Writers · problem and fix
Why won't my table of contents update in Word for Mac? Step-by-step fixes
Word only reads headings that use heading styles, and it refreshes the table only when you run Update Table. If you have done both and the table is still wrong, the table may be a manual one, or the update used the wrong option. This page walks through each case in Word for Mac, then covers Pages.
The short answer
- Word builds the table only from paragraphs that use a heading style, such as Heading 1.
- After you edit headings, run References > Update Table and choose Update entire table.
- A manual table of contents cannot be updated by Word. Delete it and insert an automatic one.
- In Pages for Mac, the table updates as you edit. If it does not, check the paragraph styles it includes.
What table of contents that won't update in Word for Mac costs you
Time spent fixing page numbers by hand
Every fix done by hand costs time. Page numbers get checked, heading text gets retyped, and the file gets checked again. The PLOS ONE survey found a median of 14 hours per manuscript on formatting, self-reported, but that covers all formatting, not only tables of contents.
Wrong page numbers reaching a reader
A stale table sends the wrong page to your editor, professor, or client. The reader then wastes time looking for a section that moved. Check the table again after your last edit, not before it.
Money, if your hours are billed
Nature Index reports that the same PLOS ONE study puts formatting at about US$477 per manuscript, based on respondents' reported incomes. That is an estimate from survey answers. If you bill by the hour, count the minutes you spend re-checking the table before you decide whether learning the fix is worth it.
Why it happens
Headings are not heading styles
Word reads style, not appearance. A line in bold, large type can look like a chapter title and still be in Normal style. Microsoft notes that missing entries often come from headings that are not formatted as headings, and the table skips those lines every time.
The table is a manual table
A manual Table of Contents style is typed text, not a field tied to your headings. Microsoft says Word will not use headings to create it and cannot update it automatically. New headings will not appear, and renamed headings stay old.
The field reads only some styles or levels
The table is a Word field, and its switches decide which styles it reads. By default, Word includes only a few built-in heading levels. A heading in a custom style, or one level beyond those levels, stays out until you change the field.
You chose the page-numbers-only update
Update page numbers only refreshes page numbers and leaves the heading text alone. After you rename a heading, that option shows the new page number next to the old name. Choose Update entire table to pull in the new text.
Edits were made after the last update
Microsoft's steps have you run the update yourself. If you edit a section and skip the update, the page numbers and heading text stay as they were. The table is not wrong. It is simply out of date.
Add-ins or a damaged install
Microsoft's Q&A thread suggests checking add-ins. Its repair steps are written for Windows, so they do not match Word for Mac. Treat this as the last cause to check, after heading styles and the update option.
How to fix it
These work with or without any app.
Apply heading styles to every heading
Select the heading text. Go to Home > Styles and choose Heading 1 for main sections, or Heading 2 for subsections. Do this for each heading that belongs in the table. Then run an update. Headings still in Normal style stay out of the table, even if they look like headings.
Update the table with the right option
Click inside the table. Go to References > Update Table, choose Update entire table, then click OK. Use Update page numbers only only when no heading text has changed. The full update covers both page changes and text changes.
Right-click the table on Mac
Right-click the table of contents and choose Update Table of Contents. Microsoft uses that label in its Mac instructions, while Windows labels the same action Update Field. If the menu looks different in your version, use the References tab instead.
Replace a manual table with an automatic one
Select the typed table and delete it. Go to References and insert a new table of contents using an Automatic TOC style. Microsoft's Q&A answer says that style includes heading outline levels 1 to 3. Apply heading styles to your headings, then update once.
Add the missing styles to the table field
Microsoft's Q&A thread gives three fixes. Edit the field to use a set of outline levels, add the styles used later in the document to the field, or rebuild the table with an Automatic TOC style. The thread shows the field code with Alt+F9 on Windows, so on a Mac search Word's Help for field codes.
In Pages, turn on the heading style
Go to View > Table of Contents, then click Edit at the top of the sidebar. Select the checkbox next to each paragraph style your headings use. Apple says the choice of styles for an inserted table can't be undone, so check the list before you confirm.
Check add-ins, then ask for help
Turn off add-ins one at a time, then update again after each change. If the table still fails, contact IT or the template owner. Microsoft's support pages list the current steps for each Word version, so check them when your menus differ from this guide.
Start with the two checks that solve most cases. First, confirm each heading uses a heading style. Second, run the update with the right option. Word only reads headings that use a style such as Heading 1, and it refreshes the table only when you ask it to. The rest of this page covers what to do when both checks still leave a gap.
Check whether Word is updating the table or only showing it
Word gives you two update options, and they do different things. Update page numbers only refreshes the page numbers and leaves the heading text alone. Update entire table rebuilds the table from your headings, including the text you changed. Microsoft's steps have you pick one, then click OK.
Here is a worked example. You rename a section from Results to Findings, then choose Update page numbers only. The page numbers look right, so the table seems fine. It still says Results. Run Update entire table, and the new heading text appears.
Why headings go missing from the table of contents
Microsoft notes that missing entries often happen because headings are not formatted as headings. A line can look like a chapter title, with big bold letters and extra space above it, and still be in Normal style. Word reads the style, not the look. It skips the Normal line, so the table never shows it.
Fix this by applying a heading style from the Home tab's Styles group. Select the heading, then choose Heading 1 for chapter titles and Heading 2 for the sections under them. Run the update after you change styles. The table will not refresh on its own.
A second cause sits in the table itself. A table of contents is a Word field, and its switches decide which styles it reads. By default, Word includes only a few built-in heading levels. A heading in a custom style, or one level beyond those levels, stays out until you change the field. A Microsoft Q&A thread describes this exact case.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A heading is missing from the table | Text is in Normal style, or in a custom style | Apply Heading 1 or Heading 2 from Home > Styles, then update |
| Page numbers are wrong | Update Table has not run since your last edits | References > Update Table, then choose Update entire table |
| Heading text is old | Update page numbers only was chosen | Run Update entire table |
| The table never changes | A manual Table of Contents style was used | Delete it and insert an automatic table |
| A deeper heading is left out | Field switches cover only some levels | Use an Automatic TOC style, which covers levels 1 to 3 |
Step by step: update the table in Word for Mac
- Click anywhere inside the table of contents.
- Go to References > Update Table in the menu bar.
- Choose Update entire table, then click OK.
- Compare the page numbers and heading text with the document.
- Still wrong? Right-click the table and choose Update Table of Contents. Microsoft uses that label in its Mac instructions.
Microsoft's update page covers Word for Microsoft 365 on Mac, plus Word 2024 and Word 2021 on Mac. Its Word 2019 and Word 2016 entries are for Windows only. If you run Word 2019 or 2016 on a Mac, check the References tab and menus in your own version, because the page gives no Mac steps for them.
When the table is manual, Word cannot update it
A manual table of contents is typed by hand, not built from your headings. Microsoft says a manual table does not use headings and cannot be updated automatically. If Update Table does nothing useful, treat the table as manual. Every change will have to be typed in again.
Rebuild a table of contents that will not update
Rebuilding takes less effort than fixing a broken table line by line. Confirm that your headings use heading styles first. Then delete the old table and insert a new one from the References tab, using an automatic style. Update once after the new table is in place.
Here is a worked example. A long report has a typed contents list. You rename the heading Methods to Method. The typed list still says Methods, and no update fixes it. Rebuilding from styled headings changes the name in one step, because the table reads the heading again.
Pages for Mac works differently
Pages builds its table of contents from paragraph styles, and Apple says the table updates as you edit. So a table that seems frozen usually has a heading style missing from its style list. Check that list first, not the document text. Apple's help page does not state a Pages version, so check yours if the menus differ.
- Choose View > Table of Contents.
- Click Edit at the top of the sidebar.
- Select the checkbox next to each paragraph style your headings use.
- Close the editor and check the table against your headings.
Apple warns that the choice of styles for an inserted table of contents can't be undone. Settle on the list before you insert the table, and check it again when you change heading styles later.
Mistakes that keep the table broken
- Typing into the table instead of fixing the heading and updating.
- Choosing Update page numbers only right after renaming a heading.
- Pasting text from a web page, which can bring in styles the table does not read.
- Adding a new heading style in a later section without adding it to the table's style list.
- Saving a final PDF before the last update.
What a broken table costs you, and what the numbers miss
The sources do not count how often this exact problem happens. They also do not put a price on the time it wastes. The closest figures come from a 2019 PLOS ONE survey about manuscript formatting in general. Its numbers are useful for scale, not for your own table.
14 hours
Median time to format one manuscript, self-reported by 372 participants in a 2019 survey. Covers all formatting, not tables of contents.
Scientific sinkhole: The pernicious price of formatting (PLOS ONE)52 hours
Median formatting time per person per year, same survey. Self-reported, and the authors say respondent bias is likely.
Scientific sinkhole: The pernicious price of formatting (PLOS ONE)US$477
Estimated cost per manuscript in formatting time, based on respondents' reported incomes, per Nature Index.
The untold cost of formatting manuscripts (Nature Index)The survey asked researchers to self-report their formatting time. The authors note that respondents may overestimate, and that the sample was a convenience sample, about 60% Canadian. Read the numbers as rough scale only.
Ask Lazur to point at the right menu while you fix it
Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥⌘ and ask about anything on screen, and Lazur answers out loud. Ask where Update Table is, and it draws a circle and a label around the button. Ask how to finish a step, and it guides you one click at a time.
Lazur does not click buttons or edit files for you. It is not a plugin or add-in for Word. You still make each change. A 3-day Pro trial needs no credit card, and pricing lists the current plans.
A routine for keeping the table current
- Apply heading styles as you write, not at the end.
- Update the table after each major section, not only at the end.
- Make Update entire table your default choice.
- Before you export, update once more and check the last page numbers.
- Keep one master file, so the table is not rebuilt in a second copy.
Privacy and regulated documents
When nothing above works
Work through the checks in order, and change one thing at a time. The Microsoft Q&A thread also suggests checking add-ins. Turn them off one at a time, then update again. Its repair steps are written for Windows, so they do not match Word for Mac.
If the file came from a school, an employer, or a publisher, ask the template owner or IT team. A shared template can use styles that the table does not read. The fix may be in the template, not in your document.
Faster with Lazur
Where Lazur helps with table of contents that won't update in Word for Mac
Hold ⌥ ⌘ and say what you want. Lazur sees your Word window. Lazur draws a circle and a label around the button or menu you need.
- 1
Hold ⌥⌘ and talk
- 2
Lazur draws a circle and a label around the button or menu you need.
- 3
You stay in Word. Nothing to copy into a chat window.
More things to say in Word
- “Hold ⌥⌘ and ask why my table skips a heading.”
- “Hold ⌥⌘ and ask where References > Update Table is.”
- “Ask Lazur to walk you through the Update entire table steps.”
- “Ask Lazur to draft a short note to your editor about new page numbers.”
- “Hold fn and dictate a heading name into Word.”
Free for 3 days, then $18/month. Download for Mac
You say“Where is Update Table in Word?”
Lazur · points at itLazur circles the Update Table button and labels it. You click it yourself.
What writers say to Lazur for this
Each one is a single hold of ⌥ ⌘.
“Hold ⌥⌘ and ask why my table skips a heading.”
Lazur looks at your screen, explains what it sees, such as a heading in Normal style, and answers out loud.
Explains what's on screen
“Hold ⌥⌘ and ask where References > Update Table is.”
Lazur draws a circle and a label around the Update Table button. You click it yourself.
Points at it
“Ask Lazur to walk you through the Update entire table steps.”
Lazur guides you one click at a time and waits for each click before it moves on.
Walks you through it
“Ask Lazur to draft a short note to your editor about new page numbers.”
Lazur drafts the note. You read it, edit it, and send it yourself.
Drafts it
“Hold fn and dictate a heading name into Word.”
Dictation types clean text at the cursor in any app, so you can name headings without typing them.
Types what you say
A plan you can start this week
- Day 1
Check every heading's style
Click each heading and read the style name on the Home tab. Apply Heading 1 or Heading 2 to any line that should appear in the table but still says Normal. Write down the lines you changed, so you can find them again.
- Day 2
Update with the entire-table option
Go to References > Update Table and choose Update entire table. Compare the first few entries with the document. If a heading is still missing, check its style again before you change anything else.
- Day 3
Rebuild any manual table
If Word will not update the table, delete it. Insert a new table with an Automatic TOC style from the References tab. Update once more, then check the last entry against the final heading in the document.
- Before sending
Check the copy you send
Save a PDF or a copy of the file you will send. Open it and check that the page numbers match the table. Update the table once more if you changed anything since the last update.
Questions people ask
Why does my table of contents show old page numbers after I edit?
Word keeps the table as it was until you run an update. Go to References > Update Table, choose Update entire table, then click OK. Check the page numbers again after the update.
Does Word update the table of contents on its own?
Microsoft's steps have you run Update Table yourself. Update before you save a final copy, and after each big edit, so the page numbers match.
Which Word versions do these steps cover?
Microsoft's update page covers Word for Microsoft 365 on Mac, and Word 2024 and Word 2021 on Mac. Its Word 2019 and Word 2016 entries are for Windows only. Menu names can differ, so check your References tab.
Why won't my table pick up a heading I made bold?
Bold, large text in Normal style is still Normal style. Word reads the heading style, not the look. Select the line, then apply Heading 1 or Heading 2 from Home > Styles.
Can I type over the table to fix a wrong page number?
You can, but the fix lasts only until the next change. Word cannot update a manual table, so each change has to be typed in again. Rebuild it with an automatic style when you can.
Does Pages update its table of contents automatically?
Apple says the table is based on paragraph styles and updates as you edit. If it stays frozen, open View > Table of Contents, click Edit, and check that your heading styles are selected.
Can Lazur fix the table for me?
No. Lazur points at buttons, guides you one click at a time, and answers out loud. It does not click buttons or edit files for you, so you still make each change.
Does the formatting time figure apply to tables of contents?
No. The PLOS ONE survey measured formatting in general and relied on self-reported times. Use it as a rough sense of scale, not as a measure of your own table.
Sources
- Scientific sinkhole: The pernicious price of formatting · PLOS ONE · checked 2026-11-07
- The untold cost of formatting manuscripts · Nature Index · checked 2026-11-07
- Update a table of contents · Microsoft Support · checked 2026-11-07
- Insert a table of contents · Microsoft Support · checked 2026-11-07
- Table of Contents not displaying all headings · Microsoft Q&A · checked 2026-11-07
- Create a table of contents in Pages on Mac · Apple Support · checked 2026-11-07
Fix table of contents that won't update in Word for Mac with Lazur, free for 3 days
Hold a key and ask. Lazur sees your screen, points at the button and talks you through it, in any Mac app. No credit card.