How to Add a Table of Contents in Word
Build an automatic table of contents in Word by applying heading styles, inserting it from the References tab, and updating it when headings change.
Applies to: Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows; Mac differences noted. Last checked September 11, 2026. Suggest an edit
A long document needs a table of contents that lists headings with page numbers and can be refreshed. Word builds one from heading styles, so the headings come first and the table second.
Apply heading styles to your headings
Click in a chapter or section title, then click Home and pick Heading 1 from the Styles gallery. Use Heading 2 for subsections and Heading 3 for the level below that. Repeat for every heading. Ctrl + Alt + 1, Ctrl + Alt + 2, and Ctrl + Alt + 3 apply the same styles from the keyboard (Mac: Cmd + Option + 1, 2, and 3).
Click where the table should go
Place the cursor at the start of the document, usually on its own page after the title page. Press Ctrl + Enter (Mac: Cmd + Return) first if you need a new page for it.
Insert the table
Click References, Table of Contents, then Automatic Table 1 or Automatic Table 2. The two differ only in the heading text: "Contents" versus "Table of Contents". Word inserts every styled heading with its page number, and Ctrl + Click on an entry jumps to that section.
Update the table after editing
The table does not refresh on its own. After adding headings or shifting pages, click anywhere in the table, then click References, Update Table. Choose Update entire table to pick up new or renamed headings; Update page numbers only keeps the existing entries and corrects the numbers. Pressing F9 with the cursor in the table does the same.
Missing headings. Only text formatted with a heading style appears. Bold text that looks like a heading is ignored until you apply Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3. To show more or fewer levels, click References, Table of Contents, Custom Table of Contents and change Show levels; the same dialog turns page numbers and dot leaders on or off.
On Mac. The steps are the same, and clicking inside the table shows an Update Table button just above it.