In SharePoint, how to get correct numbering in an outline list

Question

In SharePoint, how to get correct numbering in an outline list

Anonymous

In a SharePoint Online text web part, outline ordered lists, also known as nested lists or indented lists, label the lines incorrectly. Here is a screenshot example from the SharePoint editor:

How can I get this to behave properly, starting each new indent level from the beginning of the numbering, and then continuing without skipping when the list returns to a less-indented level?

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3 answers

Answer 1

Hello, Sohpia, and thank you.

No, I am not copying and pasting from anywhere. I am typing directly into the test web part on a new Blank page. I used the tab key to create the indents (and shift-tab to out-dent).
I guess that by "web part formatting options" you are referring to the drop-down menu in the web part toolbar. The only options that I see there are about the number that starts the list, not to fix internal item numbers. However, trying that…
- When my selection or cursor is in any list item that is indented, the options to adjust numbering are grayed out and disabled. Here is a screenshot.
- When my selection or cursor is in a first-level item, those options are available. However, attempting to set the last line in my example to be "item 2" does not work, instead restarting at 1. Here is a screenshot of that.
As mentioned above, yes, I am starting in a new SharePoint page.
I had not tried different browsers. I have now found that the problem occurs in Firefox (both Mac and Windows), but not in Safari (Mac), Edge (Windows) or Chrome (both OSes). Even when the page is created using a browser that works, the list numbering is wrong when viewed with Firefox.

Answer 2

Hello James G McLean,

Thank you for providing such detailed information. It helps a lot in understanding the situation. Based on your response, it seems that the issue with the numbering in SharePoint Online text web part occurs specifically when using Firefox. Since the issue does not happen in other browsers like Safari, Edge, or Chrome, we can conclude that it might be a browser-specific issue related to Firefox.

In this case, we strongly recommend that you contact your Microsoft 365 administrator and follow the Online support article to create a support ticket. The support team has higher permissions than ours and can help you check the situation remotely on your end, involve more resources to collect logs, and help you troubleshoot issues. This would be a more efficient way for you to handle this case.

For reference: How do I find my Microsoft 365 administrator? - Microsoft Support?

Best regards,

Sophia

Answer 3

Dear James G McLean,

Good day! Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

Based on your description, In SharePoint Online text web part indented lists, label the lines incorrectly.

I performed a quick test on my end, and the numbering in the SharePoint Online text web part worked as expected via using the TAB key on the keyboard.

To narrow down the issue, help me with the following questions:

Are you copying and pasting the list from another document (e.g., Word) or typing it directly into the SharePoint web part?
Have you tried manually resetting the numbering using the text web part formatting options?
Have you tested the numbering issue in a new SharePoint page?
Have you tried different browsers?

Please try these steps and let me know if you need any further clarification or assistance. I'm happy to help.

Best Regards

Sophia