Add a table of contents in Word | Insert table of contents in Word

Consider a large document that does not include a table of contents. Readers would have to scroll continuously for a long time, thus using much of their time looking for the information they need. A Table of Contents (TOC) instantly addresses this issue because it clearly shows the structure of the document and the possibilities for navigating it. In this post, we will show you how to add a table of contents to your Word documents.

Steps to Add a Table of Contents in MS Word

Step 1: Prepare Your Document

Before you add a table of contents in Word, ensure your document is properly formatted. Use headings (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3) to structure your content. Word will use these headings to generate the TOC.

Step 2: Insert the Table of Contents in MS Word

  1. Click where you want to insert the TOC, usually at the beginning of the document.
  2. Go to the References tab in the ribbon.
  3. In the Table of Contents group, click the Table of Contents button.
  4. Select a TOC style from the drop-down menu. Word offers several built-in styles to choose from.
Add a Table of Contents in MS Word.

Add a Table of Contents in MS Word

Add TOC in Word: Developer’s Guide

The following sections show how developers can insert a table of contents in Word documents programmatically using Aspose.Words library. Let’s learn how to implement this feature in different programming languages.

Add a Table of Contents in Word using C#

Please follow the steps below to add a table of contents to a Word document using C#.

// Initialize document.
Document doc = new Document();
DocumentBuilder builder = new DocumentBuilder(doc);
// Insert a table of contents at the beginning of the document.
builder.InsertTableOfContents("\\o \"1-3\" \\h \\z \\u");
// The newly inserted table of contents will be initially empty.
// It needs to be populated by updating the fields in the document.
doc.UpdateFields();
// Save the document
doc.Save("InsertTOC_out.doc");
view raw add-table-of-contents-in-word_using_csharp.cs hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Learn how to create and manipulate a table of contents in a Word document using C#.

Insert a Table of Contents in Word using Java

Please follow the steps below to insert a table of contents in a Word document using Java.

// Load the Word document
Document doc = new Document("Word.docx");
// Create a document builder
DocumentBuilder builder = new DocumentBuilder(doc);
// Insert a table of contents at the beginning of the document.
builder.insertTableOfContents("\\o \"1-3\" \\h \\z \\u");
builder.insertBreak(BreakType.PAGE_BREAK);
// The newly inserted table of contents will be initially empty.
// It needs to be populated by updating the fields in the document.
doc.updateFields();
// Save the updated document
doc.save("Output.docx");
view raw add-table-of-contents-in-word_using_java.java hosted with ❤ by GitHub

For more details, please read our detailed article on creating and updating a table of contents in a Word document using Java.

Add a Table of Contents in Word using Python

Please follow the steps below to add a table of contents to a Word document using Python.

# This code example shows how to insert a Table of Contents in an existing Word document.
# Load an existing Word document
doc = Document("toc_sample.docx");
builder = DocumentBuilder(doc);
# Insert a table of contents at the beginning of the document.
builder.insert_table_of_contents("\\o \"1-3\" \\h \\z \\u");
# The newly inserted table of contents will be initially empty.
# It needs to be populated by updating the fields in the document.
doc.update_fields();
# Save the document
doc.save("InsertTOC_out.docx");
view raw add-table-of-contents-in-word_using_python.py hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Check out how to work with a Table of Contents (TOC) in Word using Python.

Insert a Table of Contents in Word using C++

Please follow the steps below to add a table of contents to a Word document using C++.

// Source and output directory paths.
System::String sourceDataDir = u"SourceDirectory\\";
System::String outputDataDir = u"OutputDirectory\\";
// Load the Word file
System::SharedPtr<Document> doc = System::MakeObject<Document>(sourceDataDir + u"Sample 5.docx");
// Create an instance of the DocumentBuilder class
System::SharedPtr<DocumentBuilder> builder = System::MakeObject<DocumentBuilder>(doc);
// Insert a table of contents at the beginning of the document.
builder->InsertTableOfContents(u"\\o \"1-3\" \\h \\z \\u");
// The newly inserted table of contents will be initially empty.
// It needs to be populated by updating the fields in the document.
doc->UpdateFields();
// Output file path
System::String outputPath = outputDataDir + u"AddTOC.docx";
// Save the Word file
doc->Save(outputPath);
view raw add-table-of-contents-in-word_using_cpp.cpp hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Learn more about how to work with a table of contents in a Word document using C++.

TOC in Word – Free Resources

Besides working with TOC in Word documents, explore more features of Aspose.Words for Python using the resources below:

Ready to add a table of contents in Word and automate your document processing programmatically? Get a free temporary license of Aspose.Words and start working with the library without evaluation limitations.

Conclusion

Adding a table of contents in Word is important for creating organized, professional, and reader-friendly documents. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily insert a table of contents in MS Word. This article also provides steps and code samples to add a table of contents in Word using various programming languages. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to reach out at our free support forum.

See Also