table of contents

Renate Stewart 0 Reputation points
2026-09-20T21:16:47.18+00:00

How to create a table of contents from a multilevel list

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 88,720 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-20T21:55:11.4533333+00:00

    Hi, @Renate Stewart

    A table of contents in Word is created from heading styles, not from the multilevel list numbering by itself.

    If you haven’t tried it yet, first check whether your multilevel list is linked to "Heading 1", "Heading 2", "Heading 3", etc.

    If it is, go to:

    "References" > "Table of Contents" > choose an Automatic Table.

    If it is only a regular multilevel list, you’ll need to apply heading styles to the items you want included in the table of contents.

    To help narrow this down:

    1. Is your multilevel list already linked to Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.?
    2. Are you using the Word desktop app or Word for the web?

    I ask because the steps are different if the numbering was created as a regular list instead of a heading-based multilevel list.

    Click "Add comment" to let me know.

    Thanks!

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-20T21:17:06.4+00:00

    To create a table of contents from a multilevel list in Word, the multilevel items must be formatted with Word heading styles, because the table of contents is built from headings in the document.

    1. Select each heading in the document.
    2. Go to Home > Styles.
    3. Apply the appropriate heading level, such as Heading 1 for top-level entries and lower heading levels for subentries.
    4. Click where the table of contents should appear, usually near the beginning of the document.
    5. Go to References > Table of Contents.
    6. Choose an Automatic Table of Contents style.

    If entries are missing, they usually are not formatted as headings. Apply the correct heading style and then update the table of contents.

    If changes are made later, right-click the table of contents and choose Update Field or Update Table of Contents.

    For numbered headings, the numbering should come from the correct multilevel list style linked to the heading levels.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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