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Google Docs can make a table of contents for you — here’s how

May 01, 2023

[[read-time]] min read

Make your Google Docs even easier to read with these steps.

Molly McHugh-Johnson headshot
Molly McHugh-Johnson
Contributor, The Keyword
An abstract illustration of long rectangular blocks, some of which are shaded, some of which are next to the numbers “1, 2, 3.” There is a Google Docs icon in a circle in the illustration.

When you're working on a long Google Doc with lots of different sections, a table of contents can create some much-needed order. Luckily, Google Docs can make a table of contents for you based on text using the “headings” format — you just need to know how to make it happen. Here’s how to create a simple and easy-to-read table of contents in Google Docs both before and after adding those headings.

How to create a table of contents before adding headings

  1. Place your cursor where you’ll want your eventual table of contents.
  2. Select “Insert” from the menubar and scroll to the bottom.
  3. Hover over “Table of contents.”
  4. Choose between three table of contents formats. The first shows the heading titles and page numbers with links to each heading. The second shows the heading links connected with dotted lines to the page numbers. The third shows the heading titles with hyperlink styling for each heading without page numbers.
  • A screenshot of a Google Doc with a menubar option open. At the bottom, the cursor is selecting “Table of contents” to reveal three options; one with bolded black lines and numbers; another with bolded black lines, dots and numbers; and one with blue hyperlinked lines.

    You can choose which formatting to include in your table of contents including page numbers and dotted lines.

  • A tablet of contents in a Google Doc for a document about plant biology. The chapters/sections are on the left-hand side of the page and across from each, on the right-hand side, are the numbers indicating what pages they are on. There is blank white space between the two sides.
  • A tablet of contents in a Google Doc for a document about plant biology. The chapters/sections are on the left-hand side of the page and across from each, on the right-hand side, are the numbers indicating what pages they are on. There are dots between the two sides, connected the chapter/section names to the numbers.
  • A tablet of contents in a Google Doc for a document about plant biology. The chapters/sections are hyperlinked and blue. There are no numbers; the right-hand side of the page is blank.

After clicking a choice, you’ll see a placeholder that says, “Add Headings (Format > Paragraph styles) and they will appear in your table of contents.”

5. Compose your doc, adding headings throughout.

6. To add headings, hit the “Normal text” drop-down on your toolbar, select either “Heading 1,” “Heading 2” or “Heading 3,” then write out the headlines for your document. These headings will become the labels on your eventual table of contents.

An animated gif selects “Normal Text” from the Google Docs toolbar. It scrolls down through options including “Heading 1,” “Heading 2” and “Heading 3” and selects “Heading 1.”

Headings differ in size and shade — if there will be sections within your sections, outline-style, then it will likely make sense for each overarching section (or chapter) to be the largest heading style, “Heading 1.”

7. Right-click on the placeholder text and select “Update table of contents,” or hover over the table of contents to make an update icon appear on the left. Your headings will now appear in your table of contents.

How to create a table of contents after adding headings

  1. As you're writing your doc, add headings for different segments of your document.
  2. Move your cursor to where you want the table of contents to appear.
  3. Select “Insert” from the menubar and scroll to the bottom.
  4. Hover over “Table of contents.”
  5. Choose between the available formats; segment name and numbers, segment name and dotted lines to numbers or segment names with hyperlinks.
  6. If you add something to your document and need to update the table of contents, right-click on the table and choose “Update table of contents,” or hover over the table of contents to use the update icon. Either of these will automatically add your new sections(s) or rearrange them as needed.

Once you've added a table of contents, you can customize it to match your exact needs by hovering over it, selecting the three-dot menu and choosing "more options." Here you can personalize the formatting, page numbers, line styles and heading levels to show in your new table of contents.

That’s it! Now you can make even more highly organized and easy-to-read Google Docs.

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