Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Two-Line Headings in a TOC.

Two-Line Headings in a TOC

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 30, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

Nilda generates Tables of Contents all the time in Word. She uses the Mark Entry feature to mark what should go in each Table of Contents. There are times when she may have a section title that consists of two lines separated by a hard return. When she marks the title as a single TOC entry, it doesn't appear in the generated TOC, and Nilda wonders why this is the case.

The reason is intrinsic to how Word puts together its TOCs. While a TC field (used to mark TOC entries) can presumably include a paragraph break, Word ignores everything after that break when it composes the TOC from those fields.

The solution is to get rid of the paragraph break. You have two options. First, you could edit your TC field contents so that the paragraph break is not included in the field. Second, you could actually modify your document so that the two lines of your heading are separated by a soft return (Shift+Enter) instead of a hard return (Enter).

If you choose the second route, then when Word compiles the TOC it will include the entire heading as a single entity, automatically replacing the soft return with a space.

A good place to find some great ideas on TOCs in Word is at this page, created by Word MVP Suzanne Barnhill:

http://wordfaqs.mvps.org/TOCTips.htm

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3809) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Two-Line Headings in a TOC.

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

Weird Mouse Shortcut

If you like to use the mouse in your worksheet navigation efforts, you'll want to pay attention to this tip. Here you ...

Discover More

Getting the Proper Type of Ellipses

Type three periods in a row, and the AutoCorrect feature in Word kicks in to exchange that sequence for a special ...

Discover More

Writing a Macro from Scratch

Creating macros can help extend what you can do in Excel. If you work with macros, you know that creating macros from ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Updating an Entire TOC from a Macro

The TOC (Table of Contents) is generated by a field. This field may be updated in a macro using a single command line.

Discover More

Page Ranges in a TOC

It is easy to generate a table of contents for a document, and that TOC can contain page number references for each ...

Discover More

Overriding Automatic Numbering of Tables

Word lets you add automatic numbering to different elements of your document. It does not, however, allow much ...

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 seven less than 8?

2023-04-17 06:19:12

V

Thank you, that was very useful.


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.