How to add section/heading before Table of Contents into Table of Contents [2022], by PickUpBrain on YouTube. 3 min 22 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 22 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open your Word document and scroll to the heading that appears before the Table of Contents, such as Abstract or Acknowledgement.
Select that heading text. Do not change the body text below it.
On the Home tab, open the Styles gallery and apply a different heading style than the one used by your main headings, or a custom style.
Click anywhere inside the heading you just styled.
Go to the References tab and click Add Text, then choose Level 1 so the heading is marked for the TOC.
Click inside the existing Table of Contents.
Click Update Table, then choose Update entire table and confirm.
Check the TOC now lists the new heading in the right position and keep the page numbers correct.
Tips and common mistakes
Use a separate style for headings before the TOC so they do not clash with your numbered chapter headings.
If the heading still does not appear, make sure you picked Level 1 in Add Text and updated the entire table, not just page numbers.
Update the entire table after adding or removing headings, otherwise page numbers can drift out of sync.
Questions
Why is my Abstract heading not showing in the Table of Contents?
It probably uses a style Word does not include in the TOC. Apply a heading style, then use References, Add Text, Level 1 and update the entire table.
Will this change the numbering of my chapters?
Not if you use a different style for the pre-TOC heading. Keep your chapter headings on their usual style so numbering stays intact.
Do I need to update the TOC every time I edit the document?
Yes. After adding or editing headings, click Update Table and choose Update entire table to refresh entries and page numbers.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
