In order to add table of content in Word, you must first create the document and choose the title you would like it to be associated with. Next, select the Heading Style you wish to use for your table of contents. If you have a variety of heading styles, you may also want to use Custom Table of Contents. You may also want to use Entire Table, which updates everything in your TOC. Automatic Table 1 and 2 are also options to create a table of contents.
Custom Table of Contents based on Heading Styles
To create a Custom Table of Contents based on heading style in word, open the document and go to Insert – References, Index, and Tables. Then, select Table of Contents and then click the Options button. A window will appear where you can enter the level and style of your table of contents. Click the Heading style to format the table of contents text. You can also set the style for the text itself.

When using the TOC in Word, you can use header styles to create a hierarchy within the main chapters. Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles create a hierarchy within the document’s main chapters. Heading 3 is used to create a TOC. Generally, a TOC is placed at the beginning of the document. The TOC is a convenient way to keep your document organized.
Page numbers update the page numbers of your TOC
To update page numbers in your table of content in Word, you must first insert an insert point in the Table of Contents. Generally, you can use the Automatic Table layout. Click the Update Table button on the right side of the table. This will update page numbers in the TOC but will not change the structure of the table or the Headings or Heading Styles. Alternatively, you can click the Entire Table option to update the table with page numbers.
In Word, you can add page numbering to your table of contents by choosing the Update TOA option from the Design ribbon. Then, select the Page Number option and enter your number format, either 1, 2, 3, or 4. If you are using a numbered table, you can also choose a start and end page in the Page Number drop-down menu. Once you have entered page numbers in Word, click Update TOA. The Table of Authorities will update accordingly.
Entire table updates everything in your TOC
The “Entire table updates everything in your TOC in Word” option allows you to regenerate your table of contents when you change any fields in your document. If you want to make changes to a TOC, Word will ask if you want to change it. If you select this option, Word will regenerate your table of contents through the field underlying it. To update your TOC, click the “Update Table” button in the Custom Table of Contents window.
In Word, you can also change the style of your TOC manually by selecting “Change Table Style” and “Change Table Headings.” By default, Word only includes the headings 1 to 9 in a TOC. You can change the style to include custom headings in your TOC by choosing the “Edit Table Styles” option. Once you have changed the TOC style in Word, click “OK.”
Automatic Table 1 and 2 create table of contents
When you use Automatic Table 1 and 2 to create a table of contents in Word, you will not have to worry about manually updating the table. You can easily update it by selecting the Edit Table of Contents command. The menu will display different options, including updating page numbers only or the entire table. If you have added chapter headings and sub-chapter headings, you will want to choose “Update entire table.” You can also note any changes you make in formatting after using this feature.
If you want to use Automatic Table 1 and 2 to create a table of content, you must make sure to apply the correct heading styles on the entire document. If you use automatic tables, they will automatically insert the title “Contents” and all text styled as Heading 1 or Heading 2.
Manual Table of Contents uses heading styles to determine where each section begins
When creating a manual table of contents, the author should start by choosing a style for the headings of the section. This style should match the font in the document. The table should be double-spaced as well. Click Sample Text to view how your changes will look in the document. After you’re done, click Save Style Settings to save your changes. You can modify heading styles for all sections in a manual, as well as for the entire document.
To customize the table of contents, you can use heading styles to indicate where each section begins. Heading 3 listings will not be included in the table of contents. If you don’t want to show these, you can also change the number for the Table of Contents. If you change the number, you can also change the text within the quotation marks. This will make the heading change in the table of contents look more professional.