A table of contents is not a list you type by hand; it is a field that reads the heading styles and builds itself — and updates with a click whenever the document changes.
1 How is the contents page built?
The contents page does not update itself when you print or save. Make the last step before exporting: Ctrl + A then F9 to update every field in the document at once.
2 Tables that can be read
| Setting | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat the header row | Table Properties → Row → Repeat as header row | The header appears on every page |
| Prevent rows breaking | Table Properties → Row | A row is not split across two pages |
| AutoFit to window | Table Layout → AutoFit | Stops the table overflowing the margins |
| Right-align the numbers | Cell formatting | Makes the figures easy to compare |
| A caption below the table | References → Insert Caption | Automatic numbering and a table of tables |
3 Images that do not jump
The most common complaint in Word: “the picture flies off every time I type a line”. The cause is a single setting called text wrapping:
| Wrapping type | How the image behaves | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| In line with text | Moves with the text as though it were a large character | Formal reports — the safest option |
| Square · Tight | The text wraps around it and it stays in place | Newsletters and design work |
| Behind text · In front of text | Floats completely freely | Covers and watermarks only |
Anchor the image to its paragraph
In reports use in line with text, put the image in its own centred paragraph, and add a caption beneath it. The image then moves with its context rather than at random, and you can refer to it in the text with a cross-reference whose number updates itself.
Lesson summary
- The contents page is a field that reads heading styles — and needs updating manually.
- Ctrl + A then F9 updates every field in the document before exporting.
- Repeat the table’s header row and stop rows breaking.
- “In line with text” is the safe wrapping choice in reports.
- Captions and cross-references number themselves.
4 Test your understanding
Three quick questions
Pick the answer you believe is correct and you will see the result immediately.
1. You added three pages and the contents still shows the old numbers. The fix:
The contents is a field that does not refresh on its own; updating is a single step before exporting.
2. A four-page table shows its header only on the first page. The setting you need:
Copying by hand collapses at the first addition. Repeating is a setting that follows the table wherever it moves.
3. The most suitable wrapping for an image in a formal report:
In-line makes the image part of the flow of the text, so it does not “fly off” when you edit.