# How to create a table of contents in Pages on Mac: steps for Pages 15.4

> Learn how to create a table of contents in Pages on Mac: apply heading styles, insert the TOC, then fix it when it comes up empty.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/create-a-table-of-contents-in-pages
Updated: 2026-11-07

To create a table of contents in Pages on Mac, apply Heading 1 to your headings, then open the View button and choose Table of Contents. Click Edit, tick the styles to include, then click Insert Table of Contents to place it.

## Quick answer

- Apply a paragraph style such as Heading 1 to every heading before you insert the table.
- Click the View button in the toolbar, choose Table of Contents, then click Edit to pick styles.
- Click Insert Table of Contents at the bottom of the sidebar to place it in the whole document.
- If the table comes up empty, check that each heading has a style that is ticked in the sidebar.
- Apple's guides list no keyboard shortcut for this, so you work with the mouse and menus.

Applies to: Pages 15.4 on macOS 26.0 or later, word processing documents. Time: 10 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- Pages 15.4 or later on a Mac running macOS 26.0 or later
- A word processing document that already has at least one heading
- Your Pages version checked with Pages > About Pages
- Edit at the top of the table of contents sidebar available in your version

## How to Create a table of contents in Pages on Mac in Pages on a Mac

1. **Check your Pages version.** (Pages > About Pages) Click Pages in the menu bar and choose About Pages. Apple's Pages guide for Mac covers Pages 15.4, and the steps here follow it. An older version may place menus differently, so check before you start. Tip: The App Store lists macOS 26.0 as the minimum for Pages 15.4.2, so update macOS first if you are behind.
2. **Apply heading styles to your headings.** (Format button > Text tab) Select a chapter or section title. Open the Format sidebar, choose the Text tab, and pick Heading 1 or Heading 2 from the paragraph style menu. Repeat for every heading. Leave body text on its normal style. Tip: Bold and a bigger font do not count as a heading style. Pages reads the style name, not the look.
3. **Open the table of contents sidebar.** (View button > Table of Contents) Click the View button in the toolbar and choose Table of Contents. A sidebar opens. It stays empty until at least one paragraph style is ticked.
4. **Tick the styles to include.** (Table of Contents sidebar > Edit) Click Edit at the top of the sidebar. Tick the box beside each paragraph style you want in the table, such as Heading 1 and Heading 2. Leave the other styles unticked. Tip: Ticking Caption or other ordinary styles adds plain lines to the table. Leave those unticked.
5. **Insert the table into the document.** (Table of Contents sidebar > Insert Table of Contents) Put the cursor where the table should go, such as after the title page. Click Insert Table of Contents at the bottom of the sidebar. If the button stays dimmed, the document may be a page layout document, which does not support a table of contents. Tip: Click a blank line first, so the table does not split an existing paragraph.
6. **Insert a section-only table if you need one.** (Insert > Table of Contents > Section) Go to Insert > Table of Contents > Section for a table that covers only the current section. Choose To Next Occurrence to run until the next table of contents in the file. Tip: Some older replies online mention a Document option. Apple's current guide does not list it.
7. **Select the table and set its tabs.** (Format button > Text tab > Tabs section) Click the table on the page to select it. In the Format sidebar, open the Text tab and find the Tabs section. Set Leader, Alignment, and Stops there, and tick Page Numbers if you want them. Tip: Try tab changes on a copy first, so your original layout stays as it is.
8. **Check entries against the pages.** Scroll through the document. Compare each entry with its heading and page number. If an entry is missing, return to the sidebar, check that its style is ticked, then check the heading itself. Tip: Read the style name of the heading in the Format sidebar, not just how it looks on the page.

A table of contents tells readers what is in a document and where to find it. In Pages on Mac, the table is built from your headings. That only works when each heading carries a paragraph style. Once it does, the table takes a few clicks. This page follows Apple's Pages guide for Mac, so the menu names match what you see on screen.

## Check your Pages version before you start

Apple's Pages guide for Mac covers Pages 15.4. To see which version you run, click Pages in the menu bar and choose About Pages. The App Store lists Pages 15.4.2 with a minimum of macOS 26.0. If your copy is older, the menus may sit in different places, so compare the names in this guide with your own screen.

Version matters for a second reason. Community threads about the table often describe Pages 6.1.1 or 11.2. Those older releases can place menus differently, and their fixes may not match what you see today. Read the version number in each thread before you copy its steps.

- **15.4** Pages for Mac version that Apple's guide for the table of contents covers ([source](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/welcome/mac))
- **26.0** Minimum macOS version listed for Pages 15.4.2 on the Mac App Store ([source](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=12))
- **$12.99** Monthly subscription option for Pages, as listed on the Mac App Store ([source](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=12))

## Apply heading styles so Pages can find your headings

Pages does not guess which lines are headings. It reads paragraph styles. A line can look like a heading because it is bold and large, and Pages still treats it as body text. Select each chapter title and section title, then pick Heading 1 or Heading 2 from the paragraph style menu. Keep the rest of the document on its normal body style. This step decides what the table can show, so it matters more than any other step.

![Writer at a Mac laptop planning how to create a table of contents in Pages](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/create-a-table-of-contents-in-pages/how-to-create-a-table-of-contents-1-c039c5.jpg)

## Set up a heading order the table can read

Heading 1 works for chapters, and Heading 2 works for the sections inside each chapter. Keep that pattern across the whole file. When every chapter uses Heading 1 and every section uses Heading 2, the table reads like an outline. When one chapter uses Heading 2 for its main titles, the table gets confusing, because that chapter looks like a section of the chapter before it.

Use the Title style for the document title, and keep it out of the table unless you want it there. Body text stays on its normal style. Captions and quotes have their own styles, and they should not carry a heading style just to look bold. Pick one level for each kind of line, then stick with it through the whole file.

## Choose which styles appear in the table

Open the table of contents sidebar and click Edit at the top. Pages lists the paragraph styles in your document, with a checkbox beside each one. Tick the styles you want. Most people tick Heading 1 and Heading 2 and leave the rest alone. Ticking a caption or quote style puts those lines in the table, which readers rarely want.

Here is a worked example. Suppose a report has a title, several chapters, and a short section under each chapter. The chapters use Heading 1, the sections use Heading 2, and the title uses Title. Tick Heading 1 and Heading 2 only. The table then lists the chapters and sections, and the title stays off the list. Tick Title as well if you want it there too.

## Insert the table in a word processing document

Pages gives you two ways to place the table. The button at the bottom of the sidebar builds a table for the whole document at the insertion point. The Insert menu offers narrower options for files that hold separate parts. A single report with one contents page usually needs only the button. A file with several separate parts can use the menu options instead.

- Insert Table of Contents button (sidebar): covers the whole document, placed at the insertion point.
- Insert > Table of Contents > Section: covers only the current section, useful for files with separate parts.
- Insert > Table of Contents > To Next Occurrence: runs until the next table of contents in the file.

The Section option suits a file that holds separate parts, such as a thesis with an appendix that needs its own contents page. The To Next Occurrence option fills the space up to the next table of contents, which helps when you split a file into parts that each need a contents page. If you only need one table, skip both menu options and use the sidebar button.

![Person writing notes at a desk before formatting a long document in a word processor](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/create-a-table-of-contents-in-pages/how-to-create-a-table-of-contents-2-1586d2.jpg)

## Walk through a long report from start to finish

Here is a complete run on a long report with a title page, a few chapters, and a short appendix. Open the file and check the version first. Then select the title and set it to Title. Select the first chapter title and set it to Heading 1. Select each section title inside that chapter and set it to Heading 2. Repeat for the other chapters and for the appendix title.

When every heading has a style, click the View button and choose Table of Contents. Click Edit and tick Heading 1 and Heading 2. Leave Title unticked, so the title page does not list itself. Put the cursor on a blank line after the title page, then click Insert Table of Contents at the bottom of the sidebar.

Read the table against the document. Each chapter should appear once, with its sections listed beneath it in order. If a section is missing, the cause is almost always the style on that line, not the table. Fix the style, then check the table again. Save the file once you are happy with it, so you have a clean copy to fall back on.

## Keep the table up to date as you edit

Apple's Pages for iCloud guide says the table updates as you edit. Test that on your own file. Add a short heading near the end, then look at the table. If the new entry does not appear, the heading probably lacks a ticked style. Some older community replies say to delete the table and insert it again. Try the automatic route first, and rebuild only when entries stay missing.

Test the update on a real edit, not a guess. Add a new heading after a chapter, give it Heading 2, and watch the table. If the entry appears, automatic updates are working in your file. If it does not appear, look at the style first, because that is where most missing entries come from.

## Why a late section can go missing from the table

One Apple Community thread, from Pages 6.1.1, describes a section that was missing from the table near the end of a long file. The poster found the heading style was on the section titles but not on a line of body text. The thread is old, so details may differ in Pages 15.4. Check each line near the missing entry, and read the style name in the Format sidebar rather than trusting the font size.

The same check helps in a shared file. Ask the other editor to close and reopen the document, then compare what they see with your copy. Apple's iCloud guide says changes in shared documents do not show until the file is closed and reopened, so a missing entry on their screen may just be an old view.

## Format the table without breaking its styles

Select the table and open the Format sidebar. In the Text tab, the Tabs section has Leader, Alignment, and Stops columns. It also has a Page Numbers checkbox. Those controls change how each entry lines up with its page number. The Table of Contents tab offers Customize Styles, which Apple's guide says cannot be undone. If you use it, matching tables must be changed by hand.

Leader sets the fill between each entry and its page number. Alignment sets how the page numbers line up at each tab stop. Stops set where those tab stops sit along the line. Change one setting at a time, then look at the result, so you can tell which change did what. Pick a fill your readers can follow across the line, and test it on a printed page.

| Setting | Where to find it | What it changes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Leader | Format sidebar, Text tab, Tabs section | The fill between each entry and its page number |
| Alignment | Tabs section | How page numbers line up at each tab stop |
| Stops | Tabs section | Where the tab stops sit along the line |
| Page Numbers | Tabs section checkbox | Shows or hides page numbers in the table |
| Customize Styles | Table of Contents tab | Changes the look of the table, and cannot be undone |

_Tabs and style settings for a table of contents in Pages on Mac_

A safe order helps. Fix headings first, choose styles second, and change the look last. Working this way means you rarely redo work, because a heading fix can shift every entry below it.

## Pages for iCloud and what is different

Pages for iCloud also opens its table from the View button, using View > Table of Contents. Edit appears in the top right corner of the table, where you tick styles. Apple's iCloud guide does not describe an Insert menu, Format sidebar options, or keyboard shortcuts for the table. If a Mac step does not show up in the browser, Apple's guide simply does not cover it.

If you need the Insert menu or the Format sidebar, use the Mac app for those steps. This guide follows the Mac app for that reason. The iCloud guide does not document differences between the browser version and the Mac app, so check each step on your own screen before you rely on it.

## What Pages costs on Mac and which version you need

The Mac App Store lists Pages as free with in-app purchases. The listing says creating, viewing, editing, and real-time collaboration do not need a subscription. Some intelligence and premium features do. It shows a monthly option of $12.99 and an annual option of $129.00. Check the listing for current prices before you subscribe, because prices can change.

![Laptop and notebook on a desk, ready for a long report with a contents page](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/create-a-table-of-contents-in-pages/how-to-create-a-table-of-contents-3-71281b.jpg)

## Mistakes people make with a table of contents

- Using bold or a bigger font instead of a heading style. Pages does not treat that text as a heading.
- Ticking styles such as Caption, which pulls ordinary lines into the table.
- Inserting the table before writing any headings, then wondering why it looks empty.
- Trying to build the table in a Page Layout document. The Insert button stays dimmed.
- Using Customize Styles on one table and forgetting it cannot be undone.

Most of these mistakes share one cause. The table only sees what Pages tags as a heading, and it cannot read your intentions. Once you think of the table as a reader of styles, the fixes become quick to find.

## What to do next

Build a test file with a few headings and a line of body text, then run the steps there first. That keeps your real document untouched. When the test works, read [Pages for writers on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/pages) for habits that suit long files.

If your file also has footnotes that restart by chapter, the guide [How to restart footnote numbering in Pages on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/for/writers/problems/pages-footnote-numbering-restart-sections) covers that next. Keep the Pages version in mind when you read online answers. Community threads come from older releases such as 6.1.1 and 11.2, so check the version in each thread before you trust its fix.

## If it does not work

- **The table says it is empty because no paragraph styles are set to appear** Pages shows the message 'The table of contents is empty because you aren't using the paragraph styles set to appear in it.' Click Edit in the sidebar and tick the styles you want. Then apply those styles to your headings. An Apple Community thread on Pages 11.2 reports the same message.
- **The Insert Table of Contents button is dimmed** Apple says this can mean the document is a page layout document, which does not support a table of contents. You can convert the file to word processing if that suits you. Afterward, check text boxes, because an Apple Community reply reports their text is not recognized after conversion.
- **A new section is missing from the table near the end of the file** Check each line near the missing entry. A heading needs its paragraph style, not just bold text. Read the style name in the Format sidebar, and make sure the style is ticked under Edit.
- **The table stays out of date after edits or in a shared file** Apple's iCloud guide says changes in shared documents appear after the file is closed and reopened. If the table still will not update on your Mac, delete it and insert a new one, which is the workaround in older community replies.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Where is the Table of Contents button?”: Lazur circles the View button and waits for your click, then points at Edit in the sidebar. You make each click yourself. (Walks you through it)

## FAQ

### Does Pages update the table of contents automatically?

Apple's Pages for iCloud guide says the table updates as you edit. A Pages 6.1.1 community reply says it does not and must be recreated. Check the table after a big edit, and rebuild it only if entries stay missing.

### Is there a keyboard shortcut for a table of contents in Pages on Mac?

Apple's guide for the Mac table of contents lists no keyboard shortcut, so this page does not give one. Use the View button, the sidebar, and the Insert menu with your mouse or trackpad.

### Why is the Insert Table of Contents button greyed out?

Apple says the document may be a page layout document, which does not support a table of contents. Pages can convert a Page Layout file to word processing, but check text boxes afterward, because their text may not be recognized.

### Can I add a table of contents to only one section?

Yes. Choose Insert > Table of Contents > Section, and the table covers that section only. Choose To Next Occurrence if you want the table to run up to the next table of contents in the file.

### Which version of Pages do I need?

Apple's Mac guide covers Pages 15.4, and the App Store lists Pages 15.4.2 with macOS 26.0 as its minimum. Open Pages > About Pages to check the version on your Mac.

### Do I have to pay for Pages to make a table of contents?

The Mac App Store lists Pages as free with in-app purchases. Creating, viewing, editing, and real-time collaboration do not need a subscription, according to the listing. Some intelligence and premium features do.

### Why do my page numbers in the table look wrong?

Check the page numbers against the layout after your last edit. If they stay wrong, delete the table and insert it again with the same styles ticked. Apple's guide describes automatic updates, so test that first.

## Sources

1. [Pages User Guide for Mac: Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/welcome/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-07
2. [Create a table of contents in Pages on Mac: Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/table-of-contents-tan5b8c588d6/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-07
3. [Add a table of contents in Pages for iCloud: Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages-icloud/add-a-table-of-contents-gil4426a91d6/icloud), Apple, checked 2026-11-07
4. [Pages on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=12), Apple, checked 2026-11-07
5. [The table of contents is empty because you aren't using the paragraph styles: Apple Community](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253222967), Apple Community, checked 2026-11-07
6. [New Sections in Pages not showing up in Table of Contents: Apple Community](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7941731), Apple Community, checked 2026-11-07