Working With a Table of Contents

Getting the Formatting Right With a Table of Contents

To insert your Table of Contents, place the cursor at the beginning of the first line of your outline. Then click Insert]]Index and Tables. The Index and Tables dialog box will open. Open the Table of Contents Tab.

The Print Preview box will show you how the Table of Contents will appear in final form. Word will not show the actual headings in the Print Preview box. Rather, it shows the position of the different heading levels, substituting “heading 1,” “heading 2,” and so forth in place of headings.

Word has six pre-defined formats for you to choose. You can also opt to apply text formatting from the document template. That allows you base the formatting on styles you specify otherwise.

The pre-defined formats will save you some time. However, they may not be appropriate for a business plan. If you decide to use one, opt for the Classic format.

You are also able to change certain elements in the Table. You can alter the appearance of page numbers and leader lines and select how many levels the Table will contain.

With a professional document, you should emphasize function over form. So design the Table of Contents with readability in mind.

Page numbers are a necessity, so make sure to select Show page numbers. You probably also want to select Right align page numbers. This will give the table a clean, organized look.

If you align the page numbers along the right margin, you will do well to add tab leader lines. These lines will guide the reader’s eye to the correct page number. Of course, Word provides a few different choices for how the leader lines appear. A dotted leader line is both unobtrusive and effective. Use the drop-down box to select the style you want.

Finally, use the Show levels drop-down box to select how many heading levels to show. Moderation is best. However, you want your reader to find the relevant section easily.

When you’ve specified the options for the table, click OK. Your Table of Contents appears at the top of the document, above the document outline.