Support Bug Report — TOC Includes Normal Text

Huiyu Tao 0 Reputation points
2026-10-28T12:59:32.53+00:00

Subject: Assistant-generated table of contents includes Normal text despite Heading 1 and Heading 2 restrictions.

Reported: 28 October 2026

Environment: Word for Mac (desktop), using the document-editing assistant. Document: LaoziSilkManuscriptCollatedEditionSimple.docx. Exact Word version, assistant/add-in build, and macOS version have not been captured.

Summary: The user reports that the generated table of contents includes paragraphs styled Normal, even after requesting that it include only Heading 1 and Heading 2. The document has part headings (德篇 and 道篇) and chapter headings, alongside original text and commentary styled Normal. A regression in the new release is suspected by the user but has not been confirmed.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Open the Laozi document containing Heading 1 part titles, Heading 2 chapter titles, and Normal body paragraphs.
  2. Ask the assistant to create a table of contents.
  3. Ask the assistant to exclude Normal text and include only Heading 1 and Heading 2.
  4. Inspect the refreshed table of contents for body-text entries.
Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | MacOS

3 answers

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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-28T12:59:51.1266667+00:00

    This behavior is consistent with how Word table of contents entries can be built: a default TOC can include not only built-in Heading 1/2/3 styles, but also paragraphs whose Outline Level is set to 1, 2, or 3 even if the paragraph style is Normal.

    A direct fix is to remove the \u switch from the TOC field code so the TOC no longer includes paragraphs based on outline level.

    Steps:

    1. In Word, press Alt+F9 to show field codes for the table of contents.
    2. Find the TOC field. It may look similar to: { TOC \o "1-3" \h \u }
    3. Delete the \u switch.
    4. If only Heading 1 and Heading 2 should appear, the field should be limited accordingly, for example: { TOC \o "1-2" \h }
    5. Press F9 to update the table of contents.
    6. If prompted, choose to update the whole table of contents.
    7. Press Alt+F9 again to hide field codes.

    Also check whether any body paragraphs were inadvertently given a non-Body Text outline level. Word Q&A guidance notes that Normal paragraphs can still appear in the TOC when their outline level is not Body Text.

    This does not match the documented Word for Mac rendering issue in the available context. The supported explanation in the context is TOC configuration and outline-level behavior, not a confirmed regression in the new release.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Thomas4-N 23,140 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-04T08:11:25.2566667+00:00

    Hello Huiyu Tao,

    Before suggesting anything, we should establish whether your assistant created that type of table or ordinary text.

    Could you share the assistant/add-in’s name and your Word and macOS versions?

    Also, in a copy of the document, try inserting an Automatic Table of Contents directly through References > Table of Contents, without using the assistant. Does that also include the Normal paragraphs, or does it happen only with the assistant-generated version?

    That comparison should help separate a document/TOC configuration issue from an assistant-generation issue. At this stage, I wouldn’t call it a confirmed release regression.

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  3. Stefan Blom 357.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-11-04T09:14:52.14+00:00

    The AI bot's suggestion is worth trying, but note that the instructions are primarily for Windows.

    In Word for Mac, press Option+F9 to show/hide all field codes. If the TOC field code includes \u, remove it and then update the table of contents.

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