Figure or Table from the Caption label menu.
There is no option for listing figures and tables together.
However, if you have figures and tables in your document,
you can repeat these steps, as necessary.
Ensure that "Include label and number" is checked if you want the label, which is the word Figure or Table,
and the number to be included in the list, which I recommend.
You can also select additional options concerning page numbers and the tab leaders,
which are the dots, dashes, or lines that appear before the page numbers.
Note that the Web Preview section shows how your list will look if you convert your Word file to a web page.
When you’re finished, select the OK button.
The list will appear immediately.
However, it won’t have a title, so you’ll have to manually type in an appropriate title.
Finally, save your file to save your changes.
Word won’t automatically update your list as you add or delete tables or figures.
Instead, you can manually trigger updates, as necessary.
To begin, right-click the list and then select Update Field from the shortcut menu.
Next, select Update entire table from the Update Table of Figures dialog box.
Then, select the OK button.
Your updates should appear immediately.
As always, save your file to save your changes.
I have created many other videos and blog posts about using figures and tables in Word,
including “How to Update Table and Figure Numbers in Microsoft Word,”
which explains how to force an update after moving or deleting a table or figure.
Please see the Related Resources section in the description box below for the complete list with links.
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
or Adobe Acrobat 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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