How to Format Table of Contents in APA 7th Edition

The table of contents serves as a roadmap for readers, providing a quick overview of the structure and organization of your paper.

It allows readers to locate specific sections easily, facilitating efficient navigation through your document.

Although the APA style doesn’t require a table of contents, you may still have to add it to fulfill the requirements of your professor or a specific target journal. So, what are the APA guidelines for creating a table of contents?

Read on to find out! 

APA Guidelines for Creating Table of Contents 

Here’s how to format your table of contents in APA:

• Add the table of contents after the title page and the abstract. 
• At the top of the page, write the heading “Contents” in bold font and align it to the center.
• Include all the level 1 and level 2 headings. Adding other level headings is optional (APA allows for up to 5 levels of heading).
• Use Indentation to differentiate between the levels of headings. Don’t indent the level 1 headings; use 0.5” indent for level 2 headings; add an indent with subsequent levels of heading. 
• Use double-line spacing.
• Use the same font and size for the contents as the rest of the paper (Times New Roman, 12-point).

Here’s what a table of contents in your APA paper would look like once formatted according to the above guidelines:

How to Generate Table of Contents in Word Processors

Whether you’re working in MS Word, Google Docs, or other word processors, there are options to generate the table of contents automatically. You need to follow these 4 steps to generate the table of contents:

Step 1 - Apply Heading Styles to Headings

Before generating a Table of Contents, you need to apply heading styles to the headings text. This step ensures that the word processor recognizes and organizes your headings correctly. 

Here’s how to do it:

In Microsoft Word

• Select a heading you want to format.
• Choose one of the built-in heading styles (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2) from the “styles” menu in the toolbar.
• Move on to the next heading, select it, and apply the relevant heading style. Make sure that the styles follow the APA headings format. You can also edit the heading styles to conform to APA headings guidelines. 

In Google Docs

• Select a heading you want to format.
• Select a relevant heading style from the “styles” drop-down menu in the toolbar (it is set to “Normal text” by default).
• Format other headings similarly. You can update the heading styles to conform to APA headings guidelines.

Step 2 - Generate the Table of Contents

Once you've applied heading styles, you can use the word processor's built-in tool to generate the Table of Contents automatically. The process may vary slightly depending on the software you're using, but the general steps are as follows:

In Microsoft Word

• Navigate to the location where you want to insert the Table of Contents.
• Go to the "References" tab.
• Click on "Table of Contents."
• Choose a style from the dropdown menu or select "Custom Table of Contents" for more options. Once selected, your table of contents with headings and page numbers..

In Google Docs

• Place the cursor where you want the Table of Contents.
• Go to the "Insert" menu.
• Hover over "Table of contents" and choose the desired style. The table will appear at the cursor location.

Step 3 - Update the Table

After generating the initial Table of Contents, it's important to update it whenever you make changes to your document's structure. This ensures that the page numbers and section titles remain accurate. 

Follow these steps:

In Microsoft Word

• Right-click on the Table of Contents.
• Select "Update Field" and choose "Update Entire Table" or "Update Page Numbers Only."

In Google Docs

• Click on the Table of Contents.
• Select "Refresh" from the toolbar.

Step 4 - Apply APA Format Settings

You may need to apply the guidelines discussed above after generating the content table. Whether you’re using Google Docs or MS Word, here is what you need to do:

• Select the complete table of contents.
• Apply Double line spacing.
• Set font type to “Times New Roman” and use 12-pt size as the rest of the paper.
• Add indentation to level 2 and subsequent level headings.

By following these three essential steps in both Microsoft Word and Google Docs, you can effortlessly generate and maintain a professional-looking APA Table of Contents, saving time and ensuring consistency in your document's formatting.

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