Pages: Create table of contents - how it works

Pages for Mac makes it easy to create a table of contents. However, there are a few essential things to consider. We will show you step by step how to create a proper table of contents for Pages.

Creating a table of contents in Pages - you have to consider that

There is a function in Pages with which you can automatically create a table of contents. The advantage is that it updates itself automatically when pages move or texts change. For this automatic feature to work, however, you must work with paragraph styles:

• Be sure to use the paragraph styles in Pages so that your headings are recognized as such. You can use the preset paragraph styles as well as bring in individually set styles.
• You can find paragraph styles by clicking on "Format" in the top right and then on the "Style" tab. With the small arrow you can see all paragraph styles that are currently available. You can create new styles with the little plus.
• You can also define existing headings as paragraph styles. First select the existing heading and then click "Format"> "List of Paragraph Styles".
• Now move the mouse over a style, for example "heading" and then select the small arrow on the right edge. Here you click on the first point "Redefine from selection".

Pages: Insert table of contents - how it works

Now that you have successfully formatted your headings for the table of contents, you can insert them into your automatic table of contents:

1. First, click where you want to insert your table of contents.
2. Then go to "Insert"> "Table of Contents" in the program bar. Here you will find three different options for a table of contents.
3. "Document" creates a table of contents for the entire document. The other two options are only in case you want to create several tables of contents in one document: "Section" inserts a table of contents that automatically integrates all headings of this one paragraph. And "To the next occurrence" creates a table of contents with all headings that appear up to the next table of contents.
4. Select the option you want. Now your table of contents is created automatically and all headings that are assigned to a paragraph style appear with a page number in the overview.

Pages tutorial: page numbers only from page 3

You can read all the instructions again on this page.