Change table style
You can customize the table style used for your table of contents. For example, you can choose a different tab leader or remove the page number alignment.
To get started, select your current table. Go to the referencesclick the dropdown arrow to Table of Contentsthen select Custom Table of Contents.
When the window appears, confirm that the Table of Contents is selected at the top.
You’ll then see two previews, one for print and one for the web. the Print Preview it is the view you will see on your computer. For each preview, you have options that you can customize. For example:
- Print Preview: You can uncheck the boxes to display page numbers or align them to the right. You can also use a different tab leader, such as a dashed line or an underline.
- Website Preview: If you are publishing your document on the web, you can display hyperlinks or page numbers by checking (or unchecking) the checkbox.
the General at the bottom of the window covers print and web, allowing you to choose a different format or number of levels. You can select a Classy either Formal or choose one that is Modern either Simple.
Below that, you can adjust the number of levels to display in your table.
When you finish making changes to your custom table of contents, click okay.
You will be asked if you want to replace your current table with the custom one. Click okay to replace it or Cancel to ignore the changes.
Update a table of contents in Word
The steps above will help you replace your current table, but there are other changes you may want to make to your document that may change your table as well. For example, you can change the headers of your document or split your document by adding more headers.
For this type of change, you can update an automatic table of contents with the click of a button. To do this, select your table of contents and click the Update Table that appears at the top.
Depending on the changes you have made to your document, you may see a pop-up message. This message asks if you want to update just the page numbers or the entire table.
Make your choice, then click okay.
Delete a table of contents in Word
If your document ends up being shorter than you expected and you no longer need or want the table of contents, you can easily delete it.
To do this, select the table and click the Table of Contents on top. Alternatively, you can go to the references and click the dropdown arrow to Table of Contents.
Choose Remove Table of Contents at the bottom of the menu. You will not be prompted to confirm the deletion.
Edit your table of contents in Word
Making changes to your table of contents in Word is pretty easy. Updating a table automatically when your document changes is also really simple. With these tips, you can quickly make your table of contents more useful or engaging for your reader.
For more information, see How to work with other tables in Microsoft Word. You can split and merge tables in your document, add rows and columns to a table, and create a custom table of shapes in Word.
