Word index of contents

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.

   

1.  Creating a Word Index using Mark & Index

{ XE “index entry text” }

But don’t worry — when you print your document, the field codes are not printed.

(a) Marking a main entry

To mark an entry:

    The Mark Index Entry dialog box is displayed. The text that you highlighted is displayed in the Main Entry box. This is the text that will appear in the index. You can modify it if you wish.

(b) Marking a subentry

Subentries are a powerful way of grouping similar items in an index. Let’s say we wanted to index various sub-entries around the main word Console:

1.  Find the word 3DS in the text and select it.

2.  Press Alt+ Shift + X

3.  Enter ‘Console‘ into the Main Entry and ‘3DS‘ into the Subentry. Entries will appear in the index exactly as you type them so take care not to misspell anything and be consistent with upper case and lower case.

4.  Click the Mark or Mark
All buttons.

(c) Cross-referencing another indexed item

1.  Select the text to be marked.

2.  Press ALT + SHIFT + X

3.  Confirm the text in the Main Entry box.

4.  Select the Cross-Reference radio button.

5.  After “See” type the synonymous text item.

(d) Compile the Word Index

Now that all the entries have been marked it is time to create the index itself.

1.  Select the References tab.

2.  Click the Insert Index icon in the Index group. The Index dialog is displayed.

3.  Choose a Format from the drop-down list. Be aware that different formats select, deselect or change some of the other options in the dialog. The safest approach is to start at the bottom left  and work upwards, then to the right.

4.  Ensure that Right-align page numbers is selected.

5.  Select a tab leader (the tab leader fills the gap between the end of the item and the page number — dots work best).

6.  Choose whether to use Run-In or Indent (watch the preview).

7.  Choose how many columns to display in the index.

8.  Click OK

(e) Update the index (whenever needed)

1.  MIn the document, mark any new text you wish to include in the index and remove any existing XE field codes that you no longer require.

2.  Click anywhere on the index to show grey shading.

2. How to remove all field codes from a document

Ideally, a document should be finished before creating an index, but if significant changes have occurred you may want to clear any XE field codes throughout the document and start from scratch. Here’s a simple process to get that job done.  

1.  Press CTRL H to display the Replace dialog. Alternatively, click the Find & Select icon on the far-right side of the Home ribbon, then choose Replace.

2.  In the Find box, type ^d (press SHIFT 6 to get ^).

3.  Leave the Replace box empty.

4.  Click Replace All (or Find then Replace to process one by one).

3. How to create a Word index using a concordance file

Many editors use a concordance file to generate an index for a document. A concordance file is a two-column table that is created in a separate document.

(a) Mark entries within a Word document using the pre-prepared concordance file

1.  Select the References tab.

2.  Click the Insert Index icon in the Index group.

3.  Click the AutoMark.. button.

4.  Locate and select the concordance file and click OK . All entries are now marked.

(b) Create the index

1.  Select References | Insert Index again.

2.  Set your index preferences as discussed in Step 2: Compiling the index (above).

3.  Click OK.

(c) Update the concordance and/or index

1.  Open the concordance file, make your changes and save the file.

2.  Clear the current XE codes in the main document (as described previously).

3.  Select References | Insert Index | Automark.

4.  Click on the existing index to display the grey shading.

4. Key Takeaways

And that, my friend, is how you build an index page in 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.

When you’re creating or editing a long document, you’ll
probably have to create a table of contents. That might sound like a chore, but
fortunately, you can do it in just a few clicks. Then, if you change the document, Word can update the table of content instantly. 

Best of all, Word includes hyperlinks to the various sections in your table of contents, so it isn’t just a visual aid for
printed documents, but it’s also perfect to make easy-to-browse online documents and PDFs with.

Creating the table of contents in Word itself is simple, but the tricky part is getting it to work the way you want. In this tutorial, I’ll show you everything you need to make a simple, auto-generated table of contents, and then get it to look the way you want in every version of Microsoft Word.

How to Make a Table of Contents in Microsoft Word (Screencast)

You can follow along using your own document, or if you prefer, download the zip file included for this tutorial. It contains a document called The Age of Einstein.docx, which is a public domain physics textbook (credit to the author, Professor Frank W.K. Firk).

Watch the video screencast above or follow the written tutorial instructions below for more detail on how to make a table of contents in Word.

Creating Your Table of Contents in Word

There are a few ways of creating a table of contents in Word, but only two that you’ll
ever use

• Create them automatically from built-in styles
• Create them from your custom styles

These methods work mostly the same in Windows and Mac versions of Microsoft Word.

Using MS Word built-in styles is the fastest and most common
technique, and using custom styles takes only a little more work. Sometimes,
you’ll want to use both techniques in the same document. Once you have a table of contents (TOC) in
a document, you can format it with its own styles. You don’t want to format the
TOC like regular text, because the formatting can easily get wiped out.

How the Textbook is Organized

Before doing anything to the document, let’s see how it’s
organized. Page 1 is the title, page 2 is blank and will hold the table of contents, page 3
is the preface, and after that comes the text. As you scroll down, notice that headings
and subheadings are formatted.

The best way to see the structure of the document is with
the Navigation Pane. (In some versions of Word for Mac, it may be called the Document Map Pane.)

In Windows, go to the View
tab, then click the check box to enable the Navigation Pane.

On the Mac, click the Sidebar option to show the drop-down menu. Click the arrow next to the option and click Navigation. (On older versions of the Mac software, the option is called Document Map Pane.)

On your Mac or PC, go back to the Home
tab if you’re not already there. Keep your eye on the Styles box on the ribbon,
and click the items in the pane to navigate through the book. 

Notice that the
items with whole numbers – like 2.
Understanding the Physical Universe – are formatted as Heading 1, and items
with decimals – like 2.1 Reality and Pure
Thought – are formatted as Heading 2. There are also a few decimal items –
like 4.5 Space Travel – that are
formatted as Heading 3.

Tip: when
creating a document, the shortcuts for applying the Heading 1, 2 and 3 styles
are Ctrl-Alt-1, Ctrl-Alt-2, and Ctrl-Alt-3
(and Command-Opt-1, Command-Opt -2, and Command-Opt-3 on the Mac).

Generating a Table of Contents Using Built-In Header Styles in Word

Word can now turn those Heading styles into table of contents
entries. Click at the top of page 2. (Tip: in Windows, press Ctrl-G,
type 2, then press Enter. On the Mac, press Command-Opt-G, type 2, then press Return.)

In Windows, go to the References
tab on the ribbon, click the Table of
Contents button on the left, then choose one of the two built-in tables
from the list. Note that the thumbnails show that Headings 1, 2 and 3 will be
included.

It’s almost the same on the Mac. Go to the Insert menu, choose Index and Tables, then pick one of the
formats on the left and click OK.
This dialog box also shows that Headings 1-3 will be included.

As soon as you choose one, the table of contents gets inserted starting on
page 2, and Word automatically inserts a couple of more pages, so it all fits. In Windows, you can Ctrl-click one of the items, and it will hyperlink to the item in the document.

This works great, but there’s one problem. Before the
Introduction, there is a Preface that
should be included in the table of contents. And just before Appendix A1 is the heading for
the Appendix, and that should also be
included. But they weren’t, because they’re both formatted with a custom style
called Large heading, and custom
styles don’t get included in the default table of contents. The second method of creating table of contents in Word will fix that.

Creating a Table of Contents From Custom Styles in Word

Word can include any styles in a table of contents. We just
have to tell it which ones to choose. And we can update the table, rather than having
to delete it and start over.

In Windows, go back to the References tab, click the Table
of Contents button, then near the bottom of the menu, choose Custom Table of Contents. Click the Options button near the bottom of the dialog box to display the Table of Contents Options dialog box.

On the Mac, go to back to the Insert menu and choose Index
and Tables. In the Table of Contents section, click the Options button.

On the Mac or PC the Table of Contents Options dialog box shows that the Heading 1 style will have TOC level 1,
the Heading 2 style will have TOC level 2, and the Heading 3 style will have
TOC level 3.

Scroll down to the bottom of the list (on the Mac, you’ll use the down slider). Then, in the box for Large heading, type a 1 to make it level 1. Table of Content levels can
come from more than one style.

Click OK in the
Table of Contents Options dialog, then OK again in the Table of Contents dialog box. When Word displays a message asking if you want to replace the
table, choose Yes. The Preface and Appendix are now both included in the table
of contents.

Manually Updating the Table of Contents in Word

There are other times when you’ll want to update the table
manually. This is handy when you change the text of one of the headings and
want the change reflected in the table of contents.

Scroll down to the page with the preface. At the top of the page replace
PREFACE with FORWARD. Make sure it still uses the Large heading style.

Go back to the top of the table of contents and click in it. Note that it
has a gray background; that means it’s a field, and fields can usually be
updated. 

Click the Update Table
button either on the TOC itself (that button doesn’t always appear) or on the References tab, and the first entry changes to FORWARD. (On the Mac, right-click the table and choose Update Field from the pop-up menu. Choose the Update entire table option and click OK.)

Now that the table of contents displays the correct text, we
can apply nicer formatting though.

How to Modify Table of Contents Styles in Word

Each heading level of the table of contents has its own
style that’s automatically applied. All we have to do is change the formatting
of the styles to change the table’s appearance, here’s how:

1. In Windows, in the References tab of the ribbon, click again on the Table of Contents button and choose Custom Table of Contents, near the
   bottom. In the Table of Contents dialog box, click Modify.
2. On the Mac, click Insert > Index
   and Tables. On the left side, choose From Template, then
   click Modify. Everything else works
   the same way as in Windows.
3. In the Table of Contents dialog box, click Modify, and another dialog box appears,
   showing style names and formatting for the TOC heading levels. Select TOC
   1.
4. Click the Modify
   button just below it, and the Style dialog  box appears. (On the Mac, it’s called the Properties dialog box.)

Format the style with Arial or Helvetica, 12 points, bold.
Then click OK.

• Repeat for the TOC 2 style, and set it to Arial
  or Helvetica, 12 points, normal.
• Repeat for the TOC 3 style, and set it to Arial
  or Helvetica, 11 points, normal.

The table of contents should now look like this:

Conclusion

When you have a long document, you don’t have to fear
creating a table of contents. Whether you’re using Windows or a Mac, you can
insert one in just a few clicks, then use the same dialog box to change the
formatting.

As you learned in this table of contents tutorial, remember not to apply formatting directly to the table, because it
can get wiped out if you replace it. If you make any changes to the Word document itself, remember to click the top of the TOC and update it. Leave a comment below if you have any trouble making or tweaking your table of contents.

To learn more about working with Microsoft Word, study the following tutorials:

Editorial Note: This post was
originally published in 2014. It has been comprehensively revised to make it
current, accurate, and up to date by our staff—with special assistance from Laura Spencer.

Did you find this post useful?

Bob Flisser has authored many videos and books about Microsoft and Adobe products, and has been a computer trainer since the 1980s. He is also a web and multimedia developer. Bob is a graduate of The George Washington University with a degree in financial economics.