How to Create Table of Contents in MS Word | Manual Table of Contents | Automatic Table of Contents

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In this article, we will learn How to add a table of Contents in MS Word and how to create an automatic table of contents and how to create a Manual Table of Contents in MS word.

Usually, in an abstract, term paper, dissertation, and any other document, the table of contents is drawn up at the very end – after the work is completed per the plan. This is because it is necessary to indicate not only the latest versions of the names of all sections and subsections but also the current page numbers. Despite the intuitive interface of Microsoft Word, many users have problems with the design of the content.

Table of Contents is a convenient list of chapters, paragraphs, sections, subsections with a link to the page from which a particular part of the document originates. Thanks to the well-designed table of contents, the user has a general idea of the structure of work and the ability to quickly jump to a particular point.

How to Create Manual Table of Contents:

In cases where the document is small or special formatting is not applied to the headings, you can manually create the table of contents.

To create table of contents follows the below steps:

Position the cursor where the table of contents will be.
Go to the “References” tab.
Click on the “Table of Contents” option, which is located on the left of the toolbar.

In the drop-down list, select the “Manual …” option.

The layout is displayed on the sheet.
Left-click – the section will be highlighted. Enter a new name instead. Change the page numbers in the same way. Delete unnecessary sections: select with the left mouse button and press “Del”.

The table of contents is ready.

At the slightest changes in the document, you also have to update the table of contents manually.

How to Create Automatic Table of Contents:

A more efficient and ergonomic way. In this case, one condition must be fulfilled – the document must be divided into sections with headings. Follow these steps:

Find the Styles option on the Home tab.

Apply the appropriate styles to the chapter titles that you want to add to the table of contents. For example, for sections – “Heading 1”, and for subsections – “Heading 2”, and so on.
Place the cursor where the content will be.
In the “Reference” tab, click on the “Table of Contents” option. In the drop-down list, select “auto-collect” option 1 or 2.

The table of contents will change by default when editing the titles of sections, subsections, their sequence, and page numbers.
The easiest way to jump to the desired section without scrolling through several dozen pages is to open the page with the table of contents, hold down the Ctrl key and left-click on a specific chapter.

How to Update Table of Contents:

Often, during the text check process, you need to edit the titles of the headings. To automatically update the table of contents:

In the “Reference” tab, click on the “Refresh page” option.
Choose an option: update the entire text or just page numbers.
It is also possible to update sections and page numbers by right-clicking on the table of contents and selecting Update Field.