How to create automatic table of contents in Word 2016

It is essential for a large text file to have a table of contents. You can create your own table of contents manually, but that takes a lot of time and effort. The following article details how to create a table of contents automatically in Word 2016 , with older versions of Word you can do the same.

- To create a table of contents you should first select the text display mode as an Outline to facilitate the selection of Levels for titles. Go to card View -> Outline:

- The result of the text displayed as an outline is easy for you to observe and select the level:

To create a table of contents automatically follow these steps:

1. Create table of contents automatically

Step 1: Select the text to create a title -> highlight the headline to create in the table of contents -> References -> click Add Text -> select the level that matches the title: (The title in the large section corresponding to a low level, a title in a small level will correspond to a high level)

- Similarly, you select the Level appropriate for each title in the entire text:

Step 2: After selecting the level level for the entire title to create a table of contents -> place the cursor at the position you want to create the title (usually after the preface), click References -> Table of Content -> select available table of contents template:

Step 3: Results have created a table of contents for the text:

Step 4: After creating the table of contents automatically to move to the content you want, just press Ctrl + Click on the corresponding content in the table of contents. This is a feature available only in automatic indexes, with a table of contents you created manually will not have this feature.

- In case you want to remove the table of contents, click References -> Table of Contents -> Remove Table of Contents

2. Update the table of contents

In case you change the content in the data file, between the title and page number changes you need to update the changes to the table of contents.

- The example in the current table of section I.2.2 Structure of coal seam is on page 10:

- Due to the change in content of section I.2.2 The coal seam structure is pushed down to page 14:

- So you need to update this change for the table of contents by selecting the entire table of contents -> References -> selecting the Update Table icon :

- The Update Table of Contents dialog box appears, select the Update page number only to update the page number, if you want to update both the content and the page number, select Update entire table -> OK:

- The content results in the updated table of contents, section I.2.2 Structure of coal seams are on page 14:

Above is a detailed guide on how to create a table of contents automatically in Word 2016. I wish you success!