How to Add a Table of Contents and Cross-References in Word

A 12-page handbook needs a contents page, and readers need to find "the schedule table" without flipping through every page. You could type all of that by hand, but the moment someone adds a paragraph on page 3, every page number after it is wrong.

In this tutorial you will finish the club's Tutoring Handbook with a table of contents that Word builds and updates for you, numbered captions for its pictures and tables, and cross-references such as "see Table 2" that stay correct when things move. All of it builds on the heading styles from the previous tutorial.

How an automatic table of contents works

Word's table of contents is not typed text. It is a field: a small piece of instructions that tells Word "list every paragraph with Heading 1, 2 or 3, and the page it is on". When you update the field, Word looks through the document again and rebuilds the list.

That means the table of contents is only as good as your headings. A chapter title that is bold Normal text is invisible to it. Before you insert one, open the Navigation Pane (View then Show then Navigation Pane). What you see under Headings is exactly what the table of contents will contain.

Before

Dots typed by hand don't line up
Page numbers are already wrong
Doesn't change when chapters move

After

Built from heading styles
Right-aligned numbers with dot leaders
Ctrl+click an entry to jump there

Left: a typed contents list. Right: an automatic table of contents built by Word.

Because it is a field, the table also works as a set of links. In Word, hold Ctrl and click an entry to jump to that chapter. In a PDF exported from Word, the entries are clickable too.

Insert a table of contents

Put the cursor where the contents should go. In the handbook that is an empty page after the cover: click at the start of 1. Welcome and press Ctrl+Enter to push it onto the next page, then click on the new empty page.

ReferencesTable of ContentsTable of Contents. Pick Automatic Table 1 or 2 for a ready-made layout.

Choice in the menu	What you get	Use it when
Automatic Table 1 or 2	A table built from Heading 1 to 3, with a heading of Contents or Table of Contents	Almost always
Manual Table	A layout you type into yourself. It never updates	Rarely. It has the same problems as a typed list
Custom Table of Contents	A dialog box with every option	You want different levels, leaders or formats

In Custom Table of Contents, the settings worth knowing are:

Show levels: how many heading levels to list. The default is 3. For the handbook, 2 is cleaner: chapters and their main sections.
Tab leader: the dots (or dashes, or nothing) between the entry and its page number.
Show page numbers and Right align page numbers: leave both ticked for a printed document.
Options: choose which styles feed which level. You can add your own style, for example to include an appendix heading.

Need a heading in the table that isn't styled as one? Click in it and use References then Table of Contents then Add Text to set its level. This applies the matching heading style, so choosing Level 1 is the same as pressing Ctrl+Alt+1.

Update the table the right way

The table of contents does not change while you type. It is a snapshot from the last update. Update it whenever you add, remove, rename or move headings, and always before you print or export a PDF.

Click anywhere in the table.
Click Update Table on the small tab that appears above it, or use References then Table of Contents then Update Table, or press F9.
Choose an option and click OK.

Option	What changes	Choose it when
Update page numbers only	Only the numbers on the right	You added or removed text, but didn't change any headings
Update entire table	Every entry and every number	You renamed, added, removed or moved headings. When unsure, pick this one

If the table says No table of contents entries found, none of your headings use heading styles. Go back to the Navigation Pane, fix the headings, and update again.

Number figures and tables with captions

A caption is a numbered label such as Figure 1: Room 204 layout or Table 2: Weekly schedule. Like the table of contents, the number is a field, so Word counts for you.

Click the picture or table you want to label.
Go to References then Captions then Insert Caption (or right-click the picture and choose Insert Caption).
Pick a Label: Figure for pictures and charts, Table for tables. Word fills in the next number.
After the number, type a colon and a short description, such as : Room 204 layout.
Pick a Position: below the item is common for figures; above is common for tables. Click OK.

ReferencesCaptionsInsert Caption. Each label (Figure, Table) is numbered separately.

Number counts itself
Uses the Caption style

A caption uses the Caption style: small, italic text under the picture.

Every caption uses the Caption style, so you can restyle all of them at once with Modify, the same way as a heading. Need a label Word doesn't have, such as Map? Click New Label in the Insert Caption box.

Table of figures. Once your captions are in, you can list them like a table of contents. Click where the list should go and choose References then Captions then Insert Table of Figures, pick the Caption label (Figure or Table) and click OK. It updates the same way as the table of contents.

Point to things with cross-references

The handbook says "see the schedule in Table 2 on page 5" in several places. If you type that, it is right today and wrong after the next edit. A cross-reference inserts the number, title or page as a field that updates with the document.

Click where the reference should go and type the words around it, such as see .
Go to References then Captions then Cross-reference (it is also at Insert then Links then Cross-reference).
Choose the Reference type: Heading, Figure, Table and others.
Choose what to Insert reference to, then pick the exact item from the list.
Keep Insert as hyperlink ticked so readers can Ctrl-click to jump there. Click Insert, then Close.

Insert reference to	Inserts	Example sentence
Only label and number	Table 2	The times are in Table 2.
Entire caption	Table 2: Weekly schedule	See Table 2: Weekly schedule.
Heading text	Volunteer guide	Read Volunteer guide before your first session.
Page number	5	The schedule is on page 5.
Above/below	above or below	The table below lists every room.

You can insert two references in a row: one for the label and number, one for the page number. The dialog stays open, so type on page in the document between them without closing it.

Before

Typed by hand
Wrong number and page
Nobody notices until a family is confused

After

Cross-reference fields
Correct after Ctrl+A, F9
Ctrl+click jumps to the table

A typed reference goes stale. A cross-reference updates with the document.

Update fields and fix what breaks

Captions and cross-references are fields, and like the table of contents they update when you ask. The simple habit: before you print or share, press Ctrl+A to select the whole document, then F9. Word updates every field in the main text. When it reaches the table of contents, it asks whether to update page numbers only or the entire table.

What you see	Why	Fix
Error! Reference source not found.	The heading, caption or figure the cross-reference pointed to was deleted	Delete the broken reference and insert a new one with References then Captions then Cross-reference
Figure numbers out of order	Figures were moved or deleted and fields weren't updated	`Ctrl`+`A`, then `F9`
Text like `{ SEQ Figure \* ARABIC }`	Field codes are showing instead of results	Press `Alt`+`F9` to switch back
A chapter is missing from the contents	Its heading isn't a heading style, or you updated page numbers only	Apply Heading 1, then Update entire table
Clicking an entry does nothing	Word needs `Ctrl` held down to follow links	`Ctrl`+click, or change it in File then Options then Advanced

To see which text in your document is a field, go to File then Options then Advanced and, under Show document content, set Field shading to Always. Fields get a light gray background on screen (it never prints). Typed references such as see Figure 3 stay white, so they stand out and you can replace them.

Common mistakes

Mistake	What happens	Fix
Typing the table of contents by hand	Page numbers are wrong as soon as anything changes	Delete it and use References then Table of Contents
Headings faked with bold text	Those chapters are missing from the table of contents	Apply Heading 1 to 3, then update the entire table
Editing entries inside the table of contents	Your changes vanish at the next full update	Change the heading in the document, or modify the TOC styles
Choosing Update page numbers only after renaming headings	Old chapter names stay in the table	Choose Update entire table
Typing "see Figure 3" or "on page 7"	The reference is wrong after the next edit	Insert a cross-reference instead
Deleting a figure that something points to	The reference shows Error! Reference source not found.	Fix or remove the reference, then update fields with `Ctrl`+`A`, `F9`
Forgetting to update before printing or exporting	The PDF has wrong numbers	Press `Ctrl`+`A`, then `F9`, as the last step

Practice

Add a contents page, captions and cross-references to the handbook

Guided practice

Download the example file above and open it in Word. Its headings already use real heading styles. It also has a typed contents list, a picture placeholder and two tables without captions, and typed references like "see Table 3".

Check headings: open the Navigation Pane and make sure all six chapters are listed under Headings.
Replace the typed contents: delete the typed Contents list (keep its page break), click on that empty page and choose References then Table of Contents then Automatic Table 1.
Levels: open References then Table of Contents then Custom Table of Contents and set Show levels to 2. Replace the old table when Word asks.
Captions: click the room layout placeholder (or replace it with any picture) and add the caption Figure 1: Room 204 layout. Add Table 1: Weekly schedule and Table 2: Volunteer contacts above the two tables.
Cross-references: find each typed reference (press Ctrl+F and search for Table and Figure). Delete the typed number and insert a cross-reference using Only label and number. Replace typed page numbers with a Page number reference.
Test: Ctrl+click a cross-reference and a table of contents entry. Each should jump to the right place.
Break it on purpose: add a new table with its own caption before the schedule. Press Ctrl+A, then F9, and choose Update entire table. Check that the references now say Table 2 and Table 3.
Finish: turn Field shading to Always in File then Options then Advanced and scroll through. Any reference still white was typed by hand.

Independent challenge: Add a list of tables

On the contents page, under the table of contents, add a short heading Tables in this handbook (use a style that isn't a heading, so it doesn't appear in the contents) and insert References then Captions then Insert Table of Figures with the Table label. Then move the contacts chapter to the end in the Navigation Pane, update everything, and check that both lists are still right.

Reflect: what long document do you write or read that would be easier to use with a table of contents and cross-references, and what would break first if they were typed by hand?

Check your understanding0 of 4 correct

Pick an answer to see whether it's right and why.

Your table of contents is missing the chapter "Schedule". What is the most likely cause?
The table of contents lists paragraphs with heading styles. Apply Heading 1 to the chapter title, then choose Update entire table.
You renamed two chapter headings. Which update option should you choose?
Update page numbers only keeps the old wording. Update entire table rebuilds every entry from the current headings.
What is the safest way to write "see Table 2" in a long document?
A cross-reference is a field linked to the caption. When tables move or new ones are added, updating fields fixes the number.
Before exporting the handbook to PDF, how do you update every caption number and cross-reference at once?
Ctrl+A selects the main text and F9 updates every field in it. Alt+F9 only switches between field codes and results.

You're ready to move on when

Tick each one off as you go. Your ticks are saved in this browser only.

Every chapter title uses a heading style, so it appears in the Navigation Pane and the table of contents
Your document has an automatic table of contents with the number of levels you chose
You know when to update page numbers only and when to update the entire table
Pictures and tables have captions from Insert Caption, numbered by Word
References like "see Table 2" are cross-references, and you update fields with Ctrl+A, F9 before sharing

How to Add a Table of Contents, Captions, and Cross-References in Word

What you'll learn

Before you start

Example file