How to Create a Table of Contents in Microsoft Word: APA 7th Edition, by Smart Student on YouTube. 22 min 43 s.
- Video length
- 22 min 43 s
- Time to do it
- 25 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open your document and apply APA heading styles: Level 1 centered and bold, Level 2 flush left and bold, Level 3 flush left, bold and italic. Use Word's built-in Heading 1, Heading 2 and Heading 3 styles rather than manual bold.
Check general formatting first: Times New Roman 12 pt, double spacing, 1 inch margins and page numbers in the top right corner.
Select each section title and assign the matching heading style from the Styles gallery on the Home tab. Repeat for every chapter and subsection.
Place your cursor after the title page and abstract, then go to Insert and choose Page Break so the table of contents starts on a new page.
Type the word Contents at the top of the new page, centered and bold, to label the table.
Click References, then Table of Contents, and pick a custom or automatic table style. Word inserts the entries with page numbers.
Format the table: set the font to Times New Roman 12 pt, double space the entries and remove any hyperlink coloring if your instructor requires plain text.
To refresh after edits, click inside the table and press Update Table, then choose Update entire table so page numbers and headings stay correct.
Tips and common mistakes
If a heading is missing from the table, it was probably typed with manual bold instead of a heading style.
Use Update entire table, not just page numbers, whenever you add or rename a heading.
Keep the table on its own page and add a page break after it before the body text begins.
Questions
Does APA 7th edition require a table of contents?
APA does not require one for student papers, but many instructors ask for it in longer papers and theses. Check your assignment brief before adding one.
Why are my page numbers wrong in the table?
The table only updates when you tell it to. Right-click the table, choose Update Field and select Update entire table.
Can I edit the table entries by hand?
You can, but manual edits are lost the next time you update the table. Fix the heading style in the body instead.
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.
