How to Create an Automatic Table of Contents in Microsoft Word Creating a professional Table of Contents (TOC) manually is a tedious and error-prone task. Every time you edit your document, you have to update page numbers and section titles by hand. Fortunately, Microsoft Word can automate this entire process, generating a clean, accurate, and updateable TOC with just a few clicks. This guide will show you how to use Word's built-in Styles to create an automatic Table of Contents that dynamically updates as your document changes. Step 1: Apply Heading Styles to Your Document The magic behind an automatic TOC is Word's Styles feature. You must first tell Word which parts of your text are titles and subtitles. Open your document in Microsoft Word. Select a main section title (e.g., "Introduction," "API Documentation," "Authentication"). On the Home tab in the ribbon, locate the Styles gallery. Click Heading 1 . This style is t...