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 Types of Page Numbers in a TOC.

Two Types of Page Numbers in a TOC

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 10, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

Peggy generated a table of contents (TOC) that displayed correctly. Without warning the page number for the first entry in the TOC changed from "iii" to "3". (The page number that appears in the footer for that page is "iii".) Peggy didn't touch the TOC; it just changed and she can't get it to go back to "iii". She tried updating the TOC and it persists to display "3" in the TOC.

When compiling a table of contents, Word uses the same page number formatting as appears on the pages within the header or footer of each page. If the page number in the header or footer appears properly, then it should appear properly in the TOC.

You can verify this by selecting the entire document (press Ctrl+A) and updating all the fields in the document (press F9). In most documents both page numbers and tables of contents are implemented through the use of fields. When everything is updated, see if the page number appears properly in the TOC. If it doesn't, take a look at the page number that appears in the header or footer to see if it looks right.

If the page number looks wrong in the header or footer, then it is possible that a section break got deleted by mistake during routine editing. If the section break is still there, then it is possible that the page number format got messed up for the section that contains the page number. Either way, you will have some additional editing and formatting to do to get the situation straightened out.

If the page number looks OK in the header or footer, then it is possible that something is amiss with the styles used to display your TOC. You'll want to check the formatting specified for the styles to make sure that it is correct.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7693) 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 Types of Page Numbers 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

Defining a Shortcut for a Macro

You can make running macros very easy if you assign a shortcut key to the macro. This tip demonstrates how easy it is to ...

Discover More

Non-Tiled Background Pictures

Background images for a worksheet are automatically repeated over and over (tiled) by Excel. This tip describes a ...

Discover More

Shifting Objects Off a Sheet

One day you are just editing your worksheet like you normally do, then you see an error that says "Cannot shift object ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More WordTips (menu)

TOC Heading Numbers Always Show in Bold

Linda's got a document that includes a table of contents that is based on headings in the document. When the headings ...

Discover More

Creating a TOC that Includes Specific Styles

Want to create a special TOC that contains different elements of your document? It's easy to do if you consistently use ...

Discover More

Adding Column Headings to a Table of Contents

Word makes it easy to create a Table of Contents. If you want column headings in that table, getting them takes a bit of ...

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 6 + 9?

2024-11-27 09:21:00

Christian

I am having difficulties with just this problem. I am using Microsoft 365, version 2411 of Word. I have two sections in the main body of my text. The first one uses i, ii, iii, etc. for page numbering; the second uses 1, 2, 3, etc. However, my table of contents only shows Arabic numerals. So it shows 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 3, 7... instead of iii, iv, v, vi, 1, 3, 7... . I have tried updating both the footers and the table of contents, to no avail... Do you have any other tips?


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.