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
    2015-12-18T02:06:25+00:00

    Amazingly solved my problem!! Thanks!

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-30T10:04:21+00:00

    This was just the answer I was looking for!!! Thanks a mill dontait

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  3. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2015-09-24T19:37:15+00:00

    Nowhere has it been suggested that you remove the tab stop for the page numbers. If all the entries at a given level are missing period leaders, then you need to correct the setting in the style, adding the period leader to the page number tab stop. But if there are just a few entries that are missing it, then this is usually due to another tab stop in the paragraph. If the TOC style has a hanging indent, then, depending on your version of Word and your Compatibility Options settings, there may automatically be a left-aligned tab stop at the position of the hanging indent.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-09-24T18:39:26+00:00

    So yeah that's the problem.  but how do you fix it??  I have to have the right-aligned tab to put the page numbers in the correct place.

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