How to Add a Table of Contents in Word (That Updates Itself)

Typing a table of contents by hand is a nightmare — add one paragraph and every page number is wrong. Word can build one for you automatically, keep the page numbers correct, and even make every entry a clickable link.

The secret is Heading styles.

Step 1: Apply Heading styles to your headings

Word builds the table of contents from text that uses the built-in Heading styles. Making text bold or bigger isn’t enough.

1. Click on your first main heading.
2. On the Home tab, in the Styles gallery, click Heading 1.
3. Repeat for every main heading.
4. For sub-headings, use Heading 2 (and Heading 3 for anything below that).

Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl + Alt + 1 for Heading 1, Ctrl + Alt + 2 for Heading 2, Ctrl + Alt + 3 for Heading 3.

Don’t like how the headings look? Change their font or colour, then right-click the style in the gallery and choose Update Heading 1 to Match Selection. Every Heading 1 in the document changes to match.

Step 2: Insert the table of contents

1. Click where you want the table of contents to go — usually at the start of the document, after the title page.
2. Go to the References tab.
3. Click Table of Contents.
4. Choose Automatic Table 1 or Automatic Table 2.

Word lists every heading with its page number.

Tip: Put a page break after it (Ctrl + Enter) so your content starts on a fresh page.

Step 3: Update it

Word doesn’t update the table of contents while you type. When you’ve added headings or pages:

1. Click anywhere in the table of contents.
2. Click Update Table at the top of it (or press F9).
3. Choose Update entire table and click OK.

“Update page numbers only” is quicker, but won’t add new headings or change renamed ones — so Update entire table is usually the right choice.

Jump to any section

Each entry is a link. Hold Ctrl and click an entry to jump straight to that heading. (In a PDF saved from Word, a normal click works.)

Customise your table of contents

Go to References > Table of Contents > Custom Table of Contents… to:

• Show levels — choose how many heading levels appear (for example, only Heading 1 and 2).
• Tab leader — change or remove the dotted line before the page numbers.
• Formats — pick a different overall look.
• Modify — change the fonts used for each level.

Use the Navigation Pane too

Once your headings use Heading styles, go to View and tick Navigation Pane. You get a clickable outline on the left, and you can drag headings up and down to reorder whole sections.

Troubleshooting

A heading is missing. It isn’t using a Heading style. Click on it, apply Heading 1 or Heading 2, then update the table.

Random text appears in the contents. That paragraph is using a Heading style by mistake. Click on it and choose Normal from the Styles gallery, then update.

“Error! No table of contents entries found.” None of your headings use Heading styles yet. Go back to Step 1.

The page numbers are wrong. Click the table and press F9 to update.

Wrapping up

Use Heading 1 and Heading 2 for your headings, insert the table from References > Table of Contents, and press F9 whenever you need it refreshed. That’s all there is to it.