Indexing in microsoft word

An index lists the terms and topics that are discussed in a document, along with the pages that they appear on. To create an index, you mark the index entries by providing the name of the main entry and the cross-reference in your document, and then you build the index.

You can create an index entry for an individual word, phrase, or symbol, for a topic that spans a range of pages, or that refers to another entry, such as «Transportation. See Bicycles.» When you select text and mark it as an index entry, Word adds a special XE (Index Entry) field that includes the marked main entry and any cross-reference information that you choose to include.

After you mark all the index entries, you choose an index design and build the finished index. Word collects the index entries, sorts them alphabetically, references their page numbers, finds and removes duplicate entries from the same page, and displays the index in the document.

Mark the entries

These steps show you how to mark words or phrases for your index, but you can also Mark index entries for text that spans a range of pages.

1. Select the text you’d like to use as an index entry, or just click where you want to insert the entry.

2. On the References tab, in the Index group, click Mark Entry.
   

3. You can edit the text in the Mark Index Entry dialog box.
   

   • You can add a second-level in the Subentry box. If you need a third level, follow the subentry text with a colon.

   • To create a cross-reference to another entry, click Cross-reference under Options, and then type the text for the other entry in the box.

   • To format the page numbers that will appear in the index, select the Bold check box or Italic check box below Page number format.

4. Click Mark to mark the index entry. To mark this text everywhere it shows up in the document, click Mark All.

5. To mark additional index entries, select the text, click in the Mark Index Entry dialog box, and then repeat steps 3 and 4.

Create the index

After you mark the entries, you’re ready to insert the index into your document.

1. Click where you want to add the index.

2. On the References tab, in the Index group, click Insert Index.
   

3. In the Index dialog box, you can choose the format for text entries, page numbers, tabs, and leader characters.
   

4. You can change the overall look of the index by choosing from the Formats dropdown menu. A preview is displayed in the window to the top left.

5. Click OK.

Edit or format an index entry and update the index

If you mark more entries after creating your index, you’ll need to update the index to see them.

1. If you don’t see the XE fields, click Show/Hide in the Paragraph group on the Home tab.

2. Find the XE field for the entry that you want to change, for example, { XE «Callisto» t «See Moons» }.

3. To edit or format an index entry, change the text inside the quotation marks.

4. To update the index, click the index, and then press F9. Or click Update Index in the Index group on the References tab.

   

If you find an error in the index, locate the index entry that you want to change, make the change, and then update the index.

Delete an index entry and update the index

1. Select the entire index entry field, including the braces ({}), and then press DELETE.

   If you don’t see the XE fields, click Show/Hide in the Paragraph group on the Home tab.

2. To update the index, click the index, and then press F9. Or click Update Index in the Index group on the References tab.

   

Is this article up to date?

An index can usually be found at the end of a document, listing the key words and phrases in a document, along with the page numbers they appear on. There are two steps involved in creating an index: defining which words you want to appear in the index and then inserting the index.

Insert an Index Entry

1. Select the text you want to include in the index.
2. Click the References tab.
3. Click the Mark Entry in the Index group.

   

The Mark Index Entry dialog box opens, where you can set up how the index entry works. The main entry field is filled with the selected text, and you can also add a subentry that will appear below the main entry.

4. Adjust the index entry’s settings and choose an index entry option:
• Cross-reference: Adds a reference to another index entry, instead of listing the current page number.
• Current page: Lists the current page number for the selected index entry. This is the default option.
• Page range: Lists the range of pages that are included in the bookmark that you click in the Bookmark list. Before using this option, you’ll need to create a bookmark of the selected range.
5. Click the Mark or Mark All button.

   

Clicking Mark will create an index entry for the selected instance of the word. Clicking Mark All will instead create an index entry for every instance of the selected word throughout the document.

Once you mark an entry, formatting marks will be displayed so that you can see the hidden text that marks index entries. The window remains open, so you can continue to mark index entries throughout the document.

6. Repeat the process for your other index entries.
7. Click Close when you’re done.

   

Index entries are invisible and will not be printed. However, you can see them when the paragraph marks are turned on.

Insert an Index

Once index entries have been marked, you’re ready to insert the index.

1. Click in your document where you want to insert an index.

Indexes usually appear at the end of a document and can take up a lot of space, so a blank page at the end is ideal.

2. Click the Insert Index button on the References tab.

   

The Index dialog box opens, where you can set up how the index will appear.

You can choose whether to right align page numbers and select a tab leader that appears between text and page numbers. You can also select whether to use a document’s formatting theme or select another one.

You can choose whether subentries will be indented below the main entry or shown run-in style in a paragraph below the main entry.

3. Customize the appearance and behavior of the index.

Any changes you make to the index appearance will be shown in the Print Preview.

4. Click OK.

   

The index is inserted, automatically filling itself out with all the index entries in the document.

Update an Index

When you insert an index, it automatically adds every index entry in the document. If you add or modify index entries after the index is created, you’ll need to update the index.

1. Click anywhere in the index.
2. Click the Update button.

   

The index is updated, adding any newly created entries while updating the page numbers for any entries that may have moved.

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We’re going to talk about creating indexes in Microsoft Word. ‘Real’ books often have an index at the back which Word can create for you.

An index is a list of terms or topics that can be found within the document. Microsoft Word has the ‘fixings’ to make an index and automatic options to take some of the drudgery

These days, indexes aren’t as common as they once were.  Online documents (in Word format, web pages or PDF) can be easily searched using Ctrl + F, making an index less needed.  

Indexes still have a place, especially in printed books. Unfortunately, creating an index in Microsoft Word can be difficult and time-consuming to do on a large scale. This isn’t a slight against Word whose features are mostly adequate, but rather a testament to a conceptually difficult process that needs human judgement.  There are professional indexers for a reason.

Hence this series in Office for Mere Mortals, starting this week with the basics; setting up a document to be indexed and then making a simple index.

Word’s Indexing features have barely changed in well over twenty years! Some button positions have moved but the core technology, field codes and shortcut are the same as in Word 6 from 1993.

Indexing in Word – the overview

In short, here’s how indexing works in Word.

Entries are created by selecting parts of the text and adding an Index Entry.  They are hidden from normal views of the document but do show up with the right settings.

This is an Index Entry {XE} for the term ‘Sherlock Holmes’.

The Index itself is made by Word which compiles all the {XE} entries into a list like this:

The {XE} we added above, appears in the Index as a reference to page 1 in the text.

Word has some dialog boxes to make formatting the index easy but underneath that is a field code.

Don’t panic … we’ll explain all this as we go along.

Preparing your first Index

Before jumping in at the deep end, we recommend that you first create a copy of your document (or another smaller document) to practice upon without having to worry about messing up the real thing. A file with a large index can get extremely complicated and confusing if you’re not certain about what you’re doing.

When you have grasped both the fundamental and, perhaps, more complex indexing techniques, come up with a method that suits your needs, then you can transfer your knowledge onto the real document without any problems.

Creating an index for an existing document involves two distinct steps:

• marking index entries
• generating the index

Making or marking a simple Index Entry

An index entry is a Microsoft Word “field code” that marks specific text for inclusion in an index. When you mark text as an index entry, Word inserts an { XE “Index Entry” } field formatted as hidden text.

To use existing document text as an index entry, first select a word or phrase that you wish to include in your index or just place the cursor at the right-place in the document. To enter your own text as an index entry instead, simply click where you want to insert it.

Use the Alt + Shift + X keyboard shortcut to insert index entries.

On the ribbon, go to “Reference | Index | Mark Entry” to bring up the “Mark Index Entry” dialog box.

The Mark Index Entry dialog box provides “Main entry” and “Subentry” boxes.

Main Entry

Most terms will fall under the “Main entry” category – a single term with its corresponding page number(s). The selected text is automatically inserted but you can change that, and often will.

Sub-entry

Or use the “Main entry” as a general heading or category for a collection of other terms otherwise known as subentries. For example, the main index entry “Animals” could have subentries “Birds” and “Mammals” – each which would be entered separately.

Here we’ve given Dr Watson a sub-entry for his weapon of choice.

Which appears in the index like this, below and usually indented from the main entry.

Add a few index entries then you’re ready to make your first index.

A short aside for our Mac friends. According to Microsoft’s documentation, Word for Mac doesn’t have ANY in-built shortcut for Mark Index entry. No we could not beleive it either so we dug a little deeper.

There is an in-built Mark Index Entry shortcut Command + Option + Shift + X. It’s listed at Tools | Customize Keyboard.

If you think that shortcut is clumsy (we do), try changing it to Control + Shift + X . That’s the closest we could get to the Winword shortcut (Alt+Shift+X isn’t possible in Word for Mac).

Show all

After marking an index entry, you will notice that the show hidden text and show all character options have both been enabled by Word. That’s so you can see and find index entries.

{XE} is the Word field code for Index Entry.

In the double-quotes is the index label. Each sub-level is separated by a colon e.g. “Dr Watson:Revolver” is the Main and Sub entry.

b  is the switch to add Bold formatting to that index entry.  We’ll look at other switches later.

Create a simple Index in Word

Now there’s a few index entries in the document, let’s make an index from them.

Click the cursor at the end of your document (or wherever you want your index to appear), then navigate to “Reference | Index | Insert Index”

The Index dialog gives you a number of formatting options. The current formatting settings are displayed in the “Preview” pane.

Type: Indented or Run-in

The “Type” radio-button allows you to specify either an “Indented” or “Run-in” type of hierarchical display. You’ve already seen the common Indented index, here’s the run-in alternative:

Run-in takes less vertical space than Indented.

Columns

Another way to save space with an index is adding columns.

The “Columns” box allows you to specify the number of columns that the index will be displayed on per page.  It’s much the same as Word’s normal multi-column support but lacks some of the column formatting choices.

The columns can be adjusted from the ruler.  If you want better column control (like vertical lines between columns), try inserting multiple columns from the Layout tab then putting a single column index inside the multi-column section.

Right align page numbers

“Right align page numbers” checkbox gives more of a “Table of Contents” look to the index.

Tab leader are the characters between the entry and page number, they guide the eye along the line.

Index Formats

The “Formats” drop down box gives you a number of pre-defined styles to choose from that can be seen in the preview pane. The available styles haven’t changed much over the years, in Word 365 are:

• From template
• Classic
• Fancy
• Modern
• Bulleted
• Formal
• Simple

To design a custom style click the “Modify” button, choose a style and customize as you see fit.

When you are happy with your index layout as it appears in the preview pane, click the “OK” button and your index will be displayed in all its glory.

If you have made any changes to your index entries, always remember to click anywhere on your index and press F9 for those changes to appear in the index itself. Or right-click then Update Field.

That’s enough to get you started. In future articles we’ll look at the many hidden options in Word’s indexing plus some of its shortcomings.

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Have you ever wondered who compiles the indexes at the end of books? Traditionally, this has been a specialist profession. However, these days, you can add an index to a document yourself. In this post, for example, we’re looking at how to create an index in Microsoft Word.

When to Add an Index

Most documents don’t need an index. In fact, it is usually only book-length non-fiction that does! And even if you are writing a non-fiction book, indexing is often handled by the publisher.

However, if you want to self-publish a work of non-fiction – or if you are creating another long document such as a company handbook – you may want to add an index yourself. And this is where the indexing options in Microsoft Word become very useful. This process involves two steps:

• Marking terms that you want to appear in the index
• Generating the index itself

We’ll now look at how to create an index in more detail below.

How to Mark Entries

Most of the work of creating an index comes with marking text. This means going through the document to look for terms you want to include in the final index. To mark an entry:

• Use the cursor to select the word/phrase you want to include in the index
• Go to References > Index on the main ribbon and click Mark Entry
• In the new dialogue box, select the options required
• Click Mark to mark the term selected or Mark All to mark every use of the term throughout the document

The options in the Mark Entry dialogue box mentioned above will let you:

• Link a Subentry (i.e., a similar term) to the main term
• Cross-reference a term with another index entry
• Control the page number format

Make sure to do this for every term that you want to include in the index. If you need to “unmark” a term, you will first need to turn on hidden text in Word. You will then be able to see, and if required remove, the index entry in curly brackets. Make sure to do this for all similar entries.

How to Create an Index

Once you have marked your entries, all that’s left is to create an index:

• Place the cursor where you want to create an index
• Go to References > Index and select Insert Index
• Select any required formatting options from the menu
• Click OK to insert an index in the selected location

Microsoft Word will generate an index based on your marked entries. If you change any of the marked entries, you can then update the index at the click of a button by going to References > Index > Update Index.

As a user, when creating a lengthy document in Microsoft Word, an index is a convenient tool for your potential readers. Normally, we get to see indexes in the backs of books. They allow readers to look up a word or phrase to find the page referencing that topic.

In the same way, in a table of contents in Microsoft Word, users can insert an index and then update it automatically. This takes much of the manual work out of creating these great reference sources. Here, users will be shown how to create the index and also update it in Word.

Listed below are steps to create an index in word.

1. Mark Your Entries.
2. Edit or Remove Index Entries.
3. Update the Index.
4. Create an Index Automatically in Microsoft Word

Now we will have a look at each step as we proceed below-

1] Mark Your Index Entries

Word can build your index automatically, but it’s smart enough to know which items you want in it. So for users to create an index, they will need to mark the entries. This is the bulk of the work you will do for the index. But once you start marking entries, you will be able to zip through them quickly.

Open Microsoft Word document and go to the References tab. Select your first index entry by dragging your cursor through it.

In the ribbon, you will see the Index section toward the right side. Select the Mark Entry button.

A pop-up window will appear for you to describe your entry. This window can remain open while you select your remaining entries. Enter the Main entry at the top and optionally a Subentry.

Then choose from Options for a cross-reference, the current page, or a page range.

Or you can format the page number that displays in bold and/or italic.

Click on Mark for a single entry or Mark All to mark that same text everywhere in your document.

When you are done with the Mark Index Entry window, click on Close.

On the document, index entries are labeled with XE. If you add a Subentry or cross-reference, you will notice that within the XE tag as well.

If you do not see your XE tags but would like to, go to the Home tab and click the Show/Hide Paragraph button.

2] Edit or Remove Index Entries

If users need to make a change to an entry, for instance, remove a cross-reference, they will do so within that XE field. Make the changes inside the quotation marks. Another option is to remove the marked entry and then mark it again.

Also, to remove an index entry, select all text within and including the braces { } and hit Delete. You can then follow the steps above to mark the entry again with the changes you want.

3] Create the Index in Word

When about to insert your index, move the cursor to the spot you want it in the document. Then, select the References tab and click Insert Index.

Before the index is created, you have a few settings you can adjust if you like. These are Print Preview, Tab Leader, Formats Type and Columns.

After you make your index adjustments, click OK. Your index will pop into your document with your entries. You’ll see everything nice and neat and in alphabetical order.

4] Update the Index

Users can continue to mark additional entries after creating the index and simply updating it. And if you edit or remove entries, you will need to update the index as well.

Click inside the index area in your document, the Update Index button in the ribbon on the References tab will come alive. If the button is still grayed out as shown in the image above, make sure your cursor is within the index.

If you want to remove the index completely, select all of its text and tap the Delete key. You will then likely want to delete the index entries (as seen above) if you don’t plan to use an index at all.

5] Create an Index Automatically in Word

It may take some time to mark all the entries you want in your Word index. But an index can be a valuable tool for your readers. So consider adding one if your audience can benefit from it for your next Word document, book, or other lengthy material.

If this was helpful, you might also like – How to use linked text in Microsoft Word.

If you’re composing a lengthy document or book, we’ll show you how to create an index in Word. This is a handy reference for your readers.

If you’re creating a lengthy document in Microsoft Word, an index is a convenient tool for your readers. Traditionally, we see indexes in the backs of books. These handy tools allow us to look up a word or phrase to find the page referencing that topic.

Similar to a table of contents in Word, you can insert an index and then update it automatically. This takes much of the manual work out of creating these great reference sources. Here, we’ll show you how to mark your index entries, create the index, and update it in Word.

Mark Your Index Entries

Even though Word can build your index automatically, it’s not smart enough to know which items you want in it. So to create your index, you’ll need to mark the entries. This is the bulk of the work you’ll do for the index. But once you start marking entries, you’ll be able to zip through them quickly.

1. Open your document in Word and head to the References tab.
2. Select your first index entry by dragging your cursor through it. This can be a word or phrase.
3. In the ribbon, you’ll see the Index section toward the right side. Click the Mark Entry button.
4. A small pop-up window appears for you to describe your entry. And this window can remain open while you select your remaining entries.
5. Enter the Main entry at the top and optionally a Subentry.
6. Choose from Options for a cross-reference, the current page, or a page range.
7. Optionally, you can format the page number that displays in bold and/or italic.
8. Click Mark for a single entry or Mark All to mark that same text everywhere in your document.
9. When you finish with the Mark Index Entry window, click Close.

On your document, index entries are labeled with “XE”. If you add a Subentry or cross-reference, you’ll notice that within the XE tag as well. If you don’t see your XE tags but would like to, go to the Home tab and click the Show/Hide Paragraph button.

Edit or Remove Index Entries

If you need to make a change to an entry, for instance, remove a cross-reference, you’ll do so within that XE field. Make your changes inside the quotation marks. Another option is to remove the marked entry and then remark it.

To remove an index entry, select all text within and including the braces ({ }) and hit Delete. You can then follow the steps above to mark the entry again with the changes you want.

When you’re ready to insert your index, move your cursor to the spot you want it in your document. Then, select the References tab and click Insert Index. Before the index is created, you have a few settings you can adjust if you like.

Print Preview: This gives you a snapshot of what the index will look like and it will adjust if you change the below settings.

Tab Leader: Certain formats (below) offer different tab leaders to choose from such as dotted lines or dashes. These come between the entry and the page number.

Formats: You can pick from different themes for your index such as fancy, modern, or formal for a pleasing appearance.

Type: Choose from Indented or Run-in for the format type. You can spot the difference in the Print Preview box.

Columns: Depending on how many entries your index has you may want to add or remove columns for the structure.

After you make your index adjustments, click OK. Your index will pop into your document with your entries. You’ll see everything nice and neat and in alphabetical order.

Update the Index

You can continue to mark additional entries after you create your index and simply update it. And if you edit or remove entries, you’ll need to update the index as well.

Click inside the index area in your document and click the Update Index button in the ribbon on the References tab. If the button is grayed out, be sure your cursor is within the index.

If you want to remove the index completely, select all of its text and hit your Delete key. You’ll then likely want to delete the index entries (above) if you don’t plan to use an index at all.

Create an Index Automatically in Word

It can take some time to mark all of the entries you want in your Word index. But an index can be a valuable tool for your readers. So consider adding one if your audience can benefit from it for your next Word document, book, or other lengthy material.

For more reference features, check out how to cite sources and create a bibliography in Microsoft Word.