Dot Leader Sporadically Missing from Table of Contents

Anonymous
2012-04-18T23:56:07+00:00

I am updating an automatic table of contents.  I'm using Word 2010.  There are dot leaders for each toc entry.  However, for several (but not all) of the new toc entries, the entry appears with the page number, but with no dot leader.  I've deleted the item and re-entered, re-formatted and done everything else I can think of and nothing works.  Help??

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Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2012-05-22T18:43:08+00:00

Considering just the entries that are missing the period leaders, are those entries much shorter or longer than the other entries? Often this problem is a result of placement of tab stops in the relevant TOC style; in that case, however, the problem also results in page numbers being in the wrong place as well as lacking leaders. The situation arises when there is a tab stop (or hanging indent) fairly far to the right in the TOC style. A very short entry will stop short of this tab stop, and so the tab that should go to the right-aligned tab stop at the right margin (for the page numbers, with leader) instead stops at the first tab stop/hanging indent.

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-05-20T00:33:28+00:00

    Using Word 2013 I will sometimes encounter this issue, and the fastest way I have discovered to deal with it is the following:

     - Modify the TOC styles

     - Select the 'tab' option under Format options

     - Delete all tab stops

     - Close

    If you repeat this for all TOC styles in use, you will get a Table with no dot leader AND your formatting will be a mess. But once you select 'update table', viola -- your updated table will have the correct formatting, including the dot leader.

    Not a permanent fix (obviously), and no idea why it works, but it's very fast and has worked for me 100% of the time.

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  2. Stefan Blom 352.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2013-07-26T13:07:25+00:00

    If you modify the tab stops for the TOC 1, TOC 2, etc. styles, select the TOC and press Ctrl+Q (to remove any direct paragraph formatting, including tab stops), and finally update the TOC, the problem should go away permanently.

    Here's a simple way to modify a TOC style (Word 2007 and later): Press Ctrl+Shift+S to display the Apply Styles pane. Type in TOC 1 and then click Modify. In the Modify Style dialog box, click Format, and then Tabs. Make the required adjustments. Click OK twice. Repeat the procedure for the other affected TOC styles.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-05-22T18:19:19+00:00

    1.       Does the issue occur only with a specific document or all the word files?

    2.       Does it happen with all heading styles or any specific one?

    If you change the tab leader to dots to dashes and check if the issue occurs.

    1.       In Word, go to the Reference tab.

    2.       Click on Table of Contents and then click Insert Table of Contents.

    3.       Click on the drop down next to Tab leader and select dashes.

    If an issue is with a specific document, you may repair the document and check if it helps.

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893672

    If the issue is with all word documents, delete data and options registry keys and check if it helps.

    Refer to the ‘Delete the Data registry key’ and ‘Delete the Options registry key’ on the link mentioned below.

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921541

    I have just come across this same problem.

    My document has a large TOC and four headings that are marked level 3 do not have the tab leader.  Other level 3 headings before and after  each one have the dot leader.  I have deleted, re -entered, deleted and regenerated the TOC, changed to a different level, but I still do not get the dot leader on those four headings.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-04-22T05:20:52+00:00

    The issue is happening with only one document and is happening with all heading styles.  I tried changing the tab leader to dashes and it made no differenct.  I've also tried the open and repair option and it too didn't work.

    Do you have any other suggestions?

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