Understanding Tables of Contents in Word

Tables of Contents in Word are one of the more commonly misunderstood features.  To understand them, you must first understand Heading Styles, because Tables of Contents are produced from Heading Styles.  If you are trying to add a Table of Contents to an existing document that does not use Heading Styles, you must go through the entire document and add them manually.  However, if you add them as you produce the document in the beginning, the Table of Contents will be a snap to produce. 

Try this.  Open a blank new document and go to the Style box at the left end of your Formatting toolbar (the toolbar that includes your bold, italic, and underline buttons).  The Style box, by default, should say “Normal”.  Click on the dropdown arrow at the right end of the box and choose “Heading 1”, then type a word or two.

 

Hit the Enter key on your keyboard and go back to the Style box.  This time choose “Heading 2” and type another word or two.  Now, hit Enter again and go to the Insert menu and choose Break.  When this box comes up, make sure Page Break is selected and click OK.  You should now be at the top of Page 2.  Choose “Header 1” again from the Style box and type a word or two.  Hit Enter and add another Heading 2 entry, then hit enter and add a Heading 3 entry. 

Now, hold your Control key down and hit your Home key to move you back to the very top of your document and go to the Insert menu and choose Index and Tables.  Click on the tab at the top that says Table of Contents, accept the default settings and click OK.