# How to insert a table of contents in Word on Mac: steps for Microsoft 365

> Learn how to insert a table of contents in Word on Mac: heading styles, the References tab, updating the table and fixing missing entries.

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

To insert a table of contents in Word on Mac, click a blank line where the list should go, open the References tab, click Table of Contents, and choose an Automatic Table of Contents style. Word builds the list from paragraphs that use heading styles, so format your titles as headings before you insert anything.

## Quick answer

- Format every title with a heading style, Heading 1 or Heading 2, before you insert the table.
- Click a blank line, then choose References > Table of Contents > Automatic Table of Contents.
- Avoid the Manual style. Word won't use your headings with it or update it automatically.
- After you edit, choose References > Update Table. Pick Update page numbers only or Update entire table.

Applies to: Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024 and Word 2021 for Mac. Time: 5 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- Word for Mac from Microsoft 365, Word 2024 or Word 2021
- Headings formatted with the Heading 1 or Heading 2 style
- The document open in Print Layout, not Reading view

## How to Insert a table of contents in Word on Mac in Word on a Mac

1. **Style your headings.** (Home > Styles > Heading 1) Select each chapter title and section title. Go to Home > Styles, then apply Heading 1 to chapters and Heading 2 to sections. Word builds the table only from paragraphs that use these styles. Tip: Use Heading 2 for the sections inside a chapter. Word nests them under their parent in the table.
2. **Place the cursor.** (Blank line below the title) Click a blank line near the start of the document, usually just below the title. Keep the cursor out of any heading. A table inserted inside a heading line can look broken. Tip: If the table lands in the wrong spot, press Command+Z to undo, then move the cursor and insert again.
3. **Open the References tab.** (References) Click References on the ribbon. It sits between Layout and Mailings. The Table of Contents button is on the left side of this tab.
4. **Choose an Automatic style.** (References > Table of Contents > Automatic Table of Contents) Click Table of Contents, and the gallery opens. Pick an Automatic Table of Contents style. Word inserts the table at the cursor and fills in the headings and page numbers. Tip: Do not choose the Manual style if you want Word to update the list later.
5. **Read the result.** (Table of Contents) Scroll through the table and compare each entry with your headings. Command-click an entry to test its link. If an entry is missing, fix its heading style before you do anything else.
6. **Update after you edit.** (References > Update Table) After you change headings or move text, click inside the table. Go to References > Update Table. Choose Update page numbers only or Update entire table, then click OK. Tip: Choose Update entire table whenever you rename a heading. Page numbers only leaves the old heading text in place.

A table of contents in Word is not typed text. It is a field that Word builds from paragraphs with heading styles. That single fact explains most problems, and it shows you how to fix them. Get the headings right first, and the insert step is quick.

## Before you insert anything, check your headings

Word looks for paragraphs that use built-in heading styles. It does not look at font size, bold or underline. A title that is bold and large looks like a heading, but Word skips it. The fix is simple. Select the title, go to Home > Styles, and apply Heading 1 for main sections or Heading 2 for the sections inside them.

Microsoft's support article says missing entries often come from this exact problem. If a heading is absent from your list, check its style first. Apply the right heading style, then update the table. The table itself is rarely the problem.

- Use Heading 1 for chapters, parts or other major sections.
- Use Heading 2 for sections inside each chapter.
- Keep heading text short. The text becomes the entry in your table.
- Typed numbers such as 1.1 are plain text, so they appear in the table exactly as typed.
- Do not apply heading styles to captions, footers or pull quotes. They will show up as entries.

## How to insert a table of contents in Word on Mac, step by step

These steps apply to Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Word 2024 for Mac and Word 2021 for Mac. Microsoft's instructions cover those versions. Labels on your screen can differ a little between releases, so match the names you actually see.

![Person at a desk on a Mac learning how to insert a table of contents in Word on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/insert-a-table-of-contents-in-word/how-to-insert-a-table-of-contents-1-326721.jpg)

The Table of Contents command lives on the References tab. On the ribbon, References sits between Layout and Mailings. Read the steps once, then follow them in order. Each step depends on the one before it.

## Choose an Automatic style, not Manual

The Table of Contents gallery shows Automatic styles and a Manual option. Automatic styles build the list from your headings. You can refresh them later with one command. The Manual style inserts placeholder text that you type over. Word does not use your headings with it, and it cannot update it automatically.

For a normal document, choose an Automatic style every time. Manual is a fallback for layouts Word cannot read. If you use it, you will need to update those entries by hand.

If you need control, choose Custom Table of Contents from the same menu. Custom options include the number of heading levels, leaders and fonts. Set them before you insert the table, or change them later and then update.

## Update the table of contents on Mac

A table of contents does not refresh by itself. After you move text, add a section or rename a heading, you need to update it. Click anywhere in the table. Then go to References > Update Table. Word offers two choices, and the right one depends on what changed.

| Option | What Word refreshes | Use it when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Update page numbers only | Page numbers. Heading text in the table stays as it was. | You moved or added body text, but the headings are the same. |
| Update entire table | Page numbers and heading text. | You renamed, added or removed headings. |

_The two update options under References > Update Table._

Click OK after you choose. Microsoft's update article says manually created tables can't be updated automatically. If your table won't refresh, check whether it is a Manual table. The troubleshooting section below covers that and other fixes.

## Keyboard shortcuts for fields on Mac

Word for Mac has no shortcut that inserts a table of contents. The Windows shortcut Alt+Shift+F12 does not apply on a Mac. A table of contents is a field, though, and Word for Mac has shortcuts for fields. The list in the shortcuts section covers the ones that matter here.

Microsoft warns that F9 and Shift+F9 may conflict with default macOS shortcuts. On many Mac keyboards you press fn with the F-key. To stop that, open System Settings > Keyboard and turn on Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.

## Word for the web, briefly

Word for the web uses a slightly different path. Click where the table goes, select References, then Insert Table of Contents. After you change the document, right-click the table and choose Update Table of Contents.

Microsoft does not list customization options for Word for the web. If you need custom levels, leaders or fonts, make the change in Word for Mac. Microsoft's pages don't say whether those options exist on the web.

## Common mistakes and how to fix them

Most problems trace back to three things. The headings are wrong, the table sits in the wrong place, or the update was skipped. The table below pairs each symptom with a fix you can try in a minute.

| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A heading is missing from the list | The title is bold text, not a heading style | Select the title, go to Home > Styles, apply Heading 1 or Heading 2, then update the table |
| The table won't refresh | The table uses the Manual style | Delete the table, then insert an Automatic style table from References > Table of Contents |
| Page numbers are wrong | Text moved after the last update | References > Update Table > Update page numbers only, then click OK |
| An old heading name still shows | The heading text changed, but you updated page numbers only | References > Update Table > Update entire table, then click OK |

_Common symptoms and the fix for each one._

![Close view of a laptop while formatting headings before you insert a table of contents in Word on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/insert-a-table-of-contents-in-word/how-to-insert-a-table-of-contents-2-53274b.jpg)

Watch out for placeholder text. In a Manual table, the placeholder entries look like real entries. People type over them and forget to match the page numbers. Word will not fix those later, so switch to an Automatic table instead.

A common slip is putting the cursor on a heading line before you insert. The table then lands inside the heading and can look broken. Click at the start of a blank line below the title, then insert. If the table is already in the wrong place, press Command+Z to undo and try again.

Entries in an Automatic table are hyperlinks by default. A Microsoft Q&A answer says so. Clicking an entry jumps to that section in the document. Hyperlinks only work for entries built from headings, so this is one more reason to use heading styles.

## A worked example: a report with chapters

Suppose you are writing a report with chapters, and each chapter has sections. Style each chapter title as Heading 1 and each section title as Heading 2. Put the cursor on an empty line after the title page. Insert an Automatic table. Chapters show as main entries, and sections nest under them.

Later, you rename a section and move a paragraph from one chapter to another. Click the table, then choose References > Update Table > Update entire table. Word refreshes the names and the page numbers together. Click two or three entries to check the links.

If the report has a cover page with its own section break, put the table after that break. This keeps the cover free of the list. Then check how the page numbers start in the new section, because a section break can restart them.

## When you do not need a table of contents

A short memo or a one-page letter does not need a table of contents. Adding one can make a short file look overbuilt. Use one when readers need to jump around, such as in a long report, a thesis or a manual.

## Where Lazur helps while you do this

![Tidy desk with a Mac and a printed report, the setting for a table of contents in Word on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/insert-a-table-of-contents-in-word/how-to-insert-a-table-of-contents-3-762193.jpg)

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac. It lives in the notch. Hold ⌥⌘, which is Option and Command together, and ask about anything on your screen. Lazur looks at the screen while you hold the keys, then answers out loud.

Ask where something is, and Lazur draws a circle and a label around it. For example, ask where the Table of Contents button is, and it circles the button on the References tab. Ask how to update the table, and Lazur guides you one click at a time, waiting for each click before the next.

Lazur does not click for you, and it does not insert or update the table. You still make each click in Word. Lazur is not a plugin or add-in for Word. Think of it as someone sitting beside you who can point at the screen.

Use Lazur for the moments you get stuck. Ask why a heading is missing from the table, and it can explain what it sees on the screen. Ask for the update option you need, and it can point you to the right button.

If you do a lot of work in Word, the [Lazur for Word page](https://www.lazur.app/apps/word) covers what Lazur sees and points at in Word on a Mac.

## Check the file before you send it

Before you send or print the document, update the table one last time. Choose Update entire table if you changed any heading text. Then scroll through the table and click a few entries to test the links.

Also check your Mac version. Microsoft's release notes list Word for Mac 16.114.3 (Build 26102720), released October 27, 2026. That release lists only quality and performance improvements. I found no change to the References tab or the table of contents menu in it.

## Shortcuts

- Update the selected field, such as a table of contents: F9 (fn F9 on some keyboards)
- Switch the selected field between code and result: ⇧F9
- Switch every field code and result in the document: ⌥F9
- Unlink the current field, which turns it into plain text: ⌘⇧F9

## If it does not work

- **F9 does nothing or opens a different function** Press fn with F9. To stop needing fn, open System Settings > Keyboard and turn on Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.
- **The table is empty or missing headings** Those headings don't use heading styles. Select each one, go to Home > Styles, apply Heading 1 or Heading 2, then update the table.
- **The table won't update at all** The table may be a Manual table, which can't be updated automatically. Delete it and insert an Automatic style table from References > Table of Contents.
- **Page numbers are off after an edit** Choose References > Update Table, select Update page numbers only, and click OK.
- **An entry still shows an old heading name** Choose References > Update Table > Update entire table so Word reads the new heading text.

## 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's the Table of Contents button?”: Lazur circles the Table of Contents button on the References tab and labels it. You still make the click yourself. (Points at it)

## FAQ

### Can I insert a table of contents in Word on Mac without heading styles?

Only with the Manual style, and that style does not use headings. You type the entries yourself, and Word can't update them. Apply heading styles and use an Automatic table instead.

### Where is the Table of Contents button in Word for Mac?

It sits on the References tab. Click References on the ribbon, and the Table of Contents button is on the left. If the ribbon looks missing, switch from Reading view back to Print Layout from the View menu.

### Why does my table of contents show the wrong page numbers?

Text probably moved after the last update. Go to References > Update Table, choose Update page numbers only, and click OK. Then check the table again.

### How do I change the font or spacing of a table of contents?

Use Custom Table of Contents from the Table of Contents menu. Custom options cover levels, leaders and fonts. Microsoft does not say whether these options work in Word for the web, so make the change in Word for Mac.

### Are the entries in a Word table of contents clickable?

Yes. A Microsoft Q&A answer says a Word table of contents is hyperlinked by default. Command-click an entry to jump to that heading, as long as the entry came from a heading style.

### Which versions of Word for Mac does this cover?

Microsoft's insert article covers Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024 and Word 2021, including the Mac versions. The update article also lists Word 2019 and Word 2016. The latest Mac release note in Microsoft's list is Version 16.114.3.

### Can Lazur insert the table of contents for me?

No. Lazur points at the References tab and the Table of Contents button, and it can guide you one click at a time. You still make every click in Word.

## Sources

1. [Insert a table of contents](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/training/insert-a-table-of-contents), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-07
2. [Update a table of contents](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/update-a-table-of-contents), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-07
3. [Keyboard shortcuts in Word](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/word/keyboard-shortcuts-in-word), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-07
4. [Release notes for Office for Mac](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/release-notes-office-for-mac), Microsoft Learn, checked 2026-11-07
5. [Word for Mac - How to create a clickable table of contents](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5299808/word-for-mac-how-to-create-a-clickable-table-of-co), Microsoft Learn Q&A, checked 2026-11-07