Adding table numbers in word

Each table should be referenced in the document content. Typically, tables have a number and a title, which are referenced. Microsoft Word offers functionality to create automatically updated numbers for figures, tables, and equations. The numbers and titles, created using the Captions functionality, are used to cross-reference tables in a document and create a List of Tables.

The word Table and a number identify a table then follows the caption. A caption is a short block of text that explain table contents without referring to the document content:

See more about creating numbers and captions for figures: images, pictures, charts, etc., creating captions for equations, and creating captions for photographs.

Attention! We highly recommend checking the formatting requirements, accepted by your college, university, company, or established on the project, etc.

Insert a caption for tables

To add automatically updated numbers and a title (caption) for a table, select it by:

• Selecting all rows or columns of the table one by one, or
• Moving the mouse over the table until you see the table selection icons in the upper-left corner of the table and clicking it:

  

  Note: You can also click on the table selection icon in the bottom-right corner for the same effect. See how to select table elements for more details.

After selecting a table, do one of the following:

• On the References tab, in the Captions group, click the Insert Caption button:

  

• Right-click on the selection and select the Insert Caption… in the popup menu:

  

In the Caption dialog box:

Select the label and its position

• Under Options:
  • From the Label dropdown list, select the item type you need:

    

    • Table,
    • Equation – see how to create captions for equations,
    • Figure (selected by default) — see how to create captions for figures,
    • Another label (in this example, My Caption) was created using the New Label… button (see how to create a new label below).

    Note: Remember that each type of object you labeled will be numbered sequentially within its group.

  • From the Position dropdown list, select one of the options:

    

    • Above selected item (selected by default for the Table label), or
    • Below selected item (selected by default for the Figure label).

    Note: The captions for tables are usually located above the tables.

Exclude label from caption

• Select the Exclude label from caption check box if you don’t need to add the label to the caption:

  

  Some requirements recommend using the lowercase word table instead of the automatically added Table in Word cross-references.

  The option Exclude label from caption hides the label from being displayed in cross-references or a List of Tables.

  For example:

  • When you insert a cross-reference with the selected option Entire captions or Only label and number (see more details how to use cross-references in Word), Word adds the capitalized label and number, as you see in the Caption field of the Caption dialog box. E.g., “are listed in Table 3” or “are listed in Table 3 Number of articles by statuses and products”.
  • All captions, created with selected option Exclude label from caption, Word adds in cross-references as their numbers without the labels. Type the word table (as required) and insert a reference to a caption (e.g., “are listed in table 3”).

Add a new label

• Click the New Label… button to create a new label:

  

  In the New Label dialog box, type a new label name:

  

Note: See also how to delete a custom label.

Modify caption numbering

• Click the Numbering… button if you want to change any of the numbering options:

  

  In the Caption Numbering dialog box:

  

  • In the Format dropdown list, select the numbering format you need (some requirements recommend using Latin capital letters instead of numbers for tables):

  

  • Select the Include chapter number check box to include the chapter number in the caption number. After selecting this option, two more options will be unlocked:
    • From the Chapter starts with style dropdown list, select the heading level you need to include in the caption:

      
    • In the Use separator dropdown list, select the punctuation you need to insert between the chapter number and the table number:

      

    • At the bottom of the dialog box, see how your choices will look in the Examples section. E.g., Table 2.3” means the third table in chapter 2.
    • Click the OK button.

Add a title

• To add the text of your caption, click after the table number and enter the text. E.g.:

  

Notes:

1. There are several standard requirements for table titles:
   • Chicago style recommends using the table title in line with the label and number. E.g.:

     

   • In opposite, APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association) styles recommend using the table title with one double-spaced line below the table number (see how to adjust line spacing). E.g.:

     

     To create such a title, don’t type any text in the Caption field, leave it, then do the following:

     1. Create a caption without a title.
     2. Position cursor after a caption number and add a new line (by pressing Shift+Enter) in which type of title you need.

        Note: You can press Enter and create a new paragraph instead of a new line. See how to create a List of Tables (Table of Figures) for more details.

     3. Format the caption to adjust line spacing (see how to change caption line spacing).
   • In addition, MLA style recommends using a hanging indent to the second line of long titles. E.g.:

     

2. Word offers very helpful functionality to create a text that can be displayed in a List of Tables instead of a caption text. See how to create a Table of Contents Entry.
3. For most requirements, the number and the title should be without an ending period. If you need a period after a number, type it in the Caption field.
4. If a table spans more than one page, the first page of that table should have a complete caption; the subsequent pages should have an abbreviated caption consisting of a label, a number, and the word Continued. E.g., “Table 3. Continued”.

Using an AutoCaption

See Adding captions with AutoCaption.

Group a table and its caption

According to all requirements, a table (or its part) with its caption should appear on the same page. Word adds captions for tables as a regular paragraph with selected Keep with next option. See how to keep lines and paragraphs together for more details.

See also how to keep a table row on one page and keep a table on one page of a Word document.

Edit or modify a caption

Microsoft Word adds numbers in captions as fields.

You can show all fields in a document with a gray background, see how to turn on or turn off highlighting of fields in a Word document.

• Labels:

  If needed, you can change the label. Word for Microsoft 365 will update the reference if available. In this case, Word will not create a new label and a separate numbering. Be careful!

• Numbers:

  DO NOT edit caption numbers! If you change a number:

  • In some cases, Word will update it, and you will lose your changes,
  • Otherwise, the caption number may stop updating automatically.
• Text:

  To add or modify a caption text, click on it and change what you need, like in a regular paragraph.

Do not forget to format a caption according to the requirements you use!

Delete a caption and an unnecessary label

If you need to remove some caption, select the caption paragraph (full line or several lines) and press Delete. Do not forget to update fields in the document!

To remove the unnecessary label, do the following:

   1.   Open the Caption dialog box.

   2.   In the Label dropdown list, select the label you want to remove.

   3.   Click the Delete Label to remove a custom label:

Note: You can’t delete predefined labels: Equation, Figure, and Table.

Update caption numbering

Word automatically updates references and numbering if you insert a new text. However, copying, deleting, or moving context often leads to confusion in the document. After such operations, you have to update all dependencies manually.

To update fields in the document, select the entire document by clicking Ctrl+A, and do one of the following:

• Press F9,
• Right-click on any of the fields and select Update Field in the popup menu:

  

Word will update all fields. You can be sure that the numbering and references are correct.

We strongly recommend checking a document at least visually after changes!

On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click Numbering. Note: To select a different number format, right-click a number in the list, point to Numbering, click Define New Number Format, and then select the options that you want.

How do I automatically number tables in Word?

One way is to use Word’s built-in numbering, in this manner:

1. Insert your table as you normally would.
2. Select the cells in the table that you want to have numbered.
3. Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
4. Click the Numbering tab, in the Paragraph group. Word adds numbering, automatically, to the selected cells.

How do you do sequential numbers in Word?

As an example of how you can do this, follow these steps:

1. Position the insertion point where you want the sequential number to appear.
2. Press Ctrl+F9 to insert field braces.
3. Type “seq NumList” (without the quote marks).
4. Press F9 to update the field information.

How do you do numbering?

Insert page numbers

1. Select Insert > Page Number, and then choose the location and style you want.
2. If you don’t want a page number to appear on the first page, select Different First Page.
3. If you want numbering to start with 1 on the second page, go to Page Number > Format Page Numbers, and set Start at to 0.

How do I label a table in Word?

Select the object (table, equation, figure, or another object) that you want to add a caption to. On the References tab, in the Captions group, click Insert Caption. In the Label list, select the label that best describes the object, such as a figure or equation.

How do you list tables and figures in APA?

You have two options for the placement of tables and figures in APA Style:

1. Option 1: Place tables and figures throughout your text, shortly after the parts of the text that refer to them.
2. Option 2: Place them all together at the end of your text (after the reference list) to avoid breaking up the text.

How do I list tables in Word?

1. Click on the Reference tab.
2. Click on Insert Table of Figures in the Captions section.
3. Under General, make sure that Caption label is set to Table.
4. Also make sure that Include label and number is unchecked.
5. Click on Options.
6. Check the Style box, and select Table title in the dropdown box.
7. Click OK.
8. Click on Modify.

How do you add numbers to a table of contents in Word?

To customize your existing table of contents:

1. Go to References > Table of Contents.
2. Select Custom table of contents.
3. Use the settings to show, hide, and align page numbers, add or change the tab leader, set formats, and specify how many levels of headings to show.

How do I start numbering from 2.1 in Word?

If you just need the chapter number included in captions, on the On the Home Ribbon, in the Paragraph Group, click the Multilevel List icon and select the one with the words Chapter 1 in it from the List Library section. If you need subsections numbered (for example, 2.1, 2.2, 2.12, etc.)

How do I get 1.1 Numbering in Word?

Practice: Customize Outline Numbering

1. Create a new document.
2. From the Format menu, choose Bullets and Numbering.
3. Select the Outline Numbered tab.
4. Select the second option on the top row. The default is 1, 1.1, 1.1.
5. Click Customize.
6. In the Number format field, type Article before the number that appears in the box.

How do you label a table?

Tables should be labeled with a number preceding the table title; tables and figures are labeled independently of one another. Tables should also have lines demarcating different parts of the table (title, column headers, data, and footnotes if present). Gridlines or boxes should not be included in printed versions.

How do you keep a table title in Word?

In the table, right-click in the row that you want to repeat, and then click Table Properties. In the Table Properties dialog box, on the Row tab, select the Repeat as header row at the top of each page check box. Select OK.

How do you label a table in APA?

APA Tables
APA requires a title above the table after the figure number. Tables should be labeled “Table” followed by the number. Titles should be in italics, but labels should be in plain text. The text in a table should be consistent with the font in the rest of your paper.

Do tables count in word count APA 7th edition?

Counting the number of words in an APA Style paper is easy: Count all the words in the entire paper to get the total word count. That includes the title page, abstract, main text, quotations, headings, citations, footnotes, reference list, tables, figure captions, and appendices—everything.

Can a table be a figure?

Tables usually show numerical value or textual information and are almost always characterized by a row-column structure. Any type of illustration other than a table is referred to as a figure. Number tables sequentially (i.e.if you have more than one table in your writing) e.g. Table 1, Table 2..

How do I create a table of tables in Word?

To create a combined list of tables and figures

1. After the table of contents, click where you want to insert the list.
2. In the Insert menu, pull down to Index and Tables.
3. Click Table of Figures.
4. Check Include label and number, Show page numbers, Right align page numbers.
5. Click Options.
6. Click OK.
7. Click OK.

How do I update table of contents in Word?

Update a table of contents

1. Go to References > Update Table.
2. Select one of the following: Update page numbers only This only updates the pages that the headings are on, and ignores any changes to the heading text.
3. Select OK.

How do I add heading 3 to a table of contents?

Change the heading levels reported in the TOC

1. Click anywhere inside the TOC.
2. Go to the References tab > Table of Contents > Insert Table of Contents.
3. On the Table of Contents window, change the Show levels setting from 3 to 4 or 5, depending on how deep you want to go.
4. Click OK.
5. Say Yes to replace the existing TOC.

How do I fix multi level numbering in Word?

How to fix Multilevel list in Word

1. Select the first heading level and then from the Word Main menu, under the tab Home, within the group Paragraph, click the Multilevel List icon.
2. From the drop-down list, click option Define New Multilevel List.

What is multi level numbering?

Multi-level numbering helps you control the numbers of your chapter headings, headings, and subheadings within your documents. Before you set multi-level numbering you should format all the headings in your document to use styles.

How do I create a multi-level table of contents in Word?

3 Answers

1. Click on your top level number/symbol.
2. “Define new multi-level list”
3. Click “More >>”
4. Click on your top level line and click “link level to style”
5. Select “heading 1” or your own custom style, I don’t care.
6. OK.
7. References > Table of contents > Insert table of contents.
8. Show levels: 1.

Если вам необходимо пронумеровать строки в созданной и, возможно, уже заполненной таблице в программе MS Word, первое, что приходит в голову — сделать это вручную. Конечно, всегда можно добавить в начало таблицы (слева) еще один столбец и использовать именно его для нумерации, вводя туда цифры в порядке возрастания. Вот только целесообразным такой метод является далеко не всегда.

Урок: Как сделать таблицу в Ворде

Добавление нумерации строк в таблицу вручную может быть более менее подходящим решением лишь в том случае, когда вы уверены, что таблица больше не будет изменяться. В противном случае, при добавлении строки с данными или без них, нумерация в любом случае собьется и ее придется изменять. Единственно верное решение в данном случае — сделать автоматическую нумерацию строк в таблице Word, о чем мы и расскажем ниже.

Урок: Как добавить строки в таблицу Ворд

1. Выделите тот столбец в таблице, который будет использоваться для нумерации.

Примечание: Если в вашей таблице есть шапка (строка с названием/описанием содержимого столбцов), первую ячейку первой строки выделять не нужно.

2. Во вкладке “Главная” в группе “Абзац” нажмите кнопку “Нумерация”, предназначенную для создания нумерованных списков в тексте.

Урок: Как отформатировать текст в Word

3. Все ячейки в выделенном вами столбце будут пронумерованы.

Урок: Как в Ворд упорядочить список в алфавитном порядке

Если это необходимо, вы всегда можете изменить шрифт нумерации, ее тип написания. Делается это точно так же, как и с обычным текстом, а наши уроки вам в этом помогут.

Уроки по работе с Word:
Как изменить шрифт
Как выровнять текст

Помимо изменения шрифта, типа написания размера и прочих параметров, вы также можете изменить расположение номерных цифр в ячейке, уменьшив отступ или увеличив его. Для этого выполните следующие действия:

1. Кликните правой кнопкой мышки в ячейке с цифрой и выберите пункт “Изменить отступы в списке”:

2. В открывшемся окошке задайте необходимые параметры для отступов и положения нумерации.

Урок: Как объединить ячейки в таблице Ворд

Для изменения стиля нумерации воспользуйтесь меню кнопки “Нумерация”.

Теперь, если вы будете добавлять в таблице новые строки, вносить в нее новые данные, нумерация будет изменяться автоматически, тем самым избавив вас от лишних хлопот.

Урок: Как пронумеровать страницы в Word

Вот, собственно, и все, теперь вы знаете еще больше о работе с таблицами в Ворде, в том числе и о том, как сделать автоматическую нумерацию строк.

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For large tables in Word, it would be more convenient if we can auto number their rows or columns. Follow this article to learn how.

Many of us may know how to use the AutoNumber feature in Excel worksheets. In fact, this feature can also be applied to Word tables. For complex documents that may contain large tables, you may want Word to number the rows automatically to save time. Besides, if you have inserted auto-number to the rows or columns of a table, then you will never need to adjust numbers when you insert or remove rows or columns from your table anymore, because Word will update them automatically. In this article, we will mainly introduce how to do so.

Method 1: Create a Normal Auto-numbered List

For better understanding, I will show you how to insert an auto-numbered list in the first left column of the table like this:

1. Select the column of your table where you want to insert a numbered list.
2. Go to “Home” tab, and then click “Numbering” drop down list.
3. Select a numbered list from “Numbering Library”.

Method 2: Apply Customized Number Format

In Word, you can also change the style and format of the numbered lists. For example, sometimes you may need to restart the sequence, or specify a new start number like this:

To do so, you can follow these steps:

1. Select the column of your table where you want to insert a numbered list with other formatting.
2. Switch to “Home” tab, and click “Numbering” drop down list. And then select “Define New Number Format”
3. In the subsequent dialog box, enter your customized number format under “Number Format” box.
4. Select the style of numbers from “Number Style” drop-down list. And then click “OK” to save it.
5. In this way, we will be able to define new number format of our own. And if we delete or add an item into the table, the numbered list will update accordingly.

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