How to Make a Table of Contents in Google Docs

A table of contents helps in giving viewers a rundown of your document. It highlights all the headings and arranges them along with the corresponding page numbers. If required, it also allows the users to navigate to a specified page directly, coming in handy for longer documents. Intrigued? Here’s how to make a table of contents in Google Docs and edit it.

Before making a table of contents in Google Docs, ensure your document’s headings have been formatted accordingly. Because the table of contents picks up the headings from the entire document, if they’re formatted in different heading styles, then the table of contents will also differ accordingly. To make sure this does not happen, set your heading styles uniformly before starting.

Once this is done, follow the below steps to create, edit, or delete a table of contents in Google Docs.

Note: Unlike Microsoft Word, you can’t create a custom table of contents in Google Docs. Additionally, ensure you’re signed in to your Google account before proceeding.

How to Add a Table of Contents in Google Docs

While you cannot add a table of contents in the Google Docs Android app, it is possible to do so in the Google Docs iOS app. Additionally, you can also access Google Docs on your desktop to insert it in your documents. Here’s how to do it.

Using Google Docs Web

Step 1: Open Google Docs and click on the relevant document.

Open Google Docs on Web Browser

Step 2: Then, click on Insert in the menu bar.

Step 3: Here, go to ‘Table of Contents’, and the available options will be visible.

Here, you have three options available. Let’s have a brief look at them all.

Option 1 – Plain Text

Clicking on this option will create a basic table of contents in Google Docs.

Option 2 – Dotted

A little different from the first option, this will ensure that there’s a dotted line connecting the heading and the page number. It can also be ideal if you’re looking to print this document.

Option 3 – Links

If you want your table of contents to link to a specific point in the document, you can go for this option. It is ideal for documents meant for online viewing. You can add, edit, and delete the link by simply clicking on the heading option.

Depending on whichever option you go for, you will be able to create a basic, dotted, or clickable table of contents in Google Docs.

Also Read: Check out these 3 easy ways to add flowcharts and diagrams in Google Docs.

Using Google Docs App on iPhone

Step 1: Open the Google Docs iOS app and go to the relevant document.

Open Google Docs iOS App

Step 2: Here, tap on the pencil icon to get the document in editing mode.

Step 3: Then, go to the point in the document where you wish to add the table of contents and tap on the + icon.

Step 4: Once the Insert menu is opened, tap on ‘Table of contents’.

Step 5: Here, tap on ‘With page numbers’ if you wish to add a basic table of contents with the page number visible in front of it.

Step 6: Alternatively, you can also tap on ‘With blue links’ to create a clickable table of contents. Then, tap on each of the headings to add, edit, or delete the links as per requirement.

This will insert a table of contents in your Google Docs document.

How to Update Table of Contents in Google Docs

You can always go back and make changes to your Google Docs. This also means that the document content will also be different. So, instead of creating a new table of content every time you make changes to your document, you can simply update or format the table of contents in Google Docs. Follow the below steps to do it.

Using Google Docs Web

Step 1: Open Google Docs and click on the relevant document.

Step 2: Here, click on the table of contents that you wish to edit.

Step 3: Now, if you want to change the appearance, click on the three-dot icon and, from the menu, click on More options.

Step 4: Once the Table of contents sidebar opens, use the settings here to either change the type of the table contents or change the headline style of the selected heading.

Step 5: Alternatively, you can also click on the individual heading in the table of contents to edit settings like where the heading will link to and even change the name of the heading in the table of contents.

Tip: You can also make a basic table of contents heading into a clickable one in Google Docs. Simply select the heading and use the Control + K or the Command + K keyboard shortcuts for Windows and macOS respectively. This will allow you to add a link to the selected heading.

Step 6: If you want to just update the table of contents, click on the refresh icon.

This will automatically check through the document for any additional headings and update the table of contents accordingly.

Using Google Docs iOS App

Step 1: Open the Google Docs iOS app and go to the document you wish to edit.

Step 2: Tap on the pencil icon to open the editing controls.

Step 3: Then, tap on the table of contents and manually make the desired changes.

Step 4: Additionally, you can also tap on Remove link if you wish to remove any unwanted links from the table of contents.

Step 5: Once the changes have been made, tap on the Done icon.

This will save your changes and close the editing window. While the options available on the Google Docs iOS app are certainly limited, they can suffice if you need to make minor changes on the go.

How to Delete Table of Contents in Google Docs

If the table of contents is no longer required in your Google Docs document, you also have the option of deleting it. Follow the below steps to do it using the Google Docs desktop and iOS app.

Using Google Docs Web

Step 1: Open Google Docs and click the document you wish to edit.

Step 2: Then, click on the table of contents.

Step 3: Once the menu options appear, click on the three-dot icon.

Step 4: Then, click on ‘Remove table of contents’.

This will instantly delete the table of contents from Google Docs.

Using Google Docs iOS App

Step 1: Open the Google Docs iOS app and tap on the relevant document.

Step 2: Then, tap on the pencil icon. This will open the editing window.

Step 3: Here, long press and select the entire table of contents.

Step 4: Use the delete or backspace key on your keyboard to delete. Then, tap on the Done icon to close the editing window.

FAQs for Adding Table of Contents in Google Docs

Organize Your Documents

A table of contents is a great way to understand a document at a glance. So, we hope that our article helped you in making a table of contents in Google Docs. To make your document more comprehensive, you can also check our guide on how to hyperlink in Google Docs.