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. Stefan Blom 352.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2014-05-08T21:44:30+00:00

    When you do that, it's usually best to also specify a right-aligned tab stop for the page number at the right margin.

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  2. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2014-05-08T21:08:13+00:00

    I would imagine that the problem is a missing tab stop in the TOC styles. For numbered entries, you would ordinarily have a hanging indent, which usually (or at least often) automatically includes a tab stop. Set a tab stop about 0.25" or 0.5" to the right of the left indent of the TOC style and see if that straightens out the problem. Since TOC styles are set to update automatically, you should be able to make this change (via the horizontal ruler) in one entry at each level, and the style will be updated and the change propagated to all the other entries at that level.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-05-08T19:30:50+00:00

    Hi. I have been working on a document that requires a custom style, multilevel list, and TOC.  I was following the recommended tutorial at http://shaunakelly.com/ and customization was going well until I tried to create the TOC. Now there are leader dots all over the place. (See photo.) I use MS 2010 on Windows 7. Can you please help me get straightened out?

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-10-25T10:21:40+00:00

    Perfect! Just needed to enter a TAB in-between the title and the page number on the TOC field and it inserted the dotted line leader straight away.

    Phew!

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