How to Add a Table of Contents in Google Docs

Do you know how to add a table of contents in Google Docs? If you want to add a table of contents in the document which shows to readers each chapter/topic listed. In this feature, you can automatically generate links and uses them to move you to each section once clicked. This feature is best for the document to have a large amount of data, this lets all users access and quickly particular topic without the scrolling through the all thing.

The feature of adding a table of contents to your Google Docs document is a very useful method to show readers each chapter or topic listed inside your document. In this article you will learn how to create a table of content in Google Docs file, it will generate links automatically. How to access each chapter or part of the file? Let’s scroll down to create a table of content to your document.

Read: Google Docs the Definitive Guide for Beginner

How to Create a Table of Content to Google Docs File

Let’s show how to create a table of contents. You will need to place the insertion point in your file where you want the table of contents to go. Typically the table of contents will appear after the initial title. But before the body or introduction of your docs file:

Read: How to Enable Offline Mode for Google Drive Docs sheet Slides

Steps to Add a Table of Contents

Here are the steps to add a table of contents to your document in Google Docs:

Open your Google Docs with any browser
Find your File in Docs and open it
Go the Insert Menu from the top of the file
Select the Table of Contents option from the menu
Now click on either of the two options provided in the Submenu
- When you click on the first option it will appear with the plain-text table of contents with numbers on the side intended for printed documents
- Choose the second option has not used page numbers but instead inserts hyperlinks that jump to the given section for the document to see online
If you want to Create an auto-generated table of content that links to a specific section of your document
You will need to Format each chapter—or title—using the built-in header style of Google Docs
This will let Docs know how to famous the table and add clickable links
Right-click on the table of content and select the Delete Table of Contents from the menu

Open Google Docs File, Insert Menu, Table of Contents Menu & Table of Content

Heading Styles of Google Docs

There are different heading styles in Google Docs Document. If you add them then it will look slightly different from each other:

Heading 1: The Style denotes a top-level entry in the table of contents
Heading 2: This style is considered subsections and appears indented under the preceding Heading 1 style in the table.
Heading 3 Style: This style heading 3 is a subsection of Heading 2, and so on.
Heading 4 Style: The Heading 4 is the subsection of Heading 3
Heading 5 Style: Heading 5 is the subsection of Heading 4 in the table
Heading 6 Style: Using Heading 6 is the subsection of Heading 5 in the table and so on.

Click on the Heading Styles and Add Headings

How to Add Heading Style and Update the Table of Content Google Docs

Let’s show how to format, each chapter or title by using the built-in header style of Google Docs. When you add heading styles then refresh the table of content after that. Here are the steps to add heading styles to a table of content in Docs document:

Once you create a Table of Content to Docs File
Click on the Text in the document
Then click on the Format menu
Now select the Paragraph Style from the menu
A submenu will open with various Paragraph Styles and each style will open another submenu and when you hover over your mouse cursor on it.
- Normal Text option
  - Click on the To Apply Normal Text or Use the shortcut Keys Ctrl+Alt+0
  - Update Normal Text to match
- Title
  - Apply Title
  - An update title to match
- Subtitle
  - Apply Subtitle
  - Update subtitle to match
- Heading 1,
  - Apply Heading 1 or Ctrl+Alt+1
  - Update Heading 1 to match
- Heading 2,
  - Apply Heading 2 or Ctrl+Alt+2
  - Update Heading 1 to match
- Heading 3,
  - Apply Heading 3 or Ctrl+Alt+3
  - Update Heading 3 to match
- Heading 4,
  - Apply Heading 4 or Ctrl+Alt+4
  - Update Heading 4 to match
- Heading 5
  - Apply Heading 5 or Ctrl+Alt+5
  - Update Heading 5 to match
Now select any style from the given paragraph styles from the submenu or you can use shortcuts keys from your computer Keyboard to
When you add the Heading Style then click on the Update icon or Right-click and select Table of Content option from the menu

Go to Google Docs, Format Menu,& Paragraph Styles

Right Click and then Update Table of Contents option

How to Access Each Title or Chapter Using Table of Content

Here are the steps to know how to access each chapter or title of them everywhere in the document or file of the Google Docs:

Go to the Table contents of the Docs file
Click on the Content in the table
Now click on the Link once appear to you
When you click on the Link option then you directly jump to the location of the linked title
You can also Copy, Edit, or Delete the Link when you click on the content

Access the Chapter, Copy, Edit, Delete Link

Alternative Way to Add Heading Styles In Google Docs

You will learn an alternative way to add heading style to Google Docs and refresh your table content to generate a link for easy access to any topic or chapter:

Open your Google Docs Document with any browser
Add a table of Content using the above-shared ways
To add various Heading Styles then click on the Text to add a heading style
Now go to the Styles drop-down menu at the upper left side of the document
Select your Heading Style from the menu (Normal Text, Title, Subtitle, Heading 1, 2, 3, & 4) or using the shortcuts Keys(As per above given)
If you want to Default style then select the Options to navigate the following options
- Select the Save as my default styles
- Use My default styles
- Reset Styles