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How to Make a Table of Contents in Google Docs

Organize your Doc with a TOC

By Molly McLaughlin Molly McLaughlin Senior Editor & Content Strategist Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology editor and writer for over a dozen years. She runs product reviews for Lifewire, overseeing the process from hands-on testing to publishing. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on May 12, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

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Expand Jump to a Section Step-by-Step: Make a Table of Contents for Desktop Edit a Google Docs Table of Contents for Desktop Make a Table of Contents in Google Docs iOS App Edit a Table of Contents in iOS App Add Headings to Google Docs for Android Adding a table of contents (TOC) to a Google Doc is a great way to organize a long document and add easy navigation, as you can click on each heading to go straight there. You can edit the table of contents and add more items as well as move them around. There are five levels of headings so that you can add subsections to subsections for complex documents. Here’s how to add, edit, and delete a table of contents in Google Docs. You can add a table of contents using the desktop app and the iPhone app. Oddly, you can't add, edit, or delete a table of contents using the Android app, though you can use headers. These instructions apply to the desktop version of Google Docs and iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch) running iOS 11.0 or later.

Make a Table of Contents in Google Docs for Desktop

It’s straightforward to make a table of contents on the desktop version of Google Docs. There are two things you need to do: create the table of contents and add headings to the document. Each heading will appear in the TOC. Open a document in Google Docs and click where you want to place the table of contents. Click Insert. Select Table of contents.Choose how you want the table of contents to look; the options are a numbered list or blue links. Your table of contents will appear in the format you chose. To delete a table of contents, right-click it, then select Delete table of contents.

Edit a Table of Contents in Google Docs for Desktop

Whether your document was blank when you added the table of contents or full of headings, you can easily add and remove them as needed. Open a document in Google Docs. To add a heading to the document, type out a word and highlight it. To remove an item from the TOC, find the heading in the document, highlight it, and press the delete button. Click the down arrow next to Normal text, and select Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3. You can also add titles and subtitles to your docs, but those don’t show up in the TOC. Create as many headers as you want, then click inside the table of contents. Click the refresh symbol. The change will update in your table of contents.

Make a Table of Contents in Google Docs for iOS

On an iOS device, you can add and edit a table of contents in Google Docs. To add a table of contents, you must enable the Print layout, and the document must include text with heading or title style formatting. Open a document in Google Docs. Tap the Edit icon on the bottom right. Tap the three-dot menu on the top right. Toggle on Print layout if it’s not already enabled. Add some headings to the document. Tap the Formatting icon on the top right. In the text tab, tap Style. Choose from Heading 1 to 6. Tap the back arrow, then tap anywhere on the screen to exit formatting. Tap where you want the table of contents to be. At the top right, tap the + (plus sign). Tap Table of contents. Choose how you want the table of contents to look; the options are a numbered list or blue links. The table of contents will appear in the doc in the format you chose.

Edit a Table of Contents in Google Docs for iOS

To edit a table of contents, you need to update the headers in your document. On your iPhone or iPad, open a document in the Google Docs app. Add or remove a heading. (See above for instructions.) Tap anywhere in the table of contents, then tap the right-facing triangle on the menu twice then tap Update Table of Contents.

How to Add Headings to Google Docs for Android

While you can add a table of contents on Android’s version of Google Docs, you can add and delete headers. When you’re back at your desk, you can update the TOC on your computer. On your Android phone or tablet, open a document in the Google Docs app. Select the text you want to change. Tap Format. On the Text tab, tap Style. Choose a text style from Heading 1-6. The text style will be updated. Tap the checkmark icon on the top left to exit the document. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Add a Hyperlink in a Google Doc How to Access Google Docs Trash How to Remove Header in Google Docs How to Add a Border in Google Docs How to Unshare a Google Doc How to Allow Access to Google Docs How to Use APA Format in Google Docs How to Email a Google Doc How to Use Google Docs Dark Mode How to Edit Google Docs How to Add Accents in Google Docs How to Use the Google Docs Outline Tool How to Change a Google Docs Background to a Picture How to Alphabetize in Google Docs How to Control F on iPad How to Make a Checklist in Google Docs Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies