How to Insert Multiple Tables of Contents in Word

Yes. In Word, insert each table of contents (TOC) as a separate field; to make each one list only a particular chapter or section, bookmark that content and use a TOC field that refers to the bookmark. You can also create lists based on custom heading styles or marked entries.

How multiple tables of contents work

A Word TOC is a field that gathers entries from the document, rather than a manually typed list. A standard TOC usually collects paragraphs formatted with built-in Heading styles, such as Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3. Word turns those headings into clickable entries and can show their page numbers.

There is no restriction that a document can contain just one TOC. Each TOC is a separate field, and each can draw from the same source headings or a different set of content. For example, a handbook might have one overall contents page near the beginning and a shorter contents list at the start of each major part. The important distinction is that inserting a second standard TOC without changing its settings will generally produce another copy of the first one.

To make separate lists useful, decide which headings each list should include. A bookmark can limit a TOC to a portion of the document. Custom styles can distinguish one category of heading from another. Marked-entry fields can identify selected items directly, independently of the document’s heading hierarchy.

Choose the method that fits your document

For most chapter-based documents, bookmarks are the clearest method: mark the range containing a chapter’s headings, then create a TOC field that reads headings from that range. This works well when a document already uses Word’s Heading styles and you want a full-document TOC plus a chapter-specific one.

Use a bookmark when each list should cover a defined section or chapter of the document.
Use custom styles when different kinds of content, such as instructions and reference material, have distinct heading styles and should appear in separate lists.
Use TC fields when you need to choose individual entries or create a specialized list, such as a list of cases or illustrations, without changing the heading styles.

These methods can be combined, but avoid adding complexity without a reason. For a simple report with one main contents page and a few chapter lists, bookmarks and Heading styles are usually easier to maintain than manually marking every entry.

Create a chapter-specific TOC with a bookmark

First, ensure the headings you want listed use Word’s heading styles. On the Home tab, apply Heading 1 to main headings and Heading 2 or Heading 3 to lower-level headings. Using direct formatting such as bold text or a larger font does not, by itself, make a paragraph a TOC heading.

Select the chapter or section content that contains the headings for the local TOC. Include the relevant heading paragraphs, but do not include the local TOC itself.
In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, choose Insert > Links > Bookmark. Enter a short name with no spaces, such as PartOne, and choose Add. Bookmark names must begin with a letter; using letters and numbers is a practical convention.
Place the cursor where the new TOC should appear. On Windows, press Ctrl+F9 to insert field braces. Type the field code between the braces: TOC \b PartOne \o "1-3". Do not type the braces yourself; Word needs to create them as a field.
With the cursor in the field, press F9 to build the TOC. If Word displays an update prompt, choose to update the entire table when creating it.

The \b PartOne switch tells Word to collect entries from the bookmarked range. The \o "1-3" switch includes Heading levels 1 through 3; change the range if you want a different depth. Repeat the process with a different bookmark name and a separate field for each additional chapter list. Keep each bookmark’s range focused on the source content, not on the TOC generated from it.

Insert an overall TOC and additional lists

A common layout is an overall TOC followed by local TOCs at the beginning of individual chapters. Insert the overall TOC using References > Table of Contents and choose an automatic style. Then add bookmarks around the relevant chapter content and insert the bookmark-based fields at the locations where the local lists belong.

For example, a training manual could have an overall contents page listing every Heading 1 and Heading 2 in the manual. At the start of its safety chapter, a separate field using the bookmark for that chapter could list the chapter’s Heading 1 through Heading 3 entries. The local list does not have to repeat the whole manual’s headings, provided the bookmark covers only the safety chapter’s source text.

There is also a menu-based way to create a regular TOC: place the cursor and use References > Table of Contents. That command is convenient for a standard list, but it does not automatically limit the list to the chapter around the cursor. For a restricted list, use a bookmark field or configure the TOC to use a distinctive set of styles or marked entries.

Use custom styles or marked entries

Custom styles are useful when the document has different heading families. For instance, a policy document might use one style for procedural steps and another for policy topics. Assign those styles consistently, then configure the TOC to include the desired style at a chosen TOC level. In Word, the TOC options are available through References > Table of Contents > Custom Table of Contents, then Options. The exact dialog layout can vary slightly with Word updates.

In a TOC field, the \t switch can assign a TOC level to a named style. A field might contain TOC \t "Procedure Heading,1", where Procedure Heading must match the actual style name. This approach can make one TOC collect procedure headings and another collect policy headings. If the styles are not distinct, both lists may include the same paragraphs.

TC fields offer more selective control. A TC field marks an entry for a TOC, and a matching identifier lets a TOC field collect a particular group of marked entries. This can help when only selected phrases should appear as entries, rather than every paragraph using a heading style. It takes more upkeep: if the text or page location changes, update the field-based list, and carefully maintain the entry markers. For most readers creating chapter lists, bookmark ranges are less labor-intensive.

Update fields and control appearance

TOCs do not always refresh as soon as the document changes. After editing headings, moving pages, or changing bookmark contents, update the relevant fields. Click inside a TOC and press F9, then choose Update page numbers only if the entries are unchanged, or Update entire table if headings were added, removed, renamed, or restyled. Updating the entire table is the safer choice after structural edits.

To update all fields in the main document on Windows, press Ctrl+A and then F9. This can update fields beyond TOCs, so review the document afterward. Headers, footers, captions, and cross-references may also contain fields. If the document includes separate sections or text boxes, field updating may require selecting those areas and updating them separately.

Each TOC can have its own formatting. Use the TOC style settings to adjust fonts, indentation, tab leaders, and spacing without manually editing generated entries. Directly changing an entry in the TOC is usually temporary: a later update can replace that change with the formatting specified by the TOC styles. Also check hyperlinks and page-number alignment after changing the format, particularly in a long document.

Common problems and fixes

The second TOC duplicates the first. It is probably using the same default rules. Add a bookmark restriction, use a different custom style, or mark a separate set of entries.
Headings are missing. Check that the paragraphs use Heading styles or the custom style named in the TOC options. Bold formatting alone is not enough.
The field code appears instead of a contents list. Click the field and press F9. If field codes are showing throughout the document, toggle field-code display with Alt+F9 on Windows.
The local TOC includes headings from another chapter. Check the bookmark’s boundaries and make sure the TOC field names the correct bookmark. A bookmark that is too broad will produce a broad list.
A bookmark disappears or stops covering the intended range. Editing or deleting bookmarked text can change or remove the bookmark. Recheck it after reorganizing chapters, and recreate it if needed.
Page numbers look outdated. Update the field after layout changes. Page numbers can shift when fonts, margins, images, or other content change, even if the headings themselves stay the same.

When field codes are difficult to inspect, toggle their display and verify the bookmark name and switches. Field braces must be real Word field braces, not ordinary typed braces. If a field has been damaged, it is often simplest to remove that TOC and insert a fresh field at the correct location.

Word for Mac and Word for the web

Word for Mac also supports multiple TOCs, bookmarks, and TOC fields. The built-in TOC command is under the References tab, though ribbon labels and dialog layouts can differ from Windows. Field-code keyboard shortcuts also differ by keyboard and macOS settings; if the Windows shortcut does not insert braces, use Word for Mac’s field-insertion options or consult the shortcut list for the installed version. The field-code method itself uses Word fields, but take care not to enter the braces as ordinary text.

Word for the web is useful for editing documents and updating many existing fields, but some advanced field-code and layout controls may be limited compared with the desktop app. If you need to build or troubleshoot a bookmark-filtered TOC, open the file in the desktop version of Word, create or adjust the field there, and then save the document. When sharing across platforms, reopen the document and update the TOCs in the version used for final pagination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have more than one table of contents in the same Word document?
Yes. Insert a separate TOC field wherever each list should appear. Configure each field to use the same source or a distinct source, such as a bookmarked chapter range.

Can one TOC show the whole document while another shows only one chapter?
Yes. Use the standard References tab command for the overall TOC, then create a bookmark-based TOC field for the chapter. Make sure the bookmark surrounds the chapter’s heading content and the field uses that bookmark’s name.

Do I need to use Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3?
No, but the entries must come from something Word can identify. Built-in Heading styles are the simplest choice. You can instead configure custom styles or use TC fields for specifically marked entries.

Will every TOC update automatically when I edit a heading?
Not necessarily. Update each TOC field after editing. Choose an entire-table update when heading text or structure changes; a page-number-only update is appropriate when only pagination has changed.

Why does my bookmark-based TOC show no entries?
Check that the bookmark still exists, covers the heading paragraphs, and is spelled exactly as it appears in the TOC field. Also verify that the paragraphs use heading styles included by the field, such as levels 1 through 3.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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