How to Add Table of Contents in Google Docs

How to Add a Table of Contents in Google Docs on the Side (3 Easy Methods)

If you have ever worked on a long Google Doc — a report, a guide, an eBook, or even a detailed blog post draft — you already know the pain of endlessly scrolling just to find one section. A table of contents fixes that instantly, and the good news is Google Docs gives you more than one way to create it.

This guide covers all three methods: the built-in sidebar outline that most people never notice, the classic inserted TOC that lives inside your document, and a bonus approach for those who want something more permanent on the side panel.

What Is the "Table of Contents on the Side" in Google Docs?

Before jumping into steps, it helps to understand what people usually mean by a table of contents "on the side." There are actually two different things:

The Document Outline is a sidebar panel on the left side of your screen that automatically builds itself from your headings. It is always visible while you write and lets you jump between sections with one click. Most users do not know this exists.

The Inserted Table of Contents is a block of text you place inside the document itself — usually at the top — that lists all your headings with clickable links or page numbers. This is what appears when you print or export to PDF.

Both are useful. Let's go through each one.

Method 1: Use the Built-In Document Outline (Left Sidebar)

This is the fastest method and requires zero setup if your document already has headings.

Step 1: Open your document in Google Docs on a desktop browser.

Step 2: Click View in the top menu bar.

Step 3: Click Show document outline from the dropdown. A sidebar will instantly appear on the left side of your screen listing all your headings.

That's it. This sidebar is dynamic, meaning it updates automatically as you add or modify headings in your document. Click any heading in the sidebar, and Google Docs will jump you straight to that section.

Keyboard shortcut: You can also press Ctrl + Alt + A then Ctrl + Alt + H on Windows, or the equivalent on Mac, to toggle the outline without going through the menu.

What if the sidebar is empty? Google Docs might automatically detect your headings and title — but if it doesn't, all you need to do is select your text, click on Normal text, and select Title, Subtitle, or Heading. Once you apply heading styles, they appear in the outline immediately.

How to hide the outline: Click the small left-facing arrow next to the word "Outline" at the top of the sidebar. This collapses the panel without disabling it. To remove it entirely, go back to View → Show document outline and uncheck it.

Method 2: Insert a Table of Contents Inside Your Document

This method puts a visible, formatted TOC directly into the body of your document — ideal if you are sharing, printing, or exporting to PDF.

This is the most important step. The inserted TOC only picks up text that has been formatted as a heading.

Highlight any section title in your document, then click the Normal text dropdown in the toolbar. Choose Heading 1 for main sections, Heading 2 for subsections, and Heading 3 for deeper levels. Repeat this for every section you want to appear in the TOC.

Keyboard shortcuts work here too: Ctrl + Alt + 1 applies Heading 1, Ctrl + Alt + 2 applies Heading 2, and so on (use Cmd + Option on Mac).

Most people put the TOC at the very top of the document, just after the title. Click to place your cursor there. If you want it on its own page, press Ctrl + Enter to insert a page break first.

Click Insert in the top menu, then hover over Table of contents. You will see three style options: Plain Text, Dotted, and Links. Plain Text displays the heading names and page numbers — the heading names won't look like links, but when clicked, they'll bring you to the corresponding section. Dotted is the same as Plain Text, but with a dotted line connecting the heading name to the page number. Links turns the heading names into visible hyperlinks and doesn't include page numbers. 

For blog drafts and digital documents, the Links style is the most practical. For documents you plan to print, go with Plain Text or Dotted.

The inserted TOC does not update itself automatically. Whenever you add, rename, or delete headings, you need to refresh them manually. Click on the TOC and then click the refresh icon that appears to update it. You can also right-click anywhere on the TOC and select Update table of contents.

Method 3: Keep the Outline Permanently Pinned (Power User Tip)

Some users want the sidebar outline to stay visible at all times without having to re-enable it each session. The good news is that the document outline icon in the latest Google Docs updates is visible in the top left corner of your document no matter whether the Expand Tabs & Outlines sidebar option is enabled or not — you can click it to go straight to the navigation pane. Google Support

This small icon in the top-left corner of your document acts as a permanent toggle. One click opens the outline, one click collapses it. You never need to go through the View menu again.

How to Remove a Heading from the Outline Without Deleting It

Sometimes you have a heading in your document that you do not want cluttering the sidebar — a legal disclaimer, a footnote header, or something else that is not really a navigation point.

Hover the mouse over the chosen heading in the outline panel and click the X icon to remove it from the outline. The heading will vanish from the outline but will still be visible in the body of your document. Google Support

To add it back: right-click the heading text inside the document and select Add to document outline.

How to Use the Outline on Mobile (Android & iOS)

The Google Docs mobile app handles the outline slightly differently. Tap the three dots to open the More options menu in the upper right corner of the screen, then select Document outline. The outline for the document will appear at the bottom of the screen. Tap any heading to jump to it, then tap the X to close the panel.

Which Method Should You Use?

Here is a quick decision guide:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Does the document outline work if I have no headings? No. The outline only appears when your document has at least one piece of text formatted as a Title, Heading 1, Heading 2, or similar style. Plain body text does not show up in the outline.

Q2. Can I have both the sidebar outline and an inserted TOC at the same time? Yes, completely. They are independent features. Many writers keep the sidebar open for personal navigation while the inserted TOC serves readers at the top of the document.

Q3.Why is my inserted TOC not showing all my headings? The most common cause is that some section titles are still formatted as Normal text instead of a heading style. If certain headings aren't showing, double-check if those headings are correctly formatted using the Styles dropdown — and make sure they are not inside a table, text box, or image caption, as these can sometimes be skipped.  After fixing the formatting, refresh the TOC.

Q4. Does the TOC work in pageless mode? If you're using a pageless view, Google Docs will automatically set your table of contents style to Links — there are no page numbers in pageless mode

Q5. Can I insert more than one TOC in the same document? Yes. Google Docs allows multiple inserted tables of contents in a single document, which is useful for multi-chapter documents or eBooks where each chapter needs its own navigation block.

Adding a table of contents to Google Docs — whether on the side or inside the document — takes under a minute once your headings are in place. The sidebar outline is perfect for writers and editors working through long drafts, while the inserted TOC gives readers a clean, professional navigation experience at the top of any shared document.