Page Numbers, Headings, and Table of Contents

Using headings, page numbers, and a Table of Contents isn’t just about appearance — it’s about making your work clear, organised, and easy to navigate.

Headings and Styles let Word understand the structure of your document. They’re essential for:

• Creating an automatic Table of Contents.
• Using the Navigation Pane to jump around your document quickly.
• Keeping headings consistent without manually changing fonts and sizes.

Page numbers and section breaks make your work more professional — for example, starting page 1 on your introduction, not your title page.

Good document structure helps markers focus on your ideas, not layout mistakes.

Many problems with page numbers, headings, or tables of contents happen when students try to format manually instead of using Word’s built-in structure tools.

These mistakes can lead to missing page numbers, broken navigation, or a table of contents that doesn’t work properly.

• Not using heading styles — if you just make text bold or bigger manually, Word won’t recognise it for navigation or the table of contents.
• Forgetting to update the table of contents — the TOC won’t change automatically if you add, remove, or move headings unless you update it.
• Deleting the table of contents manually to remove an error — rather than fixing the headings or updating it properly.
• Using Enter instead of section breaks — when trying to change page number formats (e.g., starting numbering after a title page).
• Restarting page numbers incorrectly — causing numbering to reset in the wrong place or overlap with the title page.
• Not checking the navigation pane — meaning you miss broken or missing headings until it’s too late.

• Apply Styles to headings — Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc. This controls the TOC and Navigation Pane.
• Insert page numbers — use the page number tool, not manual typing.
• Skip page numbers on the title page — use the option to “Different First Page”.
• Start page numbering later — for example, starting at 1 on the introduction. This usually requires a section break.
• Create a Table of Contents automatically — using the References tab in Word.
• Update the Table of Contents if headings change — right-click and choose Update.

These Microsoft help guides show you how to apply headings, insert page numbers correctly, manage section breaks, and create a Table of Contents in Word.

• Add a heading
• Add page numbers
• Start page numbering later
• Insert a section break 
• Create a table of contents
• Update a table of contents
• Insert a header or footer

• Apply heading styles as you write — this makes it easier to stay organised and lets you generate a table of contents automatically later.
• Use heading styles in order — Heading 1 for main sections, Heading 2 for subsections, Heading 3 for anything below that.
• Update the table of contents regularly — right-click it and choose 'Update field' to reflect any changes to headings or page numbers.
• Use section breaks for different page numbering styles — for example, Roman numerals on a contents page and regular numbers in the main text.
• Check the navigation pane — it’s a quick way to see if your headings are applied correctly and your document is structured properly.