Displaying the Outlining Toolbar by Default

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 4, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


The Outlining toolbar in Word contains a number of tools that are very helpful, and not just when you are working in Outline view. Most notably it contains two tools that are helpful for tables of contents. One tool, Update TOC, is great for updating the TOC while you are developing the document. The other tool, Go To TOC, allows you to jump back to the TOC from any place in the document.

Because these tools are so helpful, some people like to display the Outlining toolbar all the time. It displays automatically when you switch to Outline view, but at other times you must choose View | Toolbars | Outlining to display it. Getting the Outlining toolbar to display at all times is a bit trickier. The only way to do this is by using a macro that runs automatically when you start Word. You can do this by adding the following macro to the Normal.dot template:

Sub AutoOpen()
    CommandBars("Outlining").Visible = True
End Sub

If you prefer not to use a macro, you should consider simply giving up on the Outlining toolbar and creating your own custom toolbar. If all you are interested in is the TOC-related tools, this is a very easy thing to do:

  1. Choose Customize from the Tools menu. Word displays the Customize dialog box.
  2. Make sure that the Commands tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Commands tab of the Customize dialog box.

  4. In the Categories list, choose All Commands.
  5. Scroll through the list of commands and select GotoTableOfContents.
  6. Drag the GotoTableOfContents tool out of the list and drop it at the toolbar location where you want it to appear.
  7. Scroll through the list of commands and select UpdateTableOfContents.
  8. Drag the UpdateTableOfContents tool out of the list and drop it at the toolbar location where you want it to appear.
  9. Close the Customize dialog box.

With the two tools appearing on a different toolbar, you no longer need to display the Outlining toolbar all the time.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (205) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Backing Up Label Layouts

Once you create a custom label layout it is a good idea to backup the layout on a different hard drive in the event of a ...

Discover More

Inserting a Bullet

Need to place a bullet in the middle of a sentence? There are a couple of easy ways you can do this, as described in this ...

Discover More

Counting Ports of Call with a PivotTable

A PivotTable is a great way to aggregate and analyze data. Sometimes, though, it can be difficult to figure out how to ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Renaming a Toolbar

Word allows you to create custom toolbars that can speed how you work with various tools and macros. When you first ...

Discover More

Hiding the Reviewing Toolbar

Does the Reviewing toolbar keep popping up whenever you create a document? Here's a possible reason, along with what you ...

Discover More

Forcing Custom Toolbars to Stay in Position

Word 2002 and Word 2003 use dynamic toolbars that can adjust themselves based on usage patterns of the tools. This can ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six more than 2?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.