I have been successfully using a customised Table of Contents for my current project. I decided to reorder some of the contents, went to update the ToC, to discover that although it still recognises the various heading levels supplied by Microsoft, it no longer recognises the single heading level which I included, the only one I need, the reason for the customisation. I have just spent half an hour trying to get the updater to recognise that single, important heading level without any success. Updating the ToC now returns gibberish. Please advise.

Charles Kenyon 171.2K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-10-03T20:54:49.3033333+00:00
I think John Korchok and Jay Freedman have given you what you need.

For future reference, you should look at and bookmark:

https://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/tableofcontents.html and

http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com/TOCTips.htm

5 answers

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Charles Kenyon 171.2K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-10-03T20:54:49.3033333+00:00

I think John Korchok and Jay Freedman have given you what you need.

For future reference, you should look at and bookmark:

https://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/tableofcontents.html and

http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com/TOCTips.htm

Answer 1

The headings that are displayed in a table of contents are controlled by the items in the field code of the TOC field. To see the code, press the keyboard shortcut Alt+F9 (or Alt+Fn+F9 on some laptops). That's a toggle; if you press the same keys again the code will be replaced by the full display. The code should look something like this:

where the part following the \t switch tells Word to display any heading formatted with "Special heading 3" style in the TOC at level 3 (using TOC 3 style). [This and other parts of the TOC field syntax are explained at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/field-codes-toc-table-of-contents-field.]

To get this kind of code in a custom TOC, click References > Table of Contents > Custom Table of Contents. In the dialog, click the Options button. In the next dialog, scroll down the list of available styles to find the style you're using for your special headings. In the "TOC level" box to the right of that style, enter the TOC level where you want these headings to appear [this doesn't have to be the same as the style's Outline Level in the Modify Style dialog].

When you click OK in the Table of Contents dialog, if there's already a TOC in the document you'll be asked whether to replace the existing TOC -- generally you'll say yes.

The result of the field code shown above is this:

Judi Moore 50 Reputation points

2026-10-04T12:12:59.3233333+00:00

This is what I have been doing for years. Now it will not work.

Answer 2

John Korchok 236.5K Volunteer Moderator

Click inside a heading that is in your custom style. On the Style Gallery tile that becomes highlighted, right-click on that tile and choose Modify. In the Modify Style dialog, choose Format>Paragraph and check that the Outline level dropdown is set to Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3.

If it is set to Body Text, it cannot appear in an automatic TOC. If it is set to a level higher than 3, you must modify the TOC field code to either accept higher levels or to display your specific style. Please post again if you need help doing either of these.

Judi Moore 50 Reputation points

2026-10-04T12:19:03.0333333+00:00

OK. My heading is, indeed, now showing as body text. There is no way to change this that I can find. Nor any way to reintroduce the 1,2,3 levels. Please advise.
John Korchok 236.5K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-10-04T17:07:58.23+00:00

On the Style Gallery tile that becomes highlighted, right-click on that tile and choose Modify. In the Modify Style dialog, choose Format>Paragraph and change the Outline level dropdown is to Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3.

Answer 3

I have not needed to consider 'regional setting factors' or separators this century with Microsoft software. Alt+F9 produces no result. What key is 'Fn'?

I am in the UK using Windows 11 and Office365 (regularly and automatically updated) running under that.

I am an experienced user of Office. I do not, however, have a degree in computer science. Increasingly, that seems to be essential to get a tune out of the complex and fragile systems users are expected to put up with. Sorry to rant. It's not your fault. But this sort of thing is now wasting hours of my time, every week!

These days many keyboards have a special Fn ("Function") key which alters the behavior of the F1–F12 keys which are located at the top of your keyboard. Many PC manufacturers "hijack" the F1–F12 keys for functions such as changing contrast, and therefore the Fn key must often be added when you invoke a shortcut.

The Fn key should be located next to the Ctrl key on a standard PC keyboard.

Pressing Alt+Fn+F9 will reveal field codes. The TOC field (see also Jay's reply) displays something like this:

User's image

My system is using Swedish regional settings, which is why the semicolon is used for the custom style (between the style name and the level number). In the UK, you likely have the comma. Anyone who shares files with other countries may be affected by regional settings in field codes (and also by localized names of styles, etc.). :-)

Answer 4

Stefan Blom 353.7K MVP Volunteer Moderator

If you press Alt+F9 (or Alt+Fn+F9 on some keyboards), which is the specific TOC field code that you see?

If custom levels or custom styles have been specified for the TOC, there is also a regional setting factor to be considered here, because Word uses the list separator defined by your operating system, usually a comma or a semi-colon.

Judi Moore 50 Reputation points

2026-10-04T13:13:57.4366667+00:00

I have not needed to consider 'regional setting factors' or separators this century with Microsoft software. Alt+F9 produces no result. What key is 'Fn'?

I am in the UK using Windows 11 and Office365 (regularly and automatically updated) running under that.

I am an experienced user of Office. I do not, however, have a degree in computer science. Increasingly, that seems to be essential to get a tune out of the complex and fragile systems users are expected to put up with. Sorry to rant. It's not your fault. But this sort of thing is now wasting hours of my time, every week!
Suzanne S Barnhill 279.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-10-05T00:43:20.9466667+00:00

On laptops the function keys are often assigned to different functions from the standard Windows/Word ones. In order to use the Windows/Word assignments, it is often necessary to press a separate Function key (usually labeled Fn) along with the standard key. But if the function key assignment is not the issue, then it may be that the TOC is not a field, in which case Alt+F9 would not reveal the field code. You may need to start from scratch to recreate the TOC, assigning the appropriate outline level to your special heading.
Charles Kenyon 171.2K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-10-05T00:59:23.73+00:00

What key is 'Fn'?

The Fn key can be found on many computers, generally those where the manufacturer assigned things to the function keys that over-ride those in applications like Word.

Here is my page on Function Keys in Word that goes into more details. https://www.addbalance.com/word/functionkeys.htm#StartPage

The Fn key is a shift key, usually in the bottom row of the keyboard with the spacebar and Ctrl, Alt and the Windows keys.

Remember that displaying field codes is a toggle command. You turn it on and off with the same keyboard shortcut. It applies to all documents because it is a Word system option.

Answer 5

John Jefferson Doyon 88,925 Independent Advisor

Hi, @Judi Moore

Have you already gone to "References" > "Table of Contents" > "Custom Table of Contents" > "Options" and checked whether your custom heading style still has a number beside it under "TOC level"?

That number is what tells Word to include that particular style in the Table of Contents. If it is now blank, enter the TOC level you were previously using, click "OK" twice, then update the entire table again. Also select one of the headings that is currently being missed and confirm under "Home" > "Styles" that your custom style is still actually applied to it.

Microsoft also confirms that custom Tables of Contents can be configured through "References" > "Table of Contents" > "Custom Table of Contents."

Reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/format-or-customize-a-table-of-contents-in-word

If it still produces the incorrect entries, could you post a screenshot of the "Table of Contents Options" window and tell me the exact name of the custom heading style you created?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

Judi Moore 50 Reputation points

2026-10-04T12:09:37.3966667+00:00

No. It does not have a number. I understand it needs a number. I am unable to add a number. That is the problem. It is, indeed, a new problem. I have been using customised ToCs for years - and this one for several months.
John Jefferson Doyon 88,925 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-04T17:47:36.81+00:00

Hi, @Judi Moore

Thanks for the additional details. I can see that the other replies have already covered changing the Outline level and displaying the TOC field code, so I don't want to have you repeat the same steps.

Could you please try one quick test in a new blank Word document? Create a new custom paragraph style, then go to "Modify" > "Format" > "Paragraph" and see whether "Outline level" allows you to select Level 1, 2 or 3 there.

If it works in a new document but not in your current project, that would point more toward an issue with the document or its styles rather than Word generally. If the same setting cannot be changed in a new document either, that would point more toward Word itself.

Microsoft's current Word for Windows known-issues page does not currently list a known issue with custom TOC or Outline-level settings:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/support/known-issues/fixes-or-workarounds-for-recent-issues-in-word-for-windows

Also, please go to "File" > "Account" > "About Word" and let me know the exact Version and Build number shown there.

Thanks!

Table of contents

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