---
title: 'How to Create an Automatic Table of Contents in Word'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=pYKsbnbvFqw'
video_id: 'pYKsbnbvFqw'
date: 2026-08-14
duration_sec: 38
---

# How to Create an Automatic Table of Contents in Word

> Source: [How to Create an Automatic Table of Contents in Word](https://youtube.com/watch?v=pYKsbnbvFqw)

## Summary

This video demonstrates how to automatically generate a table of contents in Microsoft Word by applying heading styles and using the built-in Table of Contents feature. It also shows how to update the table when new sections are added.

### Key Points

- **Apply Heading Styles** [00:00] — Highlight all section headings, then go to the Home tab and click Heading Style 1 to format them.
- **Insert Table of Contents** [00:15] — Click where the table of contents should go, then go to the References tab, click Table of Contents, and choose a built-in style. Word automatically creates the table with clickable links.
- **Update Table of Contents** [00:27] — Right-click the table of contents, choose Update Field, then select 'Update entire table' to refresh it when new sections are added.

## Transcript

Stop typing your table of contents manually. Let Microsoft Word do it for you. First, highlight all your section headings, then go to the Home tab and click on Heading Style 1. Next, click where you want your table of contents to go,
then go to the References tab and click Table of Contents and choose a built-in style. Word will automatically create your table of contents, complete with clickable links that jump
to each section of your document. If you add new sections later, just right-click the table of contents, choose Update Field, update entire table, and that'll refresh it automatically.